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Volvo, Kia and BYD duke it out in the finals for World Car of 2024

Three electric vehicles — none produced by an American manufacturer — will compete next month for the title of 2024 World Car of the Year, it was announced Monday. The finalists are the Kia EV9, the Volvo EX30 and the BYD Seal (shown above). The latter two are built in China. The three top finalists in five other categories were also named at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The winners in all six categories will be revealed live during an awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27. This year marks the 20th year of the World Car Awards and the partnership with the New York show. Besides car of the year, the other finalists are: Electric vehicle: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30; Luxury car: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV; Performance car: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ionia 5 N; Urban car: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30; World Car Design: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota Prius. Only Ford among U.S. companies has an entry in the final selections, and only in one category, design, for the Bronco. BMW has four vehicles in the finals, Volvo has three, Kia and Mercedes have two each. BYD from China has two entries as well. The Seal went on sale in in its home market in 2022 and is now available in most of the rest of the world. The BYD Co. (which stands for Build Your Dreams) has surpassed Tesla to become the worldÂ’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, and has its sights set on the U.S. The selection process for World Cars involves 100-plus automotive journalists from 29 countries who vote, as they review and test-drive the eligible vehicles for the 2024 awards. Their journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show BMW Ferrari Ford Hyundai Kia Lexus Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo Best Cars World Car of the Year

BMW M2 to pack 365 hp

The BMW M2 was spied testing several times last summer, but there has been little news about the upcoming entry to the M family as of late. More info is finally leaking out though, and it potentially confirms some past reports, while giving a better idea of what the coupe looks like. We have to take any of these leaks with a grain of salt, but according to a user on the 2addicts forum citing insider sources at BMW headquarters, M2 production begins in November. This person also reiterates that the coupe uses BMW's N55 turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. In this tune, it would reportedly make 365 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque. Plus, an over-boost system would allegedly push twist by about 25 lb-ft at low revs. At launch, this rumor also suggests that BMW might keep the M2's color palette limited to just four choices: Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, Long Beach Blue Metallic and Mineral Grey Metallic. Inside, there're purportedly even fewer hues with the only one being black with blue stitching. Assuming these numbers are accurate, the M2 seems to represent a decent upgrade over the already capable M235i. It also uses a version of the N55 but a version making 320 hp and 330 lb-ft. In addition to the extra grunt, previous spy shots show the M with a front fascia akin to the M3/M4.

BMW i8 Concours d'Elegance Edition is so cool it's Frozen

The new, one-of-a-kind BMW i8 Concours d'Elegance Edition made a ritzy debut last night at BMW's private villa, giving the media its first chance to look at the ultra-exclusive hybrid.
As we said in our previous post, the most notable feature of the Concours d'Elegance i8 is its matte grey paint, known as Frozen Grey Metallic in BMW parlance. This isn't the first time we've seen this shade on an exclusive BMW, as it was last used for the Frozen Grey M3 from 2010.
Contrasting quite nicely with the i8's flat paint are its blue and white accents, and its Dalbergia Brown leather upholstery. Blue contrast stitching complements the interior aesthetic, as do the embossed BMW roundels in the headrests.