CLK was never a problem for 3 series and it won't be now either even if they put a V12 in it, be sure about that.

Anyhow, can't wait that Thursday!

Mind that facelift design & upgrades are set with the start of the production of a new car. When the car is launced, it's already known what the facelift design & major tech upgrades will be. However there is still some room to address some quality and ergonomical issues.

I also hope Jan 17 is the right date. I'm already very tired of this saga.

I'm clueless right now.

New I6 engines are being ready for production this summer. But it's sales&marketing dept. call whether to launch them with E92. Regarding they've just launched facelifted Z4 and announced Z4 Coupe (coming in June) I have strong doubts the new engines will be launched this year. But who knows ...

I guess will see 323/5i: ~200HP, 328i: ~240-250HP, 330i: ~280-290HP. And of course 335i: 330HP. There are some indications that US market may not get the turbo right now, but upgraded non-turbo 330i will be rebadged 335i. When the turbo is introduced 328i will get 330i specification, and 335i will become turbo. Also SULEV II compatible 323/5i with new 2,5L I6 engine is also on US radar. BMW sales&marketing dept is very busy right now positioning all the models, engines, spec right not to overlap & to be on par with competition.

well tycoon thats left to see.. up to this point your right.. but there will be a new CLK.. maybe MB will go more towards sportyness.. than elegance with the next one.. no one knows really

Im not certain it will happen on Thursday since BMW is revealing their new F1 car that day. Like Tine said it will probably happen a few days later.

Right. I expressed my doubts about the specific date due BMW Sauber F1 Team launch is set for the same day. But who knows ... It could be few days later or even on Jan 17 - in that case we'll have all BMW day.

It could also be that Jan 17 is the day when press kit leaves the BMW house, not the date when embargo ends - meaning PR is published few days later after being sent to media.

As I said: BMW sales&marketing (this time in colaboration with communication dept) moves in mysterious ways.

Note BMW have many PRs ahead to be released till Geneva 2006 (starting March 2): 1er 3-door, Z4 Copue, 3er Coupe, M5 Touring and possibly M6 Cabrio. So 4 - 5 PRs. In a month and a half!

Absolutely!

Well, I don't get it.
Even if I would love a sporty MB over a elegant one, MBs core value does not stand (well I should say did not stand for since MB doesn't seem to have any core values) for sporty.
The sport(y) cars (like the 300 SL coupe, NOT the roadster) were the exceptions, MB used to follow the luxury and comfort philosophy (even) at the expense of the driving dynamics (witch were poor by Porsche and BMW standards).

well if what you say is true that they have left everything they stood for ( wich i dont agree with by the way) then there is a big possibility that they go sporty to..

I cannot keep up with all these engine revisions - It is doing my head in!

But that slot is taken by BMW.
As I said it before BMW didn't not succed by being the other MB. The
luxo-unsporty-expensive baroque angels sedans of the 1950's almost killed BMW. By the 1960's people have forgotten them, but they would still remember the 327 and 328 (and 326) of the 1930's.
BMWs New Class family, the predecesor to the 3 series family, was the one that have rebuilded BMWs sporty image and turned it into a succes story.
The succes is (also) because the cars and the image of the brand followed/stayed true to its core values.
Ever since BMW put the "driving pleasure/driver's car" image into the people heads in the 1930's with the 327 and especially the 328, they found out, painfully, that for better or worse, they can't get that image out, so why not develop on it.
If MB is no longer MB what will it be than ?!