2006 Bmw 530xi Moonroof Cld Wthr Pkg Awd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Electric living with a BMW i3

Rarely in the 27-plus years I've been testing and writing about cars has any vehicle changed this much from my initial impression until I was later able to spend more time in one. Nearly two years ago, I got a brief test drive of the then-new BMW i3 EV on a selection of both flat and hilly, curvy roads west of Los Angeles the day before LA Auto Show press days. My impressions at the time were mixed: polarizing exterior and interior designs but roomy, easily accessible rear cabin; great twisty road handling but somewhat brittle rough-road ride; good performance but annoyingly strong (always on) regenerative braking. And there was no opportunity to test one with the optional range-extender (which BMW calls a "REx") engine. So I wanted an extended experience in a REx-equipped i3, and recently got one. And, I'm here to report that, driving it for a week like I owned it, the quirky i3 soon won me over. The quirky i3 soon won me over. The $42,400 BMW EV's unique, lightweight "LifeDrive" architecture features a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) passenger cell on an all-aluminum chassis. Powered by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, its 170-hp AC synchronous motor spins out a healthy 184-pound-feet of torque through a single-speed transmission and offers three drive modes: Comfort, Eco Pro (which BMW says adds roughly 12 percent of range) and Eco Pro+ (another 12 percent). The optional rear-mounted 647 cc (0.65-liter) in-line 2-cylinder REx engine drives an electric generator, never the wheels. It increases the sticker price to $46,250 and curb weight from 2,860 pounds to 3,130 lb., and that 270-lb. weight penalty reduces its electric-only range from 81 to 72 miles and EPA-rated combined (gas-equivalent) fuel economy from 124 to 117 MPGe, and slows its 0-60-mph acceleration from 7.0 to 7.8 sec. But it nearly doubles the i3's official EPA-rated total range from an EV-only 81 miles to an EV-plus-gasoline 150 miles. The i3 arrived (from roughly 90 miles away) with its battery depleted but an indicated 75 miles of gas-powered range remaining. Wanting to experience it REx-only at first, I drove it on a 9.6-mile local trip and found little difference in sound or performance from what I recalled from that California battery-only test drive. When I returned home, however, the indicated gas range was just 55 miles, so I had used 20 miles of projected range in less than 10 local miles. My initial impressions were good, with a few quibbles.

Hyundai, BMW and Ford win Concept Vehicle of the Year awards

More than two dozen jurors started with a pool of 23 concept cars introduced at the most recent Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York auto shows, then pared it down to three winners in three categories for the twelfth annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards. The trophy-bearers are said to be those "vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry," and lead their classes in the Concept Car, Concept Truck and Production Preview divisions.
Hyundai had two cars as finalists for the Concept Car category, the competition boiled down to the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis concept, Veloster C3 Roll Top, Honda EV-STER and the Toyota Corolla Furia. It won with the HCD-14 Genesis that was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, a sharp sedan that sharply divided opinion between those who thought it was too much, those who thought it was too much Audi A7, and those who thought it was perfect. The award panel's judges, however, thought so much of it that it's got two awards in one sitting, not only taking concept car honors, but because it earned the highest overall score in the competition it also takes the crown for Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2013.
The final selection in the Concept Truck category was down to the Ford Atlas, Kia Cross GT, Nissan Resonance and Volkswagen Cross Blue. The Ford Atlas took the silverware, after also winning the Eyes on Design award - shared with the Nissan Resonance - at the Detroit Auto Show where it was introduced.

BMW won't bring front-drive 2 Series tourers to US

BMW may have rolled out a new front-drive 2 Series in overseas markets, but according to the latest from Automotive News, it won't be bringing it to the United States anytime soon. The model line consists of the 2 Series Active Tourer – the company's first front-drive model – and its extended counterpart, the 2 Series Gran Tourer, which was introduced just last week at the Geneva Motor Show. Though available with all-wheel drive, their front-drive underpinnings make them a radical departure for the Bavarian automaker, which has made a name for itself on rear-drive architecture. The development is not unlike the path which Mercedes has pursued with models like the A-Class hatchback, B-Class minivan, CLA four-door coupe and GLA crossover. BMW evidently thinks, however, that even in its longer Gran Tourer form, the 2 Series hatchback is still too small for the US market, where minivans have grown far beyond their miniature dimensions. The 2 Series name will continue to be offered on the rear-drive coupe and convertible that were spun off of the 1 Series and which are unrelated to the front-drive hatchback and minivan. The X1, however, is slated to switch to the front-drive platform shared with the company's Mini brand.