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BMW ready to bring more i3, i8 plug-ins to US

BMW has found a receptive audience for its first batches of plug-in vehicles in the good 'ole USA. The German automaker, which started selling its first mass-produced i plug-ins in Europe late last year, will send a higher percentage of those vehicles to the US because of strong demand here, according to Automotive News, which talked with BMW executive Ian Robertson. And the Americans might cause Bimmer to speed up production, to boot. BMW makes the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid in Germany, and has sold about 10,000 units of the former and 280 of the latter worldwide. Since August, BMW has been selling about 1,000 i3s a month in the US (it sold just 58 i8s in September). The bigger story, though, may be that Bimmer has sold out of its US allocation of i8s through the end of next year. Pretty heady stuff for a car that starts at around $137,000. Currently, BMW builds around 100 i-series vehicles a day in Germany, and may speed up production of the i8 for the aforementioned reason. As for the i3, which comes with an option of a gas-powered range extender, we'd reported earlier this year that the waitlist for that model had grown to about six months. Our i3 First Drive report is here if you'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

BMW factors big in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Product placement is big business, especially for automakers and especially in blockbuster action film franchises involving spies and assassins. Just ask Aston Martin or Jaguar Land Rover about their involvement in the James Bond movies, or Audi about the role it plays in the Transporter series. But when it comes to Mission: Impossible, it's all about the Bimmers. BMW has been featuring prominently in the popular action franchise, putting its i8 hybrid sports car front and center in the last installment, Ghost Protocol. And it will grab the spotlight once again in the upcoming Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Watch this latest trailer just released by Paramount Pictures and you might be able to pick out the M3 driven by Tom Cruise, the X5 by Jeremy Renner and the S 1000 RR motorcycles ridden by a whole crew of bad guys. Wheels aside, it's our best look yet at the upcoming fifth installment in the popular movie franchise, so if you're a fan, you'll want to check it out as the movie's not set to be released until the end of July. High-speed, high-tech, high excitement 24.03.2015 Munich/Los Angeles. BMW confirmed today its role as exclusive worldwide automotive partner of the next installment of Paramount Pictures' legendary action film franchise, "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation", in theaters from July 31. This is the second time BMW has "accepted the mission" to lend its superior technological support to the film's production crew, enabling it to deliver breathtaking automotive stunt scenes shot around the globe. BMW previously partnered with Paramount on the 2011 successful release of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol". The film's official trailer, released worldwide yesterday, offers fans a first glimpse of the high-adrenaline action that only Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team can deliver – including spectacular driving scenes where the new BMW M3 is put through its paces. Its renowned high-performance capabilities made the fifth generation M3 sports car the perfect choice to perform precision driving sequences, the likes of which have never been seen before. The M division's philosophy and dynamic design leaves no doubt about the M3's motorsport genes while the BMW Motorrad S 1000 RR, which is also seen in the film trailer released yesterday, represents the ultimate performance on two wheels.

These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.