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BMW announces M235i xDrive, 7 Series Exclusive among summer upgrades

Like any automaker worth its lug-nuts, BMW is constantly striving to improve its products. And so it has announced a series of upgrades for the summer - none of them revolutionary, but a couple of them notable.
For one, the Bavarian automaker has announced that is is offering xDrive traction on the M235i coupe, a model that has been available until now only in rear-drive configuration. The all-wheel drive version comes with the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with 326 horsepower (320 in the US market) and eight-speed automatic transmission as the rear-drive version, but now channels that power to all four wheels for a 0-62 time quoted at 4.6 seconds - two little ticks quicker than the existing version. It's the first time that all-wheel drive is being offered on the 2 Series, and will also be fitted on the convertible - at least, that is, in Europe. We're waiting on confirmation of North American availability.
Among the other announcements is a special edition of BMW's flagship luxury sedan. The 7 Series Exclusive Edition upgrades with metallic paint, 19-inch V-spoke alloys, Nappa leather upholstery and a leather-trimmed instrument panel. Buyers will also be able to opt for the Merino fine grain leather and Alcantara roof lining from the BMW Individual catalog, and choose between any available engine or either wheelbase lengths.

Autoblog Podcast #387

Episode #387 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing and Michael Zak talk about more General Motors recalls, upgrades and a diesel for the 2015 Ford Focus ST, and the BMW M235i scoring ahead of the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in Consumer Reports testing. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #387: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: GM recalls 8.4M more cars in North America Ford Focus ST upgrades and diesel CR says M235i is better than 911 In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel 2014 Honda Accord Coupe V6 6MT Long-Term 2015 Subaru WRX 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Michael Zak Runtime: 01:35:26 Rundown: Intro & Garage - 00:00 GM Recalls - 26:26 2015 Ford Focus ST - 41:56 BMW M235i - 50:24 Q&A - 59:16 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Government/Legal Podcasts BMW Ford GM Honda Jeep Subaru Safety Diesel Vehicles Performance bmw m235i

BMW i wants to build the ultimate self-driving machine

Just a few years into its short life, BMW's i sub-brand is changing its mission from the pursuit of the electric cars to building the ultimate self-driving machine. That's according to Klaus Froehlich, shown above, a BMW board member and the head of research and design. "[BMW i] is now in ramp-up stage," Froehlich told Reuters. "We call it Project i Next." Project i Next won't abandon the electric car model – but instead, its next EV will feature the next-generation of self-driving technology. This is not the first time we've heard of BMW's autonomous aspirations, but it's the first time we've heard of a new name or designation for the brand. According to Reuters, BMW won't sell its next i-badged EV until 2021 – whether that's the oft-rumored i5 or another vehicle all together remains to be seen. Whatever BMW calls it, driverless tech will be a priority. Froelich added that such a vehicle could allow the company to fire up its own ride-hailing service to challenge Uber and Lyft, and their automotive allies, Toyota and General Motors. BMW is still working on its partnership strategy in that realm, Froelich told Reuters, but the company isn't sitting still – it made a small investment in ride-sharing app Scoop late last month. A raft of electric car competitors – Tesla, obviously, but also Porsche and Audi – and the struggling i3 are forcing BMW i's hand. It only sold 11,000 i3s here in the US last year, and with just 2,272 sold over five months, it's on pace to do less than half that volume in 2016. A Chinese electric startup has also plundered the brand's leadership ranks, Reuters said. Bloomberg claims this startup is Future Mobility Co., which is backed by Foxconn (among others). Just five months into 2016, i has lost the head of its powertrain group, Dirk Abendroth, its VP of product management, Henrik Wenders, and the head of the i8 program, Carsten Breitfeld. Considering these woes, changing gears might be i's best option for long-term viability. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: John Locher / AP Green BMW Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Electric bmw i driverless car klaus froehlich