--FILE--visiteurs regarder une BMW X1 au cours d'une auto show dans la ville de Hangzhou, province de Zhejiang, Chine de l'est 7 novembre 2012. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG,
--FILE--Visitors look at a BMW X1 during an auto show in Hangzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang province, 7 November 2012. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the worlds biggest maker of luxury cars, reported a 3.5 percent gain in 2012 profit as demand for the new 3-Series sedan in China and the US more than offset a market downturn in Europe. Earnings before interest and taxes rose to 8.3 billion euros (US$10.7 billion) from 8.02 billion euros a year earlier, the Munich-based company said. Sales jumped 12 percent to 76.8 billion euros. The maker of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles is tapping rising demand in China and the US to shield the automaker from the impact of the sovereign-debt crisis on Europes car market, which reached a 17-year low last year. BMW is also working to defend its No. 1 position in luxury car sales, which both Volkswagen AGs Audi and Daimler AGs Mercedes-Benz have vowed to seize by the end of the decade.
