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2016 BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid First Drive

Piecing together the i8 eco sports car taught BMW some valuable lessons, some of which you'll see in the next generation or two of the company's electrified mainstream cars. You won't have to wait that long for BMW to deliver on the key lesson, which can be seen right here in the 330e: make hybrids fun to drive and don't make people compromise on what they like. The 330e neatly sidesteps the traditional character-blanching entry ticket you get with hybrids by delivering almost as much torque as the 340i and a sprint time to 62 miles per hour of 6.1 seconds. For most people eco-conscious enough (especially in a time of cheap gas) to bother with plug-in hybrids, that's going to be quick enough. And so is the 140-mph top speed. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far away. This 330e is (theoretically) capable of delivering 25 miles of electric-car range or ridiculous amount of range as a gasoline-electric hybrid. It will post a 44-gram CO2 emissions figure and officially deliver 1.9 liters/100km on the NEDC test cycle in Europe, which translates to 124 miles per gallon equivalent in the US, though it's unclear what the EPA-certified number would actually be. While punching in a straight line is always good, and sipping fuel like it's being rationed is nice, the key part to the 330e is that still handles like a 3 Series should every time you arrive at that one fun corner. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far off. BMW has buried the 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack beneath the cargo floor, while the electric motor resides up front, so the weight distribution moves from 50:50 to 49:51, leaving it a touch heavier in the back. Effectively, it's a 3 Series with the 320i's 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline powertrain, the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor sandwiched in between to create a hybrid. The electric motor adds 87 hp to the gas engine's 181 horsepower to offer 248 hp of total power (yes, we know they don't directly add up, but that's the total output). While it has 74 pound-feet of continuous torque, the electric motor can overboost to 184 lb-ft when it needs to. Add that to the gas engine's 214 lb-ft and the car has a maximum of 310 lb-ft – 22 lb-ft shy of the 340i, without pumping out as many emissions.

BMW may show off autonomous concept at 100th anniversary

BMW celebrates its 100th birthday in 2016, and the brand might mark the occasion by showing a concept with a nearly production-ready autonomous system, according to Autocar. Company sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson hinted that the automaker could be close to introducing the next-gen tech. "We've reached the 'feet off' phase of autonomy, and now we're in the 'hands off' and 'eyes off' phase, but only for brief periods," Robertson told Autocar. He thinks fully autonomous driving could be possible in 15 years because the company needs to work out how to make it safe. In addition to talking about autonomous tech, Robertson said the company's March 7th centenary would focus the future. "There will be some products we will share," he told Autocar. "Maybe what I've been alluding to will be the direction of that." BMW has tested autonomous technology for years and already impressively showed an M235i that could drift by itself. An i3 (pictured above) was even able to park without driver assistance in a multi-story garage at CES last year. Recent rumors about Google's piloted ridesharing service suggest this could be the perfect time for the German automaker to take the next step. BMW's bigger challenge could be determining how much autonomous ability to give drivers. Tesla might soon reduce features from its Autopilot system because a few owners aren't responsible enough to use the tech safely. California also proposed regulations that could limit the capabilities of driverless vehicles. Related Video:

MotorWeek fondly remembers the 2000 BMW M5

The Retro Review series from MotorWeek tends to reminisce about vehicles at are at least 20 years old and often from even further back. However, the show's latest recollection shines the spotlight on a fondly remembered sports sedan that's also a modern classic: the 2000 BMW M5. Years before BMW committed to downsized engines with turbocharging and shortly prior to the introduction of iDrive, the E39 M5 showed the Bavarian brand's engineering talents at their very best. By modern standards, the sedan's powertrain is almost antiquated. Up front, there's a big, naturally aspirated V8 that sends power to the rear wheels, and the only choice of transmission is a six-speed manual. But as MotorWeek explains, the tuning of the whole vehicle comes out to near perfection. This is a model that's definitely worth remembering.