2002 Bmw 525i Base Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Translogic 189: 2015 LA Auto Show

The LA Auto Show has become known for its green cars and concepts, and 2015 was no exception. Translogic host Jonathon Buckley gets all the details on BMW's 330e plug-in hybrid straight from BMW President of North America Ludwig Willisch. Then we get up-to-date on Honda's latest FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car. We round out our tour with a stop at the Elio Motors booth for a look at their updated, three-wheel P5 concept and a chat with CEO Paul Elio. But first, we jump in a time machine at the Volvo booth to discuss Concept 26, an interpretation of how car interiors might evolve in the era of self-driving cars. "The reason why we talked about it as a time machine [is] because, really, Concept 26 is giving you back something that is so precious," explained Volvo senior director of design Tisha Johnson. "We're letting you delegate driving to the car, so that you can then have that time to yourself." Click here to learn more about our host, Jonathon Buckley.

BMW i3 Shadow Sport limited edition opens a moon roof on US

Here's a bit of news for a quarter-million dollars. BMW is bringing a special edition i3 called Shadow Sport to the US for the 2016 model year. That tag refers to the special-edition Bimmers that come equipped with a moon roof, which before this was unavailable in the US. But only 50 lucky folks will get them. The Shadow Sport edition comes with a few other goodies, too, including "fluid" black paint, 19-inch alloy wheels, custom-trim interior and sport-tuned suspension, though there are no changes in the electric motor or performance. That means the same single-charge range of 81 miles, the same 0-60 miles per hour acceleration time of seven seconds flat and the same top speed of 93 miles per hour. If you experience a little slower speed and a little shorter single-charge range because you're spending too much time looking out of the moon roof, that's on you. The catch is that the model won't be available for the i3 vehicles with the gas-powered range extender, i.e. the i3 REx. The Shadow Sport will also have a price of $47,400, or $5,000 more than the base model i3. BMW's Dave Buchko told AutoblogGreen that all 50 Shadow Sports have been sold, with the first 40 selling out in the first hour or so of availability. The Shadow Sport is on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. Through the first 10 months of the year, BMW sold 8,879 i3 vehicles, which was double year-earlier figures. Last month alone, though, things weren't as rosy, as October i3 sales declined 15 percent from a year earlier to 986 units. There's more information at the bottom of BMW's LA Show press release, below. BMW at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show: Making its North American Premier, BMW will showcase the all-new BMW 7 Series, all-new BMW 3 Series eDrive, all-new BMW X1 and the exclusive motorsport inspired BMW M4 GTS. BMW i will premiere BMW Laser Light, available for the first time in the US, as well as the limited edition BMW i3 Shadow Sport, featuring exclusive exterior paint color and interior design, moonroof and sport tuned suspension. Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: November 17, 2015 12:00 pm EDT /9:00 am PDT... The all-new BMW 3 Series eDrive, BMW M4 GTS, BMW X1 and the BMW 7 Series will make their North American debuts at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, BMW will feature the eDrive BMW X5 xDrive40e as well as the high-performance BMW i8, the all-electric BMW i3 and other BMW models at the BMW display.

Bangle urges auto design shakeup, says industry not innovating

Controversial designer Chris Bangle, the man behind the notorious E65 BMW 7-Series "Bangle Butt," has some rather sharp criticism for the current crop of automotive designers in an upcoming full-length interview with Automotive News Europe. The preview, posted on Automotive News, details parts of the interview, with the always vocal Bangle lamenting the state of modern automotive design.
"Even concept cars today simply anticipate the next production model coming down the line. Is this innovation? No. And at the end of the day this is what's preventing car design from moving into a new era." Controversial as Bangle's design philosophy may be, we can't help but think he has a point. His so-called "flame surfacing" at BMW and other stylistic elements had a huge influence on modern automotive design, although as the years have passed, there hasn't been much innovation on the same scale.
Interestingly, Bangle also mentions that he's been courted by a few manufacturers that wanted to install the American as the head of their design teams. He's flatly rejected them, telling ANE, "It's not something you can do part time, you have to do it with all your heart and soul or you're going to get it wrong."