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Consumer Reports says these are the worst new cars of 2014

Consumer Reports has announced its annual list of worst vehicles, a cringe-inducing contrast to its list of top vehicles. Ignominiously leading the way in 2014 is Chrysler, which has a staggering seven models listed.
Jeep nearly sweeps the small SUV segment by itself, with its Compass, Patriot and 2.4-liter version of the new Cherokee, while the only midsize sedans listed by CR were the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger. The new Dodge Dart and the Dodge Journey round out CR's condemnation of Chrysler.
Ford is taking heat as well, with the Taurus, Edge and their counterparts from Lincoln all listed as the worst vehicles in their respective segments. Toyota doesn't fare much better, with its Lexus IS, Scion iQ and tC also making the list.

BMW considering M7 and luxurious 9 Series

BMW just recently rolled out its new flagship 7 Series sedan. It didn't take long for it to introduce not one, but two performance versions as well. But what we've seen until now could only be the start as the Bavarian automaker looks to close the gap between the 7 and the Rolls-Royce Ghost. What you're looking at above appears to be a prototype testing components for a potentially forthcoming M7 – which is something that BMW has never offered before. It's packing what look like enormous, cross-drilled brakes – just the kind of thing an M-fettled 7 would need to keep its mass and momentum in check. It was seen running around with an M5 and X6 M, suggesting that it's the performance division that's playing around with this big sedan for the first time. An M7 would have to pack some serious punch, considering what's already on offer. Both the Alpina B7 (4.4-liter V8) and M760Li (6.6-liter V12) each offer 600 twin-turbocharged horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque driving to all four wheels, capable of hitting 60 mph in the threes. The full M version, then, might need a good 650 hp or more, which would put it out in front of everything else – including the Audi S8 Plus (605 hp) and Mercedes-AMG S65 (621 hp). Even with all that performance and clout, however, the M7 might still not be enough for BMW to close that $200k gap to the bottom of the Rolls-Royce range. That's why it could roll out an even more luxurious and completely separate model, potentially called the 9 Series. The new uber-luxe sedan would take on the Mercedes-Maybach S600 that's proven particularly popular in China, where Automotive News notes that Benz sells half of all the S-Class models it makes. Since they're mostly chauffeur-driven through crowded streets, upscale customers there care less about BMW's traditional focus on handling dynamics and more about comfort. And with the government cracking down on corruption, they've also reportedly been eschewing overt symbols of wealth – like the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, for example. We could expect the 9 Series, then, to offer even more rear-seat legroom than the 7, and be more oriented towards comfort than performance. Related Video:

Are you the next BMW X5?

Who knew that diecast model makers could be such a good source of leaks? Less than a month after a diecast model 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA in China, someone overseas at Diecast Empire or Jadi Modelcraft could get a bath in boiling oil for leaking uncamouflaged images of the next-generation BMW X5.
Naturally, that assumes that this image from a brochure from a Jadi brochure is indeed the F15 BMW X5 - it was posted to Diecast Empire's Facebook page. In its favor, the lines all add up if we compare it to the most revealing spy shots we have of the coming crossover - the headlight corners, the metal trim separating the kidney grille from the opening just above the license plate, the cut of the swage line, and the fact that the model picture reveals all of the most important character pieces that BMW has kept covered.
There's something written on the door of the model image that isn't in the spy shots, but that could be an xDrive badge. We will see the genuine article soon enough and we'll know for sure. For now, we might have already seen its facsimile in miniature.