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BMW introducing i8 to US with Hello Future Olympics ad

It's not all unfinished hotel rooms and unconventional toilet situations at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. During the broadcast of the opening ceremony tonight, BMW is going to introduce the American TV audience to its plug-in i brand of vehicles. Of course, since we have things like Twitter and YouTube (which the Russian hosts might not be too happy about), you can already see the first spot below. BMW is going all-in on its Olympics ads, saying the campaign is the company's "largest media investment of the year." The first ad, called Hello Future, sets the words of science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke to an array of futuristic cityscape visuals before flashing the i8 onto the screen. Two other spots – called SHHH and Sightings – will also debut during the Games. Those have not yet been placed online, but BMW says that Sightings is about people "trying to describe something they have never seen before; something remarkable and other-worldly" (i.e., the plug-in i8). SHHH, on the other hand, is a short romance, about a "boy who sneaks out in his dad's quiet and all-electric BMW i3 as he tries to impress his dream-girl with the ultimate joyride. In the end, the joyride helps him win the girl." There's a twist, of course, which you can read about in the press release below or just wait until it appears on screen, trying to break through the banal advertising landscape, over the next few weeks. BMW has other connections to the Sochi Olympics as well, including designing the two-man bobsled used by the US Olympic team. There's a contest running regarding that project over on BMWTimeTracker. BMW Debuts BMW i Brand Campaign During NBC's Broadcast of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games First-Ever U.S. Television Commercials for BMW i to Begin Airing on February 7. WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BMW of North America, the Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), will tune into the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games tonight at 7:30pm ET on NBC, which is expected to be one of the most-watched television events of 2014. During NBC's broadcast of the event, BMW is officially launching the brand campaign for the revolutionary BMW i brand with its largest media investment of the year.

BMW 3 Series wagon configurator up, priced from $41,450

If you're still smarting from the shock of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, we have good news for you. BMW has just fired up the configurator for the 2014 3 Series wagon. Prices start at $41,450, excluding an $895 destination and handling fee. The price tag will buy you a 328i xDrive Sports Wagon with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine boasting 241 horsepower paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. The automaker's xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive is also standard, as is a fuel-saving auto start/stop function and 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-season run flat rubber.
Buyers can step up to Sport Line trim for $2,600, and doing so graces the 3 Wagon with 18-inch wheels, high-gloss black accents outdoors as well as a sport leather steering wheel, high-gloss or aluminum interior trim and a black signature key fob. Luxury Line trim will set you back $2,300 abd features chrome trim accents outdoors and wood trim inside along with other goodies. Buyers can also opt for Modern Line trim at $2,300, complete with a turbine-design 18-inch alloy wheel, matte chrome trim bits outdoors and a range of interior trim options.
Our favorite of the bunch? That would be M Sport trim. While the tweaks are largely aesthetic, we dig the notion of 8-way power adjustable sport seats indoors and exclusive M Estoril Blue paint outside. Expect to pay $3,950 for the pleasure. Head over to the BMW site to build your own.

Fast sedans and loose Tweets | Autoblog Podcast #555

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Reese Counts. Reese has been traveling a lot, and the two discuss his recent first drives of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT four-door and the 2019 Audi Q3. The pair also talk about the 2018 BMW X2 that's been in the office this week. Also on the agenda is the SEC's lawsuit against Elon Musk, Ola Kaellenius replacing Dieter Zetsche at Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac's move back to Detroit and the upcoming reveal of the 2019 BMW 3 Series at the Paris Motor Show.Autoblog Podcast #555 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 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT four-door 2019 Audi Q3 2018 BMW X2 Elon Musk lawsuit New Mercedes-Benz CEO Cadillac is heading back to Detroit The new 3 Series debuts next week Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes