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BMW looking to fix i3 acceleration problem uncovered by Consumer Reports

The BMW i3 has been hailed in some quarters as the future of electric mobility, what with its innovative carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body and commitment to sustainable materials wherever possible. The modernist little hatch is even available with a 650cc two-cylinder gas engine with 34 horsepower to act as a range-extender for those who want it. However, that optional engine might have a drawback - at least for the moment.
Consumer Reports brought the problem to light when one of its drivers was behind the wheel of an i3 using the range-extender. When the driver attempted to pass another vehicle on a rolling, two-lane road, the BMW suddenly had no power to accelerate - a scary situation. CR started examining the car and found something pretty shocking: After driving at a constant speed for a while without any regenerative braking in range-extended mode, acceleration to 60 miles per hour plummeted from about 9 seconds normally to a staggering 27 to 40 seconds in their testing.
A BMW spokesperson told CR that it knows about the problem and has a fix coming next spring that also works on current models. The upgrade includes a state of charge indicator, a warning about loss of power and uses the car's navigation to boost the battery before driving on rolling terrain. It is not clear if the severe power deficiency will also eventually result in a recall.

BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

It may be early in the morning here in the US, but in Germany, the first day of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing. BMW took advantage of the early start and showed off its long-awaited i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar, a two-plus-two, swan-wing-doored coupe, to the Frankfurt crowd.
We drove a BMW i8 prototype back in August, so many of the things we're reading today are clarifications on our initial suspicions or speculations. Underhood sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine. On its own, it churns out a respectable 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is then channeled to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. An electric motor, meanwhile, sends 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a two-speed automatic to the front wheels.
With all-wheel drive at its disposal, the total system power sits at 362 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, and allows the i8 to scamper to 62 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That excellent performance is offset by an estimated fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon, though, making this a fast and efficient vehicle. Charging is impressively fast on the i8, with a full charge coming from a 110-volt outlet in under four hours. A BMW Charging Station will trim the charge time down to 1.5 hours.

2015 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe priced from $118,225* [w/poll]

If you're in the market for a high-performance BMW and you live in Europe, you've typically had two range of options at your disposal: you could go for one of BMW's own M models, or turn to Alpina. Though technically independent of BMW, Alpina is about as close to the manufacturer as a tuner can get, and many of its models are offered through BMW's own dealer network.
That's overseas, but in the North American market, BMW has typically taken a different approach, offering just one Alpina model - the B7 - to fill in for a lack of M7 performance sedan. That all changes, however, with the debut of the BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe.
Slotting in alongside the M6 Gran Coupe, the Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe is marginally more expensive and slightly less powerful, but makes up for those relative (and negligible) shortcomings in spades. Both are based on the 6 Series Gran Coupe and both pack a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but with key differences. Where the M6 produces 560 horsepower, the Alpina offers 'only' 540. But where the M6 channels 500 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the Alpina drives 540 lb-ft to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic.