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Watch BMW 3 Series drift in Scotland

Drifting is inherently connected with Japan largely because the sport originally hails from there. That's why many of the traditionally popular drifting machines are from Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda. However, as long as the rear wheels can spin, you can slide it, no matter where a vehicle is from. For a new video, Xcar discovers a grassroots contingent in Scotland that specializes in smoking the tires of the BMW 3 Series. These guys aren't running the hugely expensive machines that you see in top events, but they definitely don't lack for passion to get a car sideways. One guy in the video runs an absolutely insane-looking Nissan-powered E36 3 Series convertible. Another competes in an E30 station wagon with a Toyota engine. Watching these unconventional drifters out on the track is a cool experience. Clearly, these folks are using what's around them to fulfill their need for speed, and they look like they're having a ton of fun doing it. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

BMW i3 owners in California get $1,000 to delay charging

It's fairly rare to get paid for doing absolutely nothing, but that's exactly the case for a select group of BMW i3 owners in California. A hundred people are part of the ChargeForward pilot program in coordination with BMW and Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and each participant gets a $1,000 gift card to not plug in their cars – at least not whenever they want to. It's all part of an attempt to develop strategies to reduce the strain on the grid during peak usage. The trial runs from July 2015 to December 2016 in California's Bay Area. According to the automaker's website, when plugged in, BMW has the ability to delay the charging of the i3s by up to an hour. There are no necessary mechanical or software modifications necessary, either. Although, if drivers desperately need the juice, they can also opt out of the program for a day. At the end of the experiment, the people are eligible for a second gift card for up to another $540, depending on their involvement. According to Bloomberg, with 65,000 electric vehicles in Northern California, the power company estimates the area has among the highest concentrations of EVs in the country. While all of those emissions-free miles are great for the environment, plugging them all in once just adds to the load on the system. As a second part of the program, used Mini E batteries are being repurposed to create a solar-powered, stationary storage system that Pacific Gas can also use to supplement the grid.

BMW planning six-cylinder i9 hybrid to celebrate centenary?

On the prospect of a new BMW M1 based on the company's new i8 hybrid, the jury has been in and out so much that we can't even tell which way it's likely to go. However, the latest reports coming in from Germany suggest that BMW may have something else up its sleeves. Rather than make a conventional gas-powered version of the i8, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport says BMW will make a more powerful one.
Tentatively dubbed i9, the hybrid sports car is rumored to pack a six-cylinder internal-combustion engine instead of the i8's turbo three. Coupled to more potent electric motors, it would figure to produce even more than the 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque already on tap in the i8, with further weight reductions to offset the bulkier engine.
Auto Motor und Sport says the mooted model will be produced to celebrate the Bavarian automaker's 100th anniversary and eclipse the i8's performance, with a projected 0-60 run in under four seconds en-route to taking the gloves off to crunch the Autobahn in electric bliss. The new i flagship would be another member of the company's growing electrified family, joining the existing i3 hatchback, upcoming i5 minivan and possible i8 Spyder down the line.