If you’re in the market for a BMW, it’ll save you a little cash to run out and buy one before the New Year. Starting Jan. 1, BMW will raise its list prices by an average of 0.7 percent. Automotive News reports, “The rise comes despite the fact that the brand, like the rest of the industry, saw its U.S. new-vehicle sales slip by just over 12% to 231,053 units in the first 11 months of 2008 vs. a year ago.”

According to Motor Trend, the 2009 7-Series sedan (which goes on sale this spring) will see the biggest price increase: “[T]he 2009 750i price increases $3,500 (now $80,300) while the 750Li rises $4,300 (now $84,200).” Though BMW’s overall sales are down, Edmunds Inside Line reports that “sales of the 2008 7 Series rose 15.3 percent in November compared with November 2007.”

Automotive News concludes that the price hike probably won’t have much impact on the typical BMW buyer. They write: “The average price of a new BMW is roughly $35,000, said Todd Turner, president of consultant CarConcepts. However, Turner believes the primarily upscale consumers for BMW’s products won’t be dissuaded by the price hike. He added that he’s not surprised by the move, since the U.S. dollar recently took a record week-to-week dive against the euro.”

Want to get your hands on a hot BMW before the price hike? Check out the 7-Series and other BMW models with U.S. News Rankings and Reviews.

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A teaser sketch of Alpina’s forthcoming B7 model based on the latest generation BMW 7-Series sedan, has appeared on the net. There’s no information whatsoever on the car, but the drawing reveals that the new B7 will feature a subtle bodykit that includes Alpina’s characteristic front lip spoiler, rocker panels and a discreet rear spoiler complemented by the German firm’s multispoke alloy wheels.
If the previous B7 model with its supercharged 4.4-liter V8 engine that produced 500HP and 516 pound-feet of torque for a 4.8-second sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) is anything to go by, then Alpina’s take on the new 7-Series should be an exciting toy for those that feel the need to stand out from the crowd.

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After initially confirming that its CS Concept was a precursor to an upcoming production model, BMW then went back and said no, the CS would not be produced after all. But now fresh new spy pictures have surfaced and these point to the resurrection of a CS-based sports saloon.

The CS was conceived, according to Director of Design, Chris Bangle, holistically as a four-door saloon. It is thus larger in dimension than a 7 Series, sits four passengers, boasts aggressive front end styling, a sloping rear and an engine bay reserved for something very powerful. So the Porsche Panamera would be the most natural rival, alongside Audi’s upcoming A7 and Aston Martin Rapide. Some have even speculated that it would bring back the 8 Series name tag.

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The crew over at Hamann Motorsports has developed a new series of aluminum wheel designs for the 2009 BMW 7-Series sedan and the sinfully beautiful, Maserati Granturismo. In particular, Hamman introduced two different alloy wheel designs for the Bimmer and one set of 21-inch alloys for Italian coupe, all of which are available exclusively in a black finish. Hamann has yet to release further details but expect to see the German tuner providing an array of styling and mechanical upgrades for both vehicles in the very near future.

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Like every year, Neiman Marcus has introduced its Christmas catalog in October for those who get a kick of early holiday shopping. This year’s list includes a special edition version of the all-new 2009 BMW 7-Series that has been carefully customized by the team over at BMW’s Individual department. We can’t but help wonder if this is the right time to launch a $160k car but we guess Neiman Marcus and BMW probably know better. Based on the 750iL that’s equipped with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition BMW Individual 7-Series has been treated among other things with special iridescent ‘Diopside Black’ metallic paintwork and ‘Champagne Merino’ leather interior with contrasting piping and trim. BMW’s Individual team also accented the interior with Piano Black trim elements and a new steering wheel.

In honor of the 7 Series’ 31st anniversary, only 31 of the personalized 750iLs have been built. The Neiman Marcus customers who buy the car will be able to take delivery of the luxury sedans from the BMW Welt center in Munich, Germany in April 2009. But the treat doesn’t end there as they will also be granted insider access to BMW before hitting the road for a ‘short trip’ to Monaco, Nice and Cannes after which their cars will be shipped to the States

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