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What's up with this thought-controlled BMW i3?

Autonomous driving? A car being controlled by just verbal commands? One pilot program is going way beyond that this year with a car that can theoretically be mind-controlled. UK-based insurance-services company MoneySuperMarket is promoting something called "Epic Mind Drive." The project involves a BMW i3 electric vehicle (nice and futuristic) being rigged up with an autonomous driving system. Only instead of the system watching the road, it involves a person sitting in a seat outside of the car with an electroencephalography (EEG) neuro headset connected to the vehicle. In fact, that headset records brain activity and translates it into instructions. Those instructions are converted to radio frequency that's sent to the car to instruct it to perform various speed and turning duties. Apparently, yes, the car will be mind-controlled. Somehow. If this were intended for real-world use, it would go far beyond the autonomous-driving programs that have been in the works for the past couple of years. Nissan has been real active in that area, with chief Carlos Ghosn saying earlier this year that a "hands-free" car for heavy stop-and-go traffic may be available within the next couple of years. And last year, Google unveiled its autonomous car prototype (though it wasn't nearly as cool-looking as the Bimmer i3) while Tesla Motors has been making noise in that area as well. Besides the i3, MoneySuperMarket has developed the Epic Mind Drive mobile game that uses face-tracking technology to control a car on the screen. The idea with these two whiz-bang ideas is to get drivers to realize that they should think as they drive, it seems. As for the telepathic i3, we're as interested in details as the next website, so we checked out the two videos that are supposed to hype the project. While there is some groovy jazzy-electro music involved, the details of how this works are pretty much nonexistent (16 sensors, think to turn the wheel, and that's about it), so we look forward to hearing more about the project once it's underway. You can check out the videos above and below. News Source: Daily Mail, MoneySuperMarket Green BMW mind control

Confident new Cadillac marketing boss ready to take on Tesla, BMW

When there's a former BMW executive heading Cadillac's efforts to boost sales of its only plug-in, it's a pretty safe guess that the marketing emphasis won't be on environmental friendliness and tree-hugging tendencies. The General Motors luxury brand has appointed ex-Bimmer executive Uwe Ellinghaus to be its marketing chief late last year, and the German-born Ellinghaus is now saying that he's targeting potential customers of Tesla Motors, in addition to BMW, for potential growth in sales of the Cadillac ELR extended-range plug-in. Appointed to Cadillac's head of marketing last November, Ellinghaus recently told Advertising Age that GM needs to highlight the Cadillac's looks and performance. He complimented Tesla for putting more emphasis on those attributes in the Model S than on its lack of emissions or lack of refueling costs (but Tesla hasn't shied away from highlighting the EV's savings). Ellinghaus says that trying to gear advertising "for people who are tree-huggers and green-wash an entire brand" won't be successful. You don't say. So far, the ELR hasn't made much of a dent in US car sales. Through May, Cadillac, which spent about $280 million on all of its US marketing last year, sold 293 units, whereas Tesla had been approaching the 11,000-unit figure for the Model S. With that in mind, Cadillac may be working on a sportier version of the ELR, as spy shots of a test vehicle from May revealed larger brakes and wheels. You can read our First Drive impressions of the ELR here.

2016 BMW X1 takes a more mainstream approach [w/video]

I really like the outgoing X1, simply because it's still an 'old' BMW. I say 'old' because all of the 'new' BMWs don't really feel that great to me – they just aren't the driver's cars they used to be. But the X1 still uses the rear-wheel-drive 1 Series architecture, and I love the way it drives. As for this new X1, it looks to be a vastly improved product in many key areas, but I worry that it, too, will suffer from the same sort of dulling that every other BMW has received. So it goes. Nevertheless, the new X1 should appeal to a broader range of luxury crossover shoppers. It ditches the cool, tall wagon shape of the old model in favor of a more traditional CUV shape. Think small X5. There's far more technology inside and out, passengers will enjoy an increase in spaciousness, and the X1 is more efficient than before, as well. Only one engine will be available in the US – BMW's 2.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-four-cylinder with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission. While I'm not sure if this X1 will be as entertaining to drive as the outgoing model, the new car's improvements will surely help sales. That's especially important as small, luxury CUVs are hotter than ever. See the new car for yourself, live from Frankfurt, in the gallery above. The All-New BMW X1: - Greatest interior roominess and versatility in its class - Highest power with reduced emissions - Commanding presence, robust proportions, dynamic lines - Innovative connectivity and groundbreaking BMW EfficientDynamics technology unparalleled in the segment Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – EMBARGO: June 2, 2015 – 6:00pm EDT/3:00pm PDT... Today, BMW announced the all-new BMW X1 Sports Activity Vehicle. In its second generation, the new MY 2016 BMW X1 builds on the success of its predecessor (61,974 sold in the US to date) by incorporating a roomier interior, greater efficiency and technology on the forefront of innovation. The second generation takes to the stage with a body design typical of a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle. The BMW X1 xDrive28i will be the exclusive model in the US at launch featuring a 2.0-liter TwinTurbo 4-cylinder engine from BMW's new family of modular engines with maximum output of 228 horsepower, making the all new BMW X1 the most powerful entry model in the segment. It will be mounted to an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.