08 Bmw 528i, Certified Pre-owned 100k Mi Warranty, Premium Pkg,we Finance! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW builds its 2 millionth 1 Series on eve of new model's launch

Hard as it may be to believe, it's been over ten years since BMW launched the first 1 Series, taking the Bavarian automaker into more accessible territory for the first time. Later this month, the first examples of the new model will arrive at dealers, but before it does, the littlest BMW has another reason to celebrate as the 2 millionth unit has rolled off the line. The landmark example is a 120i five-door equipped with the M Sport package and painted in Estoril Blue, bound for a customer in Japan. The achievement is even more noteworthy when you consider that what started out as the 1 Series has since been split into two lines. The three- and five-door hatchbacks remain part of the 1 Series, while the coupe and convertible we get in the US that were once part of the 1 Series as well have since been spun off as the separate 2 Series. Production of the three-door takes place exclusively at BMW's plant in Regensburg, while the five-door is split between Regensburg and a second plant in Leipzig. Buyers are further able to specify between diesel and gasoline engines ranging from three cylinders all the way up to six. Show full PR text Two reasons to celebrate: BMW 1 Series production hits the two-million mark – New edition writes a fresh chapter in the compact model's success story. Munich. 28 March 2015 sees the curtain raised on the market launch of the new BMW 1 Series. Fans of compact driving pleasure can look forward to an even more striking design, a further refined premium ambiance for the interior, engines that are extremely powerful and even more efficient, and innovative equipment features. Ahead of the launch, news filtered through from BMW Plant Regensburg of another reason to smile as the two-millionth BMW 1 Series rolled off the production line. The landmark car was built just a few days after the start of production for the new version of the compact model and is one of the first examples of the new BMW 1 Series range earmarked for export to Asia. The BMW 120i 5-door, painted in Estoril Blue metallic and equipped with an M Sport package, will be delivered to a customer in Japan. This production landmark at BMW Plant Regensburg represents another milestone in the international success story of the BMW 1 Series. In late summer 2014 the company celebrated the model series' tenth birthday.

When Android Automotive goes in the dash, Google wins — and automakers lose data

You've gotta hand it to Google for the way the Silicon Valley tech giant has made indelible inroads into the car on multiple fronts. The most obvious is with its pioneering self-driving car technology that's caused car companies to get their act together on autonomous vehicles — and also collaborate with Google. Google has more directly extended its influence and data-mining capabilities into the car with its Android Auto smartphone-projection platform that most major automakers have adopted along with Apple's CarPlay. And now it's preparing to dig even deeper into dashboards by deploying its open-source operating system, Android Automotive, beginning with Audi and Volvo. Volvo recently announced that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system will run Android Automotive as an OS and include Google's Play Store for cloud-based content, Maps for navigation and Google Assistant for voice recognition, which can even command a car's climate control. By embedding Google in the dash, Volvo says owners will get an improved connected experience. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Volvo senior vice president of R&D Henrik Green said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable." Having Android Automotive onboard could benefit drivers — and provide a big win for Google, since it opens a deep and lucrative new data-mining vein for the company. But it's a wave of a white flag for car companies when it comes to delivering their own cloud-based content and services. It also represents a massive data giveaway and, for Audi, a reversal of earlier reservations about letting Google get too much access to car data. Not long after Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were introduced in 2014 and most automakers eagerly embraced the technologies, several German automakers second-guessed their decision when they realized what was at stake: data. At a conference in Berlin in 2015, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said car owners "want to be in control of their data, and not subject to monitoring." A few months earlier, Stadler stated that "the data that we collect is our data and not Google's.

Mini Countryman PHEV caught at electric watering hole

Our spy photographers have once again found the next generation Mini Countryman out testing in the wild. This time, they caught it replenishing its thirst for electrons. Although we knew some sort of hybrid Countryman was coming, this confirms its existence and plug-in capabilities beyond any reasonable doubt. Like the rest of the Mini lineup, this new Countryman will be noticeably larger than its predecessor. It also appears to feature a larger, more aggressive grille and lower intake vents. Other than that, the car appears to be quite evolutionary in design. Our spy photographers expect the plug-in hybrid Countryman to debut in 2019 powered by a combination of the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder and an electric motor. We have also predicted that the gasoline engine could power the front wheels while the electric motor (or motors) powers the rear wheels, which together could provide all-wheel-drive and 240 horsepower. Related video: