Bmw 650i Convertible, Black, Year 2010 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota close to licensing deal with BMW for fuel cell technology

For over a year now, we've been hearing about a potential partnership between Toyota and BMW on everything from sports cars to lithium-ion batteries, but one of the first cooperative projects between these two automakers could bring Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology to a BMW vehicle. Reuters is reporting that an announcement is likely to be made as soon as later this week regarding a BMW fuel cell vehicle that could be in production by 2020 with a prototype running around by 2015.
The last we heard of Toyota's fuel cell technology, it was in the FCV-R Concept that we saw at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, but there is no word how far along in development this system is. If it does come to fruition, such a vehicle for BMW would build on the automaker's commitment to hydrogen that started with the Hydrogen 7, which unlike a fuel cell vehicle, simply ran on hydrogen fuel rather than converting it to electricity for use in motors. We're definitely interested where this Toyota/BMW tie up could be headed.

BMW 8 Series return signaled by a ton of new trademarks

There's an ebb and flow to rumors in the auto industry. We'll hear a rumor or report, then nothing for months, only for the story to pop back up again with a fresh head of steam. This time around, it's the BMW 8 Series, a car we haven't reported on since February, when we said it'd be back in 2020. Today's news is that BMW has filed trademark applications for a series of numbers related to the new model – 825, 830, 835, 850, 845, and 860 – along with an M850 and an M8. It was uncovered by AutoExpress, which adds additional depth to the story. Much like the 7 Series dukes it out with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan, the new 8er will take the fight to the S-Class Coupe. Even in Europe, where automakers like Mercedes offer a far wider array of powertrain options, the S-Class Coupe is only available in six-cylinder S400, eight-cylinder S500 (what we call the S550) and S63 AMG, and twelve-cylinder S65 AMG trims. If BMW uses all the numbers it's sitting on, the 8 would have a far broader spread of powertrain options, three of which – 825, 830, and 835 – could undercut even the base S400. But as AutoExpress explains, these trademarks obscure a bigger shift in how BMW will build and market its luxury coupes. Under the new strategy, BMW would move the 6 Series away from its role as a larger grand tourer, leaving space for the 8. The 6er would then be repositioned to challenge the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911. According to AE, BMW has been content to let the 911 do its thing, but the success of the AMG GT is forcing its hand. That means a lighter, hotter, and two-seater 6 Series. We like. Of course, 8 Series rumors have been floating around since the last one, the E31, went out of production. That means we'll continue to advise caution here, even though everything laid out by AutoExpress makes lots and lots of sense. Related Video: News Source: AutoExpressImage Credit: BMW Rumormill BMW Coupe Luxury Performance trademark bmw 8 series

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer pulls its way onto the stage

We know what you might be thinking: here comes another BMW with yet another kind of roofline. Only this isn't just another BMW. It's the first front-drive BMW, and the first time we've ever seen it in person.
That model, of course, is the new 2 Series Active Tourer, debuting here in Geneva as the production version of the Concept Active Tourer and the beefier Concept Active Tourer Outdoor that followed. It shares about as much with the 2 Series Coupe as a jelly donut, but takes BMW into a new market segment - that of the high-roofed hatchback (or micro-minivan, depending on your perspective) occupied by the likes of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan.
Power comes from a choice of 1.5-liter turbo three, 2.0-liter turbo four or 2.0-liter turbodiesel - but aside from the forced-induction engines what they all the versions have in common is what makes the 2 Series Active Tourer newsworthy: they all sit up front, driving the front wheels. It's an idea BMW purists might not appreciate, but one we'd all better get used to just the same.