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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Unlike wine, cars don’t get better as they age, and at 11 years old, the current Saab 9-5 is long overdue for replacement. Still, Saab tries to make the best of it by constantly introducing new editions of its mid-size executive model in a wary attempt to draw buyers into its showrooms. At the Detroit auto show next month, the Swedes will perform the debut of the 9-5 Griffin Edition powered by the firm’s 2.3-liter, 260HP four-cylinder engine that can be matched to five-speed manual or automatic transmissions without extra charge.

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A rear diffuser and what seems to be a taped up AMG logo on the boot hood suggest this prototype could be the E63 AMG Coupe. But Mercedes‘ models from the AMG division all feature a quad exhaust layout whereas this prototype has the rectanglular twin exhausts mimicking the style seen on the recent leaked official photos of the regular E Class Sedan. The front end sports a grille featuring two horizontal bars, a style which differentiates this variant from the sedan and estate variants of the new E-Class line-up.

The engine range is likely to be shared with the rest of the E class range. That includes a 3.5 liter V6, a 5.4 liter V8 and an uprated 6.2 liter AMG V8. Diesels will likely also be on offer for the cabriolet, given how quiet they’ve become in recent years. Mercedes new generation of cleaner diesels expected in the cabriolet are: the 200, 220, 250 and 300 CDI, as well as the 350 BlueTec at the top of the range.

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G-POWER has done it again. The M3 Hurricane can now be named the fastest sedan in the world, breaking a long-standing record of the Brabus Rocket. Back in March, we wrote about G-Power’s tuning program, named “Hurricane”, and also about their 730 horsepower M5.

At the time, the M5 ran the track with a top speed of 200 mph, but G-Power had bigger plans for their M5. In November 2008, G-POWER M5 Hurricane RS achieved a top speed of 228.4 mph (367,59 km/h). The previous 227.2 mph (365,7 km/h) hold by the Brabus, has been broken. The test took place on tracks in Papenburg.

While the Brabus has a V12, G-Power uses only a simple V10 from the shelves of BMW and modified this engine with other two superchargers from G-POWER’s technology partner ASA, with enlarged capacity.

According to G-POWER the BI-Kompressor system could be raised from 0,7 bar rel. to 0,8 bar rel., but the system has not reached its limit yet. Companies representatives confirmed that if needed,  the system could be improved and the M5 Hurricane could be taken to a whole new level.

Which level that might be, time will tell. We’re almost positive that Brabus has something in-works to regain the lost status.

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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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Perhaps you have always wanted a Maybach 62 but were turned off by the uber-sedan’s limited seating, if so this 2004 version might suit your tastes. The owner apparently wanted some extra room and two more rear seats, so the car has been modified to that end.

The most striking thing about the car is the level of quality and attention to detail that went into the customization, it appears that all original Maybach parts were used in the process, making the car seem truly genuine. It appears that the extension is about a meter in length, perhaps giving the car the justification of being called a Maybach 72.

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