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BMW readies EV, hydrogen updates for 2015 Detroit Auto Show

BMW's stand at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the place to go for updates. News about advances in electric vehicle infrastructure, hydrogen fuel cells (maybe) and BMW's suite of connected vehicles app things will all make an appearance at the show next month. Let's start with what we know for sure. Both the i3 and i8 plug-in vehicles are supremely connected cars. A new announcement from BMW (available below) says that the suite of "Now" – ChargeNow, ParkNow and DriveNow – apps will be extended and available internationally. The updates include things like being able to find new new fast-charging stations and ParkNow LongTerm, which will let drivers find a permanent parking space where they can fill up their batteries. As Jacob Harb, BMW of North America's head of electric vehicle sales and strategy, told AutoGuide, "2015 is the year of infrastructure." While there is no official mention of a fuel cell stack in the official release (and we've asked BMW to see if there's anything to this news), Inside EVs says that BMW will also show off its new fuel cell stack in Detroit. That's the one that Toyota and BMW are working on together, as announced back in January 2013. If it makes an appearance, then it'll be our first look at the powertrain that's one generation beyond what Toyota has now in the Mirai. BMW at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2015 in Detroit. On 12 January 2015, BMW will welcome in the new car year by unveiling a raft of new products at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. A fixture on the calendar since 1907, the event originally known as the Detroit Auto Show has a long tradition in the USA. This year will be the 27th time it has been held on an international stage, and more than 200 exhibitors will gather at the COBO Center on the Detroit River to present their latest offerings to a large audience. More than 18 million people have visited the show since 1989. The public days take place from 17 – 25 January. Celebrating their world premieres in Detroit are the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, Coupe and Gran Coupe, as well as the new BMW M6 Coupe, BMW M6 Convertible and BMW M6 Gran Coupe high-performance models. They will be joined at the NAIAS by the cutting-edge BMW i models and innovative services encompassing the world of electric mobility. And BMW ConnectedDrive will be showcasing its over-the-air regular automatic map updating technology.

BMW Z5 roadster gets frosty in winter testing

The successor to the BMW Z4 (remember that thing?) is currently undergoing testing in what may be the least hospitable place for a two-seat roadster – northern Sweden. Yep, even sunshine-loving convertibles need to undergo winter testing. We still aren't 100-percent certain of the name, but rumors are pointing to BMW ditching the Z4 nomenclature in favor of Z5. As we've reported before, it's very likely that this car is being developed with help from Toyota. The platform underpinning the car shown here could become the long-awaited new Supra (albeit in hardtop-only form). We'd love to tell you about the look of this new car, but between the camouflage and the caked-on snow, it's hard to draw a bead. We can clearly see the headlights are inspired by newer BMWs like the 7 Series and 2 Series, but other details are harder to discern. The right elements are here, though. The prototype has a long hood and short rear deck. It's also worth pointing out that the car shown here marks a return to a canvas convertible roof. Aside from being less complex, our spies report that the soft top is being used to lower weight and provide sharper handling. While our report on the Z4's successor from March 2015 pointed to a 2020 launch date for the new roadster, our spies say the German part of this BMW/Toyota partnership could launch in late 2017 or early 2018 with four- and six-cylinder engine options. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Z5: Spy Shots Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos BMW Toyota Convertible Performance bmw z5

Popular Science magazine's Best Of What's New 2012 all ate up with cars

Popular Science has named the winners in its Best of What's New awards, the victors coming in the categories of aerospace, automotive, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, green, hardware, health, home, recreation, security and software. The automotive category did not go wanting for lauded advancements:
Tesla Model S: the Grand Award winner for being "the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured."
BMW 328i: it's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets called out for being more powerful and frugal than the six-cylinder it replaces.