BMW is recalling 154,472 vehicles registered in the U.S. and Canada for a fuel pump problem that could cause stalling, according to a filing with U.S. safety regulators and BMW.

BMW told regulators that no injuries have been reported. Since 2014, the German-based company has conducted safety recall campaigns in China, Japan and South Korea for the same issue, according to a filing posted on Friday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Of the vehicles recalled in North America, 88 percent are registered in the United States.

BMW is recalling certain vehicles in the U.S. model year 2007-2011. Among them are the X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, according to the filing.

Also the 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles.

BMW will notify owners and dealers to replace a fuel pump module free of charge beginning in early December. BMW owners can call BMW customer service for details.

BMW provided 11 past and present M cars to Car and Driver for its 2016 Lightning Lap competition, which allowed this rare look at how several generations of M cars compare at the same track with the same conditions.

Notwithstanding size and weight increases throughout the years, lap times have dropped on newer models. Driving feel and enjoyment is of course harder to quantify and chart, however.

Great short video with some excellent aerial camera work by BMWTrueNorth.

It all started with an X. This letter was first used as a model designation for a BMW automobile as early as in the mid-1980s to indicate that it featured four-wheel drive technology. The car’s dual symmetry was the ideal allegory for the transmission of drive torque to all four wheels. 15 years ago, the letter X became the symbol of an entirely new vehicle category and, at the same time, of a very special form of driving pleasure. The BMW X5 made its debut as the world’s first Sports Activity Vehicle, soon going on to conquer not only the road but also off-road terrain, whilst attracting additional target groups to the BMW brand. Once again the German premium automobile manufacturer had demonstrated its extraordinary sense for innovative and future-oriented vehicle concepts. The introduction of the BMW X5 in 1999 laid the foundation stone for the unique success story of BMW X models on automotive markets all over the world.

15 years further on, a complete BMW X family has developed from the pioneer of a new vehicle category. The brand’s range now comprises five BMW X models. These are complemented by the two four-wheel drive high-performance sports cars of the BMW M GmbH, the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M. The BMW X5 is already the third generation of its kind to continue the story of success. The second generation of the Sports Activity Coupe BMW X6 and the BMW X3 are now being produced. The BMW X1 offers a guarantee of multi-faceted driving pleasure in the compact segment. And the BMW X4, a Sports Activity Coupe, now also combines superior dynamism with sporting elegance in the mid-range segment. Each of these models was the first premium vehicle of its kind within its competitive environment. And the range will continue to expand also in the years ahead. The BMW X7, an exceptionally large and luxurious model, is under development. The popularity of BMW X models, which contributed decisively towards BMW becoming one of the world’s most successful producer of premium four-wheel drive automobiles, continues to increase consistently. To this day, more than 3.3 million BMW X models have been sold worldwide. Almost every third newly registered vehicle of the brand is now a BMW X model.

BMW M GmbH has launched a new variant of the BMW X6 M in a limited edition of 100 cars. The exclusive BMW X6 M Design Edition boasts particularly sporty and visually striking elements both inside and out. The upgraded interior of the BMW X6 M Design Edition comes with full Merino leather, including a bicolour instrument panel in Black/Mugello Red with Mugello Red contrast stitching. Another beguiling feature fitted exclusively in the BMW X6 M Design Edition is the BMW Individual interior trim in Piano Black with an edition-specific badge. From the outside, the BMW X6 M Design Edition stands apart with its 21-inch M Performance light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design and carbon elements. The exterior paintwork, meanwhile, can be specified in Alpine White, Sapphire Black or Melbourne Red metallic. It all comes together to create an elegantly sporty blend of colours.

BMW has revealed the limited edition “X6 M Design Edition” model. It’s limited to just 100 units and features cosmetic enhancements, with no performance upgrades announced.

On the outside it adds black kidney grilles, carbon fiber front splitters, carbon fiber rear spoiler, rear diffuser, 21″ M Performance wheels (Style 310M) and optional M Performance stripes.

The inside features two tone Black / Mugello Red leather dashboard and matching seats, contrast stitching in Mugello Red and piano black trim. An individually numbered plaque on the dash indicates the limited edition status.

Inside are the full price ordering guides (PDF) for some 2014 models – the 3 Series Touring (F31), 6 Series, M6, X1, X3, X6 and Z4.

Pricing (and price/order guides) for models you don’t see here have not yet been released, but should be soon.

The rumormill and speculation for the second generation X6 has begun cranking. Autocar starts us off with many morsels of preliminary details/rumors. Here is a summary list of the details:

Introduction within next 18 months
Will feature even more aggressive styling than current model
Styling and look will move even further away from X5, for more individual look
Length to increase approximately 1.3 in / 33 mm (for extra interior room)
Longer wheelbase and wider track
Weight savings expected from:
Composite steel structure platform, which uses a higher percentage of hot-formed high-strength alloys
New axle assemblies, which are said to be shared with the 5-series
New electronic torque-vectoring system (lighter than current mechanical torque-vectoring system)
Lower-end models will ride on steel springs and top-end models will continue with self-leveling air suspension, with dampers offering three levels of stiffness
Hydraulically operated anti-roll bars set to be made available as an option
New state-of-the-art FlexRay’ electronics platform allowing the central processing unit, electronic chassis upgrade, and various multimedia systems to be easily upgraded when new software packages become available
Powered by new or upgraded twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter petrol, sequential twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel and tri-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engines, as well as revised twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 petrol units in both standard and M model, all with expected power increases
Plug-in X6 ActiveHybrid also under development.
Joined by X2 and X4 SAV models by 2016

Info above and render below courtesy of Autocar.

No second-gen X6 prototypes have yet been spotted, but as soon as it’s spied, we’ll be sure to bring it to you.

The ///M Owners Club of Indonesia held their annual BMW fest event recently and have shared these photos of a great assortment of M cars spanning many generations, models, colors, and customizations.

Check out the full gallery inside.

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) star Randy Couture’s manager narrowly escaped a mysterious explosion of his BMW X6 M.

The reason behind the explosion has yet to be determined, but as Courture’s manager Sam Spira tells the story, he was driving to a friend’s house several days ago when “without any warning, my BMW X6M burst into flames, exploded and was completely totaled.”

He described the event as “a very loud bang while going about 10 miles an hour — there was a speed bump that I slowed down for — followed by an immediate giant engine malfunction light and flames coming out from the front and under the car.” Seconds later, the car exploded and was engulfed in flames.

To make matters even more harrowing, his daughter was in the passenger seat and her door wouldn’t open. Spira took action by grabbing his daughter and pulling her out from the driver’s side, burning himself in the process.

Spira observed that had they been traveling down the highway when this happened, they would probably all be dead.

BMW has released the following statement on the incident (to Jalopnik):

The BMW Group is thankful that Mr. Spira and his daughter escaped serious harm in the unfortunate vehicle fire reported by TMZ on November 16th. BMW of North America has been in touch with the customer since November 9th and has been collecting information about the circumstances of the incident. BMW is eager to send engineers to inspect the customer’s vehicle. That investigation has been scheduled with the customer’s insurance company to take place later this month.