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2014 BMW X5 configurator goes live

BMW won't begin selling the 2014 X5 for another few months, but the German manufacturer has brought the third-generation SAV's configurator online, allowing interested customers to poke around and look at the X5's optional goodies.
Like the 3 Series, the X5 is available in a number of lines that load up extras automatically. There's also a do-it-yourself truck that allows owners to pick and choose if they're not enamored with the styling or trim of one of the dedicated packages. As usual, the options list is quite vast, regardless of which line is chosen. We were able to easily take the new, rear-drive X5 sDrive35i, which started at $52,800, and bring the total price up past $80,000.
The new X5 carries over its 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 from the current model, as well as BMW's excellent 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six. The X5 xDrive35d, with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel will also be available on the third-generation SUV, but won't hit dealers until early 2014. BMW is stepping outside of the X5's usual bounds, offering a dedicated rear-drive model, available with all the same trimmings as the xDrive vehicles. Head over to BMW's US consumer page and have a go.

BMW preparing 'optimized driveline' for i3, provides more range

Autocar reports that BMW is preparing upgrades for the all-electric i3 that will greatly extend its range. Company sources called it an "optimized driveline," powered by a new, 22-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. That's the same capacity as the battery in the current hatchback but it will have a higher density. Combined with improved electronics and new software for battery cooling and the electric motor, Autocar's unnamed BMW source said the new internals will be good for "well over 124 miles in real-world use." The Environmental Protection Agency rates the present i3 as having 81 miles of range, meaning this tweaked version would be a 50-percent improvement if that range number applies to the US market (it's likely the more lenient European number, since Autocar is a UK publication). BMW said the update takes advantage of gains in battery efficiency over the past two years. The i3 with the range extending engine would also get the update, and current owners will reportedly (and surprisingly) be able to purchase the revised powertrain for retrofitting. The Autocar report appears to back up a recent article in German newspaper Die Zeit in which BMW CEO Harald Kruger said the the i3 will get more range next year, and "Another technology leap is going to come in three or four years." The i3 was designed for to make these kinds of upgrades easy to manage. We wait to find out when it will be available, whether it will increase the price of a new car, and how much it will cost current owners to retrofit. Featured Gallery BMW i3 Shadow Sport Edition: LA 2015 News Source: Autocar via World Car FansImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green BMW Hatchback Electric Luxury range anxiety bmw i3 rex

The 2017 Alpina B7 xDrive isn't as cool as the BMW M760i

Steve Ewing is good people, but when it comes to big BMWs, he talks nonsense. He argues, incorrectly, that the new Alpina B7 is somehow cooler than the new M760i. Here's why he's wrong. No surprise, but the bulk of the pro-M760i argument comes from under the hood. Yes, both cars produce 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, but it's where the power comes from that really matters. The M760i's power is just much more accessible, with peak torque coming in at just 1,500 rpm, while the Alpina makes owners wait until 3,000 rpm for max twist (a fact Ewing glosses over). The V12 also offers up all 600 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, 250 rpm earlier. Sure, the Alpina is 0.3 seconds faster to 60 miles per hour – it does the deed in 3.6 seconds to the M760's 3.9 seconds – but it relies on a tweaked transmission setup to do it. Not only that, but big automakers like BMW are usually quite conservative about performance figures, so it's still a bit early to hand a medal to the aftermarket. Here's the other thing about the engines – Nigel Tufnel would prefer the M760i. See, the Alpina has a 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8, but the M760i has a 6.6-liter, twin-turbo V12. To paraphrase Tufnel, "This one has a V12." We rest our case. Other changes between the two cars are largely in the eye of the beholder – we can talk about the transmission, suspension, and xDrive changes until we're blue in the face, but we simply don't have enough information about the two setups to make substantive arguments – some people might prefer the subtler styling of the M760i. We're not going to blame anyone for liking the more aggressive look of the Alpina, with its big, quad-tipped exhaust, meaty front splitter, or aggressive side sills. And those 21-inch Alpina wheels? Easily the coolest styling detail. You can get a closer look at them, and the Alpina's other changes, in our live gallery from the floor of the Geneva Motor Show. Related Video: Power, Dynamics and Luxury combined for class-leading performance and a superior driving experience – the all-new 2017 BMW ALPINA B7 xDrive. - Unique combination of high-performance drivetrain with 600 bHP and xDrive all-wheel drive system provide a 0-60 mph acceleration time of just 3.6 seconds. - Most advanced suspension and chassis technology with ALPINA calibration including for the first time Integral Active Steering for ultimate dynamics and comfort.