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BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

It may be early in the morning here in the US, but in Germany, the first day of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing. BMW took advantage of the early start and showed off its long-awaited i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar, a two-plus-two, swan-wing-doored coupe, to the Frankfurt crowd.
We drove a BMW i8 prototype back in August, so many of the things we're reading today are clarifications on our initial suspicions or speculations. Underhood sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine. On its own, it churns out a respectable 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is then channeled to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. An electric motor, meanwhile, sends 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a two-speed automatic to the front wheels.
With all-wheel drive at its disposal, the total system power sits at 362 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, and allows the i8 to scamper to 62 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That excellent performance is offset by an estimated fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon, though, making this a fast and efficient vehicle. Charging is impressively fast on the i8, with a full charge coming from a 110-volt outlet in under four hours. A BMW Charging Station will trim the charge time down to 1.5 hours.

BMW C 650 scooters refreshed with Side View Assist

Beyond just building a full lineup of automobiles and a plethora of motorcycles, BMW is a player in the scooter market, too. As part of a refresh to the company's C650 GT and Sport models, the GT is now available with an optional Side View Assist blind-spot monitoring system. This marks a first for the two-wheeled segment. As the demonstration video above shows, Side View Assist is quite similar to what's found in many modern automobiles. The tech uses sensors positioned at each corner to monitor over 16 feet around the scooter. If the system detects a vehicle hanging out in the blind spot, then the rider sees a triangle as warning on the mirror stalk. Both the C650 GT and Sport fall into the niche known as maxi-scooters that offer much of the capability of a more traditional motorcycle. They're quicker than the little models you might see puttering around city streets, but maintain the foot-forward riding position of that classic design. For this refresh, the BMWs get an updated CVT with a revised ratio spread, and the 647cc inline two-cylinder engine is offered in 59- and 47-horsepower forms. Both scooters are quite rider-friendly, too. With this new update, stability control joins anti-lock brakes on the list of standard safety features. There's an automatic daytime riding light, and suspension setup is tweaked for a more comfortable ride. BMW leaves absolutely no detail unexplored in the company's announcement, below. 1. The new BMW C 650 Sport. The new BMW C 650 GT. (Short version) With the new BMW C 650 Sport and C 650 GT, BMW Motorrad continues its series of premium vehicles in the maxi scooter segment. Perfect for the city and urban environment, they combine practicality and cost-efficiency with maximum riding fun and touring comfort. In addition to this, they also provide enjoyment for riders with sporty ambitions on winding country roads as well as riding fun on lengthier tours, too. The new C 650 Sport and C 650 GT – dynamic maxi scooters for sports, touring and urban cruising. The differing conceptual emphasis of each of the two BMW maxi scooters enables a broader target group to be addressed than previously: the C 650 Sport is geared towards riders with a sporty bent while the C 650 GT sets its sights on those who attach greater importance to comfort and touring capability. The new C 650 Sport and the new C 650 GT now go further towards addressing these aspirations.

BMW X4 tunes up its crossover game in Germany

Except for the fancy wheels and the overly expressive fascias, the production version of the BMW X4 looks like it will carry over practically untouched from what we saw in the X4 Concept several months back. With the same fastback roofline as the concept, these spy shots show that the X4 is taking shape to be a baby version of the BMW X6.
Sharing the same platform as the X3, the lower and wider X4 will be positioned slightly more upmarket - as is the case with the X5 and X6. We hear that this could mean that the X4 will ditch the X3's base engine to give an even sportier feel right out of the gate, but word has it that an M version will being showing up down the road as well.
BMW has already revealed what it plans to show off at the Frankfurt Motor Show (i3, 4 Series Coupe, next-gen X5, refreshed 5 Series, X5 Concept eDrive plug-in hybrid and Concept Active Tourer Outdoor), so barring any surprised we definitely won't be seeing the X4 there. At this point, with as close to production as these images would have us believe, our best guess would be that we'll see the X4's official unveiling happen either at LA or Detroit.