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BMW X4 M probably not in the cards

BMW is preparing to exploit its latest market niche - those that find themselves unable to choose between the 3 Series, 4 Series and X3 - with the X4. If you're looking for an M product, though, you'll remain limited to the 3 and 4 Series. BMW's Bernhard Ederer, at the Australian launch of the X5, told Car Advice he wouldn't "bet on it," when asked about a hotter X4.
Oddly, Ederer's reasoning, according to the Aussies, is out of concern for the X6 M, whose sales the X4 M would apparently cannibalize. That's like saying the M3 doesn't make sense because it will cannibalize M5 sales - the logic just doesn't really hold up. "The question is what customers are we talking to? And are we talking to someone that is willing and able to afford [an X6 M]?" Ederer told Car Advice.
Car Advice seems to feel the same way, claiming the X3-based X4 will share its powertrains with its donor platform, and will eventually spawn an M variant, albeit a few years down the line.

BMW i3 finding favor with fire, police departments

Of all the models that BMW makes, you might figure that the i3 would be the least likely to be used for a police car, ambulance, or fire truck. Yet the little EV is proving a popular choice among emergency services around the world. Drawing on its extensive experience in equipping emergency vehicles, BMW offers first responders i3 EVs with the tools they need, straight from the factory. That means special livery, roof bars, strobe lights, megaphones... the works. The Bavarian automaker even developed a ConnectedRescue system based on the Connected Drive technology to enable fluid, on-the-go communications between emergency dispatchers and the vehicles on the road to help responders get to the scene with the information they need. The system is being implemented initially in Germany, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it rolled out elsewhere as the i3 gains momentum among emergency services worldwide. With all that specific equipment and zero emissions to boot, it's little wonder that the i3 has already zipped its way into emergency motor pools in locations as varied as Milan, London, and Los Angeles. There's even one being used in Warsaw, Poland, to transport cash around the city with zero emissions. We're more used to seeing Brinks armored trucks carrying our deposits between branches, but if a carbon-fiber EV is capable of doing the job, who are we to argue? Emission-free cash transport with the BMW i3.The all-electric BMW i3 also proves its value as an emergency vehicle for police forces, rescue services and fire departments. 04.11.2015 Powerful, agile, interconnected and, above all, locally emission-free: Thanks to these qualities, the all-electric BMW i3 is now also increasingly proving its worth as an emergency vehicle for police forces, rescue services and fire departments. BMW is offering the world's first premium vehicle designed from the start for solely electric mobility, featuring a range of optional extras specifically aligned to the requirements of emergency forces, thereby opening up new fields of action for electric mobility within the urban environment. Authorities Bavaria, Milan, Los Angeles and London have meanwhile added the first BMW i3s to their emergency vehicle fleets. And another special version is in use for locally emission-free cash transport in the Polish capital of Warsaw. The BMW i3 features a vehicle architecture that was specifically developed for electric and plug-in models.

YouTube viewers prefer BMW

BMW owners sometimes get a bad rap as being snobbish, rude drivers, but according to a new study by the online marketing company ZEFR, Bimmer aficionados also have a close relationship with the brand's vehicles. With well over 4 billion YouTube views, the German automaker is the industry's king of the road online. Making the popularity even sweeter for marketers, 95 percent of those clicks are for fan videos, which represents loads of free advertising. BMW isn't the only automaker with such an extensive following. Honda comes in a close second with around 4 billion views, and Mercedes-Benz is just a little behind it. Among all brands, it's the norm for fan-made videos rather than the official ones to get the lion's share of the clicks, generally 95 percent or more. "YouTube has become a treasure trove for connecting with the right people for automakers," Dave Rosner, ZEFR marketing boss, said to Automotive News. Beyond just a popularity contest among brands, automotive videos are big business on YouTube, according to ZEFR's research. Enthusiasts are leading the way, too. Racing is by far the most-watched category with 895,000 clips generating a staggering 8.2 billion views. Classic cars are also a very hot topic with 305,000 videos getting 1.6 billion clicks. Surprisingly, when it comes to watching auto videos, sedans are most popular on YouTube with over 9 billion views, according to Automotive News. Meanwhile, SUVs, performance vehicles, and pickups were each around 3 billion or less. You can check out the full study for yourself, as a PDF, here. Related Video: