2014 Xdrive28i New Turbo 2l I4 16v All-wheel Drive Suv Premium on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe could be coming

Dig the BMW 2 Series coupe but wish it had more doors? Well you're in luck, sir or madam, as that's just what BMW has in store. According to Autocar, the Bavarian automaker is planning to launch a 2 Series Gran Coupe. And what's more is that there'll be an M2 version with four doors as well. Not to be confused with the 2 Series Gran Tourer – a front-drive city car based on an entirely different platform – the 2 Series Gran Coupe would follow the same formula that BMW applies to the 4 Series and 6 Series Gran Coupe. That is to say a sedan with sleek "coupe" styling, sized to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Audi A3. BMW unveiled a similar design as the BMW Concept Compact Sedan at the Guangzhou Motor Show last year. The production 2 Series Gran Coupe will likely look more like the existing 2 Series coupe, only a bit longer to accommodate the additional doors. It's also possible the Gran Coupe could have a liftgate at the back instead of a trunklid. The best part is that an M2 version is likely. The M2 coupe is one of our favorite cars; a four door option would increase the appeal to many. It's expected to pack the same 3.0-liter turbo six as the M2 coupe, good for 365 horsepower and mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT. In classic German automaker fashion, this makes sure BMW doesn't cede a market slice to the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and the forthcoming Audi RS3 sedan, but the Bimmer will stick with a rear-drive layout instead of its all-wheel-drive rivals. Of course there will be other, less powerful versions as well, including gasoline and diesel engines with three cylinders or four, and potentially even a plug-in hybrid. Buyers will also be able to choose between rear- or all-wheel drive setups. As no official announcement has been made, it's anybody's guess as to when we could see any variant for sale in the US. Related Video:

BMW mulled ten, eight, and six-cylinder engines for i8 before going hybrid

There's little doubt that the 2015 BMW i8 is one of the most radical and groundbreaking performance cars this industry has seen in a long time. From its unique carbon-intensive construction to its 1.5-liter, three-cylinder and electric motor plug-in powertrain to its concept-car appearance, the flagbearer for BMW's new i venture challenges the very notion of what it takes to be a supercar.
Yet apparently the i8 almost didn't do that at all. Yes, it probably still would've had innovative assembly techniques, serious performance and come-hither bodywork, but according to a new report in the Telegraaf, it was very nearly a much more conventional beast, drawing its power from a V10 engine. According to the report, that line of development never got much beyond the drawing board, but BMW engineers then shifted their focus to both V8 and six-cylinder motivation, going so far as to build prototype cars. The higher cylinder-count engines were eventually dropped altogether after BMW decided to turn the i8 into a hybrid, with the six-cylinder reportedly nixed due to heat management and weight issues. In the end, of course, BMW went with the PHEV powertrain that offers a total system output of 362 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque - plenty of thrust for this lightweight, all-wheel drive coupe while still enabling an incredible 94 miles to the gallon on the EU cycle. Regardless of how it turned out, it's still fascinating to think that BMW didn't have a much firmer conceptual idea of what it was after when it started the i8's development.
Here at Autoblog, we're genuinely thrilled about this new generation of greener hybrid super- and hypercars, a movement spearheaded by the i8, Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. But even so, our inner-gearheads can't help but wonder what might have been had BMW pursued a more conventional i8, either in place of, or in addition to, the car they did build. What do you think? Have your say in Comments.

It's a V8 party! Lexus IS 500, Cadillac Escalade and more | Autoblog Podcast #667

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. It's all V8s all the time this week, starting with the Land Rover Defender V8 unveiling, Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance debut and pricing announcement on the Jeep Wrangler 392. Next, they move on to what they've been driving. Spoiler alert: That means more V8 talk. Zac has been driving the Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2-liter V8 and BMW M550i with its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. Greg and Zac take a pause from the V8 theme by discussing their shared time in our long-term Acura TLX. From this, they segue into a "Spend My Money" feature about garage lifts to finish the show. Autoblog Podcast #667 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 priced at nearly $75,000 2022 Land Rover Defender bulks up with a 518-hp V8 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance brings back the V8 What we're driving BMW M550i Cadillac Escalade Acura TLX Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes 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: