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The Rinspeed Etos is a BMW i8 that drives itself and comes with a drone

Outlandish as they can be, we've grown accustomed to seeing Rinspeed unveil its avant-garde concept cars at the Geneva show every year. But this time the Swiss studio will present its latest showpiece outside of its native country, taking the veil off at CES in Las Vegas. It's called the Etos, and takes the advanced concept of the BMW i8 even further. Frank M. Rinderknecht and company designed the Etos around autonomous technology. Now if you're wondering why anyone would need a self-driving sports car, we're with you. But if Rinspeed is out to capture our attention, the svelte shape, eye-catching yellow paint, and 20-inch Borbet alloys have certainly done that much. Recognizing the transformation possible in the cabin of a self-driving automobile, Rinspeed fitted the Etos with a retractable steering wheel. That allows unfettered access to a pair of 21.5-inch ultra-HD widescreen displays hooked up to a connected infotainment system that learns from the driver's (or occupant's) habits to minimize the necessity to manually input information. No less than eight exterior cameras work in conjunction to all but completely eliminate the notion of the blindspot. But like so many mullets festooning the streets of Las Vegas and the slopes of the Swiss Alps alike, the party trick is found around back. Not unlike a megayacht with a helipad, Rinspeed fitted a remote-control helicopter on the rear deck that can be used for anything from selfies on the go to retrieving packages along the driving route. The drone lands on a platform with 12,000 individually controlled LEDs and covered in Gorilla Glass furnished, as with the glass roof, by Corning. Combine the drone with the ability to pay tolls and other charges through NFC signal while charging your phone inductively, and the driver/occupant may never need to get out of the car unless he or she wants to (and the singularity controlling all these systems permits). Fortunately Rinspeed made the interior a comfortable place to be, filled with niceties and distractions from a watch winder on the dashboard to the ceramic and titanium trim to the San Francisco skyline stitched, for some reason, into the seatbacks. Few of these features strike us as strictly necessary, and the most outlandish of them (we're looking at you, drone) will likely never be implemented on a production automobile. And what features do will likely find their home in more accommodating vehicles than a two-seat sports car.

Updated 2017 BMW i3 goes 114 miles with new 33-kWh battery

The trend of electric vehicles getting bigger batteries and thus longer ranges continues with today's announcement that the 2017 BMW i3 will come with a 33-kWh battery good for 114 miles of range. That's a solid increase from the 81 miles of range from a 22-kWh pack in the original i3s. Officially called the 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) – that's not gonna roll off the tongue – the new battery is the same size as the original pack, but has a more than 50 percent increase in capacity. BMW says that the 114 miles will be available, "varying weather conditions and with the air conditioning or heating turned on," which sure sounds like real-world driving to us. The range-extender version of the i3 will also be available with the new 94 Ah battery. In the days' biggest non-surprise (given the i3 news), the BMW i8 is also getting a range boost and a facelift. Read more about the i3 in the press release below. Related Video: The new 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah): More range paired to high-level dynamic performance: BMW i3 (94 Ah) with more powerful battery (33 kWh). Up to 114 mile combined1 (hwy/city) range under everyday conditions2. New BMW Home Charger Connect offering additional comfort and connected functions. Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – EMBARGO: May 1, 6:01 pm EDT / 3:01 pm PDT... Today BMW announced that BMW i will offer a new model range of its compact electric car, the BMW i3 and from the 2017 model year will be offering a new version with more than 50% increased battery capacity. The 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) has a capacity of 33 kilowatt hours (kWh) thanks to the higher energy density of the lithium ion cells. The BMW i team worked to ensure that the battery dimensions remain unchanged while still offering a significant range increase. Even in everyday conditions 2, the new Battery Electric BMW i3, in varying weather conditions and with the air conditioning or heating turned on, a range of up to 114 miles combined1 (hwy/city) is possible as shown by independent BMW testing cycles3. The driving performance figures of the 170 hp AC synchronous electric motor remain virtually unchanged. The motor propels the BMW i3 from 0 to 60 mph in just over 7 seconds. This makes the BMW i3 both the sportiest and most efficient electric vehicle in its segment with an expected EPA electricity consumption of 27 kWh/100mi. In addition to the Battery Electric BMW i3, the Range Extender model will also feature the 94 Ah battery.

2015 BMW M4 Convertible will give the best bad hair days

BMW officially unveiled the 2015 M4 Convertible at the Javits Center in New York this morning. The droptop, which will slot in next to the M4 Coupe in BMW's performance line, offers infinitely more headroom, fresh air and sunshine for those that want a little more great outdoors and tousled hair with their M experience.
Visually, the M4 convertible is similar to the coupe, and carries on the hardtop's athletic stance with a long wheelbase, short front overhang, aerodynamic mirrors and in the case of this showcar, optional yellow-painted brake calipers. The car's expressive, angry face is perhaps the most notable aspect of its styling, screaming "get the hell out of my way!" with its signature twin-bar kidney grille, trio of air intakes and squinty LED headlights. Inside, the convertible employs three-temperature neck warmers (for chilly top-down days), an absurd amount of "M" logos and a wealth of luxury and technology features.
The rear-wheel-drive convertible uses the same engine as the coupe: a high-revving, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six producing 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission. BMW says the car can make a 0-60 sprint in just 4.4 seconds when equipped with the manual.