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Husqvarna sold to KTM CEO Stefan Pierer

A couple of days ago the UK's Motorcycle News reported that BMW was in the final stages of selling Husqvarna to KTM, with a deal potentially confirmed as soon as this week. Following that came reports that Husqvarna Motorcycles wasn't sold to KTM but to a Pierer Industries, the company owned by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer. Turns out the advance report was true, as was the follow-up: BMW has just announced a "strategic realignment" of its Motorrad division, explaining that it sold Husqvarna to Pierer Industries in order to focus on the urban and e-mobility segments. Husqvarna's off-road machines, obviously, don't fit into those categories.
BMW bought the Italian-based bike maker with centuries-old Swedish roots in 2007 - the rest of the Husqvarna company remains based in Sweden - and has invested huge sums to integrate the smaller company into the larger parent. Six years later, just when dividends should begin to truly pay off, the brand is sold.
Before BMW made its announcement, one of the theories that forum members put forward for Pierer's interest in purchasing Husqvarna was that he wants his own business to run his own way. The parent company of KTM, Cross Industries, is 47.27-percent owned by India's Bajaj Automotive, with Pierer the majority shareholder, and is on a quest for global growth, taking the fight to BMW in Europe and launching new bikes and technology into the Indian market. Compared to BMW's and KTM's 2012 sales of around 100,000 bikes each in 2012, Husqvarna sold 10,751 bikes, which was a 15.7-percent increase over the previous year. Pierer would have a lot more freedom in the running of a company of that size.

BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe caught without cladding

Like it or not, the majority of BMW 3 Series variants are on their way out, and the 4 Series models are hotly embroiled in the testing needed to replace them. We've now driven the basic 4 Series, seen spy photographs of the 4 Series Convertible and both versions of the M4 and today we get a better-than-ever look at the 4 Series Gran Coupe.
And, mostly dependent on your personal disposition towards four-dour coupes, that look should be a pleasant thing. The long, swooping Gran Coupe may be roughly similar in size to the related 3 Series GT, but it has been sculpted with beauty in mind rather than crossover function. We expect that those details still hidden by the body cladding here, mostly front and rear, can be filled in by simply remembering what the standard 4 Series looks like and squinting your eyes a bit. Subtlety is thy name, BMW variants.
As for the mechanicals, well, we expect to have the very same greasy bits under the hood and beneath the car that are found in the 4 Series lineup, too.

BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe proves that 3-2=4

BMW may be calling this 4 Series Coupe a concept, but take a long, hard look - this will be the car that replaces the 3 Series Coupe in the automaker's lineup. Don't let that number change trip you up. This car will have all the basic elements of what makes a 3 Series coupe so popular, and while this isn't technically the production model (there are still come conceptual elements and we don't have powertrain details), it's pretty much what we can look forward to seeing out on the road very soon. And honestly, the naming strategy isn't that weird (though it's still plenty odd) - BMW will be using even numbers for all its coupes and convertibles moving forward. 1 Series, meet 2 Series. And when a 3 Series loses two doors, it becomes a 4 Series.
Dimensionally, the new 4 Series coupe is 1.7-inches wider, half an inch shorter in overall height, and rides on a 2.0-inch longer wheelbase. It's a really pretty thing, with bold, aggressive body sculpting up front, and a rear deck that's sort of like a downsized version of the larger 6 Series two-door. It's all very handsome, but we'll reserve final judgment until we see the production version with its likely smaller wheels and possibly toned-down visuals.
We don't yet have powertrain details, but we fully expect the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and 3.0-liter turbo-six to carry over in 328i 428i and 435i guise. Though remember, other 3.0-liter models in BMW's range use 40i designation, so we could possibly be looking at a 440i Coupe, instead. We won't know until the production car officially bows later this year.