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Mini Minor to be co-developed with Toyota

It was back in 2011 when Mini first showcased the prospect of an even smaller hatchback with the Rocketman concept at the Geneva Motor Show. In the nearly four years since, parent company BMW has hemmed and hawed on the possibility of putting it into production, but the latest word from Europe has it that the project is a go. According to Automobile magazine, Mini is realigning its product portfolio into five pillars: the essential hardtop we've already seen (available in two/three- and four/five-doors), the convertible, the upcoming new Clubman wagon (coming this summer with full-size auxiliary suicide doors on both sides), the next-gen Countryman crossover in 2016 and two new model lines. One will be the production version of the Superleggera roadster concept, earmarked for 2018. The other will be the Minor, a smaller city car reviving a long-gone model name and presaged by the aforementioned Rocketman concept. But for that last one, Mini won't go it alone. To develop the mini Mini, BMW will reportedly turn to its partnership with Toyota. The relationship is already set to yield a new Supra and Z4 and share fuel cell and other technologies. But this would broaden the partnership to include a small hatchback. However rather than use the existing (or next-gen) Aygo, which is already built under joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen (with which BMW previously had a joint engine venture), word has it that the BMW and Toyota will develop a new platform for the project – one that will be used by both partners. The new product plan doesn't leave much room for the Mini Coupe and Roadster (which have already been discontinued), for the Paceman three-door crossover (which will suffer the same fate) or for the projected seven-seater minivan. But the addition of the new Superleggera roadster and super-mini Mini aren't likely to leave us wanting for either. Related Video:

2017 BMW i3 gets $1,200 price increase for new, bigger battery

The 2016 BMW i3 started at $43,395 (including the $995 destination fee). The all-electric 2017 BMW i3 with the new 94 Ah battery will start at $44,595 while the REx (Range Extender) version of the new car starts at $48,445. Both of those prices also include the destination fees. The good news is that you get a lot more electric vehicle for your EV bucks. As we learned in May, the 2017 i3 is getting a much larger battery pack than the 2016 model. Instead of a 22-kWh pack that offered 81 miles of range, the 2017 i3s have a 33-kWh pack that'll take you 114 official miles. In other words, if you only care about battery capacity, you're paying just over $100 per kWh of extra capacity for a new i3 now. Or you can look it as a 50-percent capacity increase for about a thousand dollars. Either way, the cost of more electric miles is not as expensive as it once was. Just as predicted. There will also be some new standard equipment that comes with the 2107 i3: Deka World – Interior Design Loft No Cost DC Fast ChargeNow available for 2 years Advanced Real Time Traffic Information Universal Garage Door Opener 19-inch wheels Comfort Access There are two new options as well, the Protonic Blue color and the Dark Oak Wood Trim. BMW is also offering the BMW Performance Center Driving Experience for both of its i vehicles, the i3 and the i8, to interested drivers. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 BMW i3 View 26 Photos News Source: BMW Green BMW Electric Hybrid

Tesla exec calls rival EVs 'little more than appliances'

Tesla's Vice President of Business Development Diarmuid O'Connell called the company's competition "little more than appliances" at the Center for Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI yesterday. "In essence, [mainstream automakers] delivered little more than appliances," O' Connell said. "Now, appliances are useful. But they tend to be white. They tend to be unemotional." According to Automotive News, O'Connell's main critique is that vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 don't deliver enough performance or range to draw the attention of consumers outside of a small group. The solution, in O'Connell's mind, is more power, more range, more excitement and a lower price – that last point is particularly rich coming from an automaker whose cheapest current offering, the Model S 60, costs $66,000 – although the cheaper Model 3 is on the horizon, way out there, somewhere. But some EVs are better than none, O'Connell added. "On balance, I'm happier that [traditional automakers are] doing these cars than not," O'Connell said. "I just wish they would do them better and faster." O'Connell also used his appearance at the Management Briefing Seminars to launch a volley at the Michigan legislature, blaming its opposition to Tesla's direct-sales model for the lack of available EVs in the Wolverine State. "I think if the Michigan Legislature would allow Tesla to sell cars in Michigan, we could probably address [the lack of available electric cars]," O'Connell said. Related Video: