2015 Bmw 2-series M235i on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes could make EV batteries with Audi, BMW

It's not a big leap from digital maps to batteries, it turns out.The head of Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler said recently that he envisions his company working together with German automotive competitors BMW and Volkswagen to further accelerate electric-vehicle battery technology. The three automakers recently worked together to enhance their in-car maps systems. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche talked about "commonalities" between automakers, not the least of which is the need for all of them to achieve increasingly stringent fuel-economy requirements in the European Union, at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week, according to Reuters. While these companies have made their own inroads as far as plug-in vehicles go, they are all behind the Renault-Nissan Alliance when it comes to public deployment of electric vehicles. This summer, Daimler, Audi and BMW hooked up to acquire the Nokia Here digital-mapping service for about $2.8 billion. The triad of automakers beat out companies such as Apple and Uber to buy the entity, which was founded in 1986 as Navteq. Nokia bought the company in 2007. The acquisition makes sense as the automakers work on improving their products with features like cloud-based data to warn drivers of icy roads and traffic jams. The technology will likely also eventually be used in autonomous vehicles. Automakers working together for a common goal of improved technology is nothing new, of course. General Motors and Honda agreed in 2013 to work together to accelerate hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrain development. Earlier that same year, Daimler said it would work with Ford and Nissan in a separate collaboration to speed up the development of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Related Video:

BMW recaps the glory days of M3 performance

Next in the BMW series chronicling the M3 come the second-generation E36 and third-generation E46 models. The E36 ran from 1992 to 2000, upping the game over its predecessor with a 3.0-liter inline-six that started out with 286 horsepower in Europe, or 240 hp when it came to the US in 1994. By the time it ended its run in 1999, it had vastly expanded the lineup and ushered in some key BMW firsts. Going beyond the coupe-only E30, the E36 added sedan and convertible bodystyles, and gave us BMW's Vanos variable cam timing system and the six-speed SMG sequential gearbox. The E46 that launched in 2000 would pare down the bodystyles to coupe and convertible yet go further with design and technical changes. The 3.2-liter inline-six shared only three minor components with the previous motor and put out 333 horsepower at 7,900 rpm. It introduced the power dome, fender vent, and inset exhaust tips as design trademarks. The special editions included the Euro-only M3 CSL, and the second-generation homologation special M3 GTR with a 493-hp, 4.0-liter V8, of which just ten were made. Having made the complete transition from racer for the street to comfortable, perfectly balanced sports car, BMW sold even more of the E46 with just two bodystyles than the E36 with three. Check out the video on the E36 above, then enjoy the look back at the E46 below. If you want to catch up on the latest BMW M3 and its M4 siblings, take a look at the video at the very bottom. Related Video:

BMW mulling potential 9 Series production

Nine months may be long enough to bring another human being into the world, but it may take BMW a bit longer to make up its mind on the production of a potential 9 Series model. The idea was first mooted when the Bavarian automaker presented the Vision Future Luxury concept at the Beijing Motor Show last year. Billed (not unlike rival Audi's Prologue concept) more as a design study than a pre-production concept, the Vision Future Luxury show car nevertheless took a larger form than the 7 Series, prompting speculation that a new flagship sedan could be in the works. The better part of a year later, such a decision has reportedly yet to be taken, but over at BMW Blog they're reporting that the automaker's incoming chief executive Harald Kruger is a fan of the idea and could give it the green light after he takes the helm in May. If approved, the model likely to be dubbed 9 Series would reportedly compete with the Mercedes-Maybach S600 – but then that model was earmarked to take on the Rolls-Royce Ghost. BMW has typically been careful not to overlap with its Rolls-Royce division, but considering how it's also been going downmarket with front-drive models to close the gap to the Mini brand, we wouldn't be all that surprised to see the 9 Series positioned maybe just below the next-generation Ghost and developed alongside it, taking a page out of rival VW's playbook. Volkswagen has, after all, made a brisk business out of sharing platforms and slicing market segments between the various brands under its umbrella. And while BMW is nowhere near as large, its new leadership could find new ways to increase its market share.