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BMW will make plug-in hybrid versions of all models

Late last year, BMW made it clear that it would be making plug-in hybrid versions of all of its "core models." The first of those will be the X5 xDrive40e. At the New York Auto Show this week, BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch told AutoblogGreen that this enhanced PHEV plan is going to be applied to "every new model." We were asking Willisch if he views Tesla as a competitor to the Bavarian automaker. "I wouldn't say I don't see any competition," Willisch said, "but I still see that a BMW 5 Series and a Tesla are totally different animals." What about the rumored i5 or an i7, we started to ask – "which we don't have" Willisch interrupted – that could happen, couldn't it? "Not any time soon," Willisch said. "What we will have are plug-in hybrids. With the introduction of every new model there will be a plug-in hybrid version of that, too." There are people who are asking if the i brand will expand to a truck or a larger sedan, "but this is all the future," Willisch said. "It's not now and it's not the next couple years." Related Video:

2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible is easy, breezy, beautiful

BMW debuted its 2014 4 Series Convertible today at the LA Auto Show, and the sporting two-door will feature a folding hardtop - like the convertible 3 Series before it - and be offered in 428i and 435i guises.
The 428i Convertible is equipped with BMW's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, which pumps out 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque - good for sprinting from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds. The 435i Convertible gets the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, which steps up output to 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The topless 435i drops the 0-60-mph time to 5.5 seconds. Both cars come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and BMW says that a manual transmission will not be offered on 4 Series Convertibles in the US market.
The 4 Series Convertible will be offered in Sport Line, Luxury Line and M Sport trims. Pricing starts at $48,750 for the 428i Convertible and $54,900 for the 435i. Head on below to peruse the (long) press release for details.

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: