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BMW M4 vs. Lexus RC F in Head 2 Head sports coupe showdown

It's the showdown everyone's been looking forward to, the East versus West grudge match of the year. We're talking, of course, about the BMW M4 versus the Lexus RC F.
Although BMW uses a twin-turbo straight-six and the Lexus uses a free-breathing V8, the two are pretty closely matched on paper: a luxury coupe with over 400 horsepower channeled to the rear wheels.
The BMW has been doing these cars for longer, and the M4 boasts a higher power-to-weight ratio. But then the RC F has more power - and without forced induction to break up the rev range. So which is the better luxury muscle coupe? Watch the latest episode of Motor Trend Head 2 Head to find out.

DC fast charging standard on 2015 BMW i3 EV

The BMW i3 is about to get a lot cooler. No, wait, a lot warmer. That's because there will a few new standard features in the i3 plug-in vehicles sold in the US, including seat heaters and satellite radio. Oh, and DC fast charging. The department head of BMW i USA, Jacob Harb, told BMW Blog that the company is, "now confident enough that in 2015 we will have the right infrastructure for DC fast charging, so it makes to include it standard in the MY2015." We can expect more details at the Detroit Auto Show in January and Harb told BMW Blog that, "you will be pleasantly surprised" by the announcement. There are a few other potential changes in store for the i3, including a configurable keyfob (like European i3 drivers get) and a heated steering wheel. It's unlikely that a sunroof or Lane Departure Warning will be offered, but Harb said BMW is always open to suggestions.

BMW i8: Jaw-dropping style and green performance, but why?

Why is there a BMW i8? Given the relative simplicity, affordability, practicality and energy efficiency of BMW's i3 sedan – available as a $42,000 all-electric or $46,000 extended-range EV – why design, engineer and build the much more complex and expensive ($137,450) but much less practical, exotic plug-in hybrid i8 2+2 sports car? Are i8 sales really worth BMW's huge investment of engineering effort and dollars? In 2015, BMW sold 2,265 i8s in the US, or about 189 a month. That compares to 11,024 (919 a month) for BMW's own i3, an estimated 27,840 (2,320 a month) for Tesla's battery-only EV Model S sedan and 1,024 (85 a month) for Cadillac's handsome, more practical and less expensive (but ridiculously overpriced and dismal-selling) ELR extended-range-EV luxury coupe. Are such sales really worth BMW's huge investment of engineering effort and dollars? The i8's lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) "Life Module" passenger cell rides on an aluminum "Drive Module" chassis that houses its complex propulsion system – a 228-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged gas 3-cylinder (half of BMW's 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight six) driving its rear wheels through a six-speed automatic and a 129-hp electric motor twisting its front wheels through a "two-stage" automatic – and a 5-kWh lithium-ion battery. Its drag coefficient (Cd) is an aero-slick 0.26, and BMW says it can run on battery energy alone for up to 22 miles. Its total system output is a healthy 337 horses, and its EPA economy is 76 miles per gallon equivalent in gas-electric mode, but just 28 mpg when it's gas-only. A Driver Experience Control and an eDrive button offer EV and Comfort modes, plus Eco Pro (12 percent more range) and Eco Pro+ (12 more). So what is this gorgeous plug-in hybrid sports car like to drive and live with? I missed its press launch so have been hoping for some quality time with one ever since. Production has been limited, and US press cars are few, but BMW said I would eventually get my chance. It finally happened. If the unlovely i3 is a green technology revelation, this supermodel-sexy i8 is a green styling and performance revolution. If the i3 is the practical soccer mom of battery BMWs, the i8 might be the ultimate Teutonic trophy wife. But really, why do it? For starters, just look at it. Some might see a new, high-tech take on the Giugiaro-designed BMW M1 mid-engine sports car. Just 453 of those were built from 1979 to 1981.