Another debut today at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show was the newest and second-generation BMW 1 Series. The F20 1 Series hatchback was officially unveiled to the public present in Hall 11.

Styling wise, the F20 1 Series follows the design language initiated by BMW back in 2009 when the new 7 Series came to market. The car features a bold front that aims to stand out with what we believe are a pair of oversized headlights surrounding a flat and smaller than expected kidney grille. The hood sports the creases seen on all the new BMWs and facelifted models.

BMW i8, "the most progressive sportscar" as the Munich-based automaker labeled it, made its public debut today at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.

According to BMW, the i8 will set a benchmark in the performance segment. The 349 horsepower hybrid has nearly 80 mpg fuel consumption. BMW says the i8 runs a 0-62mph in just 4.6 sec - 0.3 sec faster than the M3 Coupe. I

Initially previewed by the Vision EfficientDynamics (Vision ED) concept back in 2009, the super-sporty two-door i8 has already undergone two years of intensive development. The major change is a new 1.5 liter petrol engine replacing the initial diesel unit of same capacity. The engine is mounted at the rear and drives via a dual-clutch gearbox.

BMWBLOG team walked the floor today at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show and at the end of a long, yet exciting day, we have  a quick report from one of the largest car shows in the world.

The Weismann roadster utilizes the BMW N54 engine and has reached the end of its production (since the engine program is moving on). It is a bit more powerful than the stock N54 and weighs under 1500 kg. The paint job (and interior trim) stands out - too much, possibly for some, though there are enough color schemes to find something from somewhat subdued to substantially outlandish. More on Weismann later.

The drivetrain of the D5 Bi-Turbo utilises the excellent attributes of the BMW full aluminium 3 litre in line six cylinder engine with modern common-rail direct injection and two turbo-chargers with variable turbine geometry.

With the aim of maximising the potential of this engine and using the freedom that small series production allows, the engineers from Buchloe have worked extensively on optimising the air intake flows. The new air intake ducts have substantially larger diameters and feature optimised radii which lead to a significant reduction in loss of pressure. This effective means of 'de-restricing' the air flow between the air intake and the air filter housing allows the engine to breathe more freely, resulting in improved performance and a more lively character.

Today, at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, Buchloe-based automaker ALPINA unveils the new 2012 ALPINA B6 Bi-Turbo Convertible which is based on the new BMW 6 Series Convertible.

As expected with all the ALPINA models, the B6 Bi-Turbo Cabriolet receives a power upgrade. The 4.4 liter V8 TwinTurbo engine from BMW gets a new turbocharged system which increases the power output from 404 horsepower to 500 ponies at 5,500 rpm. The maximum torque was also raised to a whooping 516 lb-ft between 3,000 and 4,750 rpm.

The increased power takes the ALPINA B6 Bi-Turbo Convertible from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 193 mph.