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Company car offers in decline, but not at The Cheesecake Factory [w/poll]

As businesses look to keep high-level employees happy, it seems that use of company cars can still be an effective method, although fewer companies are employing it. According to Businessweek, only about 25 percent of companies offer company vehicles as a perk, while less than half give allowances for employees to use their personal vehicles for work purposes.
The report says that one business still in the practice of handing out company cars is The Cheesecake Factory, which offers the benefit to top managers. And we're not talking about some econobox, either. The article indicates the restaurant chain hands out BMWs on a three-year basis - although the company's own report says that the type of vehicle "varies with the executive's level."
Still, we mostly agree with the article's conclusion that money is the best way to keep employees or attract new ones, even if a corporate car is a big perk. What do you think? Let us know, in the poll below, whether a company car could sway you to work for a certain company (not just the Cheesecake factory, where the "Glamburgers" portion of the menu alone is enough to keep a guy hanging around).

Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Mercedes-AMG E 53 and BMW 2 Series | Autoblog Podcast #734

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Senior Editor, Consumer, Jeremy Korzeniewski kick things off with a discussion of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the future of the brand. The Mercedes-AMG E-Class is next up, followed by the BMW 2 Series Coupe.  Next, Senior West Coast Editor James Riswick reports from the ground at the first drive of the latest Honda HR-V. Our hosts revisit the week's news, including automakers requesting a lift of the EV federal tax credit cap, Chevy giving us a peek at its electric Blazer, and Ford recalling millions of vehicles, including about half of all the Mustang Mach-E EVs it has sold. Finally, our guys dig through the mailbag to help a reader decide whether to purchase a Ford Focus ST or another hot hatch. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #734 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving Rolls-Royce Cullinan Mercedes-AMG E 53 BMW 2 Series Coupe Dispatch from the 2023 Honda HR-V first drive event GM, Ford, Toyota, Stellantis CEOs want EV tax credit cap lifted 2024 Chevy Blazer EV partly revealed, details coming in July Ford recalls Mustang Mach-E, includes stop-sale order Ford recalls 3 million other vehicles Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video:

BMW i8 Spyder production could still be years away

BMW will still build a convertible version of the i8, but production of the droptop hybrid sports car won't happen for at least a couple more years. That's according to an anonymous BMW insider speaking to Motoring. "There will be no new i models in 2016. Not even the convertible," the insider told the Australian publication. While the i8 Spyder might not arrive for a while, the company still sees a place for it in the model range. "The i8 is selling well enough now, so the lineup doesn't strictly need it," another unnamed BMW insider told Motoring. "We are doing it, we are just doing it slowly because it's not all we are doing." The automaker sold 2,265 examples of the i8 in the US in 2015, which was up from 555 in 2014. BMW first imagined the convertible i8 with the Spyder concept way back in 2012, and a report in 2013 hinted that it was near production, which never happened. The company then sliced off the sports car's doors and roof for the orange I Vision Future (pictured above) at the recent 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. The concept's open design gave BMW an easy place to show off the AirTouch gesture control system at the tech event. These insider claims are a complete reversal from BMW CEO Harald Kruger's assertion in December that the company would soon unveil the production i8 Spyder. The boss didn't indicate the debut's exact timing, but it seemed a lot sooner than at least a year from now. We'll have to wait and see. Related Video: