A little after a leaked brochure gave us our first taste of the lightly refreshed 2011 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, BMW rushed out an official release and a whole bunch of pictures. For the 2011 model year, the Bavarian automaker’s bread-and-butter coupe and cabriolet models receive some minor cosmetic touches and updated powerplants.

The most notable – that is, if you’re a hardcore bimmer fan- changes on the outside concern the widened kidney grille, reshaped LED headlamps, front and rear bumpers with restyled lower fascias, new exterior mirrors and finally, reworked tail light cluster with a new color scheme.

According to BMW, these modifications slightly extend the front and rear overhangs by 1.14 and 0.12 inches respectively.

The only change in the cabin concerns the convertible models and the use of sun-reflective technology to mitigate temperatures on leather seating, armrest surfaces, headrests, and gear shifter. BMW says that this new treatment is able to reduce surface temperatures on dark interior colors by up to 20 Celsius degrees (36 Fahrenheit degrees) and by as much as Celsius degrees (27 Fahrenheit degrees)on light-colored upholstery.

In North America (we’ll bring you details on the Euro spec models shortly), the 2011 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models will be offered once again in two flavors, the 328i and 335i.

As noted in our previous post, the 2011 335i is fitted with BMW’s new twin scroll single turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six, designated N55, that replaces the previous model’s N54 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six.

BMW says that even though output has remained the same as before at 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, the new single turbo engine is more responsive, more fuel efficient, and cleaner-running than its predecessor.

The rear-wheel drive 335i Coupe and Convertible accelerate from 0 – 60 mph (96km/h) in just 5.3 (5.5 coupe automatic) seconds and 5.5 (5.7 cabrio automatic) seconds, respectively, when equipped with a six speed manual gearbox.

The all-wheel drive 335i xDrive coupe is slightly faster at 5.2 seconds (5.3 sec for the automatic model).

The 328i’s 230 horsepower, 200 lb-ft, 3.0-liter inline-6 engine has been carried over unchanged from the 2010 model.

No word yet on the sporty 335is variants with a tweaked 3.0-liter twin-turbo churning out 322HP that were mentioned in the leaked sales leaflet.

In the U.S. and Canada, the 2011 3 Series Coupe and Convertible models will go on sale in Spring 2010, with pricing set to be announced closer to the on-sale date.

We brought you the first images of the refreshed 2010 Volvo C70, which was snapped by a Volvo forum member during a commercial shoot in Spain, back in June, but today the first official photos of the facelifted model made their way onto the internet. The most prominent change on the folding-hardtop four seater concerns the new front-end design with more organic details and softer shapes that is very similar to the S60 Concept that was reveled in Detroit this past January.

That means a prominent new front bumper arrangement with swoopy styled headlights and a wider and more pronounced grille. At the back, the facelifted C70 gains a new tail light design with LED strips, a restyled bumper and a larger ‘Volvo’ name on the boot lip.

From what we can tell by looking at the single press shot of the C70′s interior, there don’t seem to be any changes made to the convertible’s cabin.

Since there’s no press release, we don’t know if Volvo made any changes to C70′s chassis and engine range, but we suspect that it won’t be long before the Swedes come out with an official announcement.

The new-look Volvo C70 will make its world debut in a couple of weeks time at the Frankfurt Motor Show and should go on sale towards the end of the year or early 2010, depending on the market.

The new MINI Convertible has caught the attention of engineers from famed tuner AC Schnizter that have developed a comprehensive sport package for the drop top. The German firm started by tuning the MINI’s 1.6-liter turbocharged engine to produce a reported 208HP for the domestic market model and 226HP for the export model, up from the standard unit’s 175HP. At the same time, the Cooper S and JCW models get a limited slip differential and a sport exhaust system.

Sans the JCW model, the rest of the MINI Convertible range can be upgraded with a sport spring kit and height-adjustable racing suspension. Customers can also choose from a variety of alloy wheel designs available in sizes 17-inches, 18-inches and 19-inches.

Those not content with the MINI Cabrio’s exterior looks can opt for AC Schnitzer’s bodykit that includes the usual front and rear aprons and side skirts along with a set of decals available in white, black or chrome-black. For the interior, the German firm offers an array of accessories such as gear knobs, handbrake handle, pedals and foot rests in aluminum and special floor mats.

Fiat has just issued these first official pictures of the new 500C convertible ahead of its Geneva show debut. You’ll quickly spot that this isn’t a full cabrio version – instead Fiat has revived the rollback soft top for its new fresh-air Cinquecento.

The Fiat 500C lands in showrooms in spring 2009, with UK deliveries pencilled for June. This cabriolet pays homage to the open-top 1957 model, with its simple rollback roof sliding back between the existing cant rails, and was created in-house at Fiat’s design centre in Poland.

Closest rival to the Fiat 500C? Easy. It’s aimed square at the Mini Convertible, but with a price tag more mini than Mayfair – kicking off at some £9000.

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Right on the heels of our recent first drive of the latest-gen Mini Cooper S convertible, Mini is raising the curtain on the John Cooper Works edition at the 2009 Geneva auto show. This marks the first time that the John Cooper Works package will be offered as a factory option on the convertible.

The JCW convertible shares the coupe and Clubman Works editions’ upgraded exhaust and turbocharged 1.6-liter four, good for 208 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. An overboost mode allows for 207 lb-ft, which is, frankly, probably going to be too much for the Mini’s front tires to handle. The 177 lb-ft of torque available in the standard Cooper S convertible had us torque steering all over the place, and the Cooper Works edition isn’t likely to be any better, but we’ll wait until we drive it to comment further.

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