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BMW doubles i8 production to meet demand

They're not exactly Ford F-150 pickup truck numbers, but global sales of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid are spurring the German automaker to step up the supercar's pace of production. As rumored, Bimmer, which has been pretty happy with sales of its i3 electric vehicle, is going to double the production pace of the i8. BMW's Germany factory will now put out about 20 i8 vehicles a day, Automotive News Europe says. That should cut down the wait time for the model, which started sales in both Europe last June and in the US two months later. Right now, buyers have to wait about four months to get their i8 plug-in vehicles, Automotive News Europe says, citing German outlet Automobil Produktion. Given that the cars retail for $135,000, we suspect these are people who probably aren't accustomed to wait for much. In January, BMW said that it sold almost 18,000 i3 and i8 plug-in vehicles last year globally, with about a third of those going to the US. Specifically, BMW moved 555 units of the i8 last year (and the vehicle was really only available for about five months) and another 198 through February. Through February, Bimmer also moved 1,759 units of the i3. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2015 BMW i8: First Drive View 62 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub.req. via Automobil Produktion Green Plants/Manufacturing BMW Electric PHEV ev sales

BMW readying competition pack for M5, M6

According to Car and Driver, citing a report in BMW Blog, BMW will be offering performance upgrades - likely called the Competition package - for its M5 and M6 models (including the convertible and Gran Coupe versions of the M6). Both cars will continue to be offered with the normal 560-horsepower, 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engines, but this new performance pack is expected to add an additional 15 hp to the mix.
No need to worry, however - the upgrades won't simply be limited to a small boost in power. These M5 and M6 models will reportedly get new wheels, black exhaust tips, a more direct steering ratio and reworked suspension geometry which will provide better overall handling. Top speed is said to remain governed at 190 miles per hour, but that these extra improvements will shave one-tenth of a second off the cars' 0-60 times.
No pricing information has been revealed as of this writing, though we imagine it'll likely come at a substantial cost over the current starting prices of the M5 and M6 ($90,200 and $108,350, respectively).

BMW i3 misses top Euro safety rating [w/videos]

The Euro NCAP just tested a recent batch of new cars including the 2014 BMW i3, and the EV Bimmer scored less-than-perfect results. Though not horrible, BMW's all-electric/range-extended i3 was given a four-star (out of five possible) crash rating due to concerns with front-occupant whiplash and side-impact protection.
Based on the crash results, the BMW provided suitable protection for occupants in the frontal, side barrier, pedestrian and child-seat tests, but the i3 was tripped up when it came to the more severe side pole test and the rear-impact test. The pole test showed protection to the chest of the test dummy was "weak," and the front seats only provided "marginal" protection against whiplash for front passengers. Scroll down to watch two videos released by the Euro NCAP of the i3 being tested.