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Mini Vision Next 100 concept invokes an alternate universe

Sir Alec Issigonis, designer of the 1959 Mini, would probably find Mini's new Vision Next 100 concept amusing. The original Mini was largely an exercise in efficient packaging and clever engineering. That it was handsome, and became iconic, was more a product of its wild success than an intentional product of its exterior styling. While the Mini concept is undoubtedly cleverly packaged, it's almost purely a styling exercise, no matter what sort of futuristic connected/autonomous functionality Mini says it'll have. Mini doesn't seem able to move past the Mini as a caricature of itself. The heavy, floating roof, the vestigial round and friendly "headlamps", the oversized gauge pod. This seems very German, the inability to communicate essential brand attributes without using cliches. Mini is in a styling rut, trying to evolve the same basic styling language with each new generation, stretching it over larger hard points. The Vision Next 100 program would have been a great time to communicate to the public that Mini is more than just styling tropes: it's an attitude, a way of thinking, a connectedness to the driver. More than a badge or bug-eyed headlights. To its credit, the interior is massively decluttered. That's in part to the rear-engine layout, but more on that in a follow-up piece. The comparatively vast footwell and ultra-minimalist dash pair well with the giant windscreen. It feels light, airy, and authentic to the ideals of the originally Mini in terms of space efficiency, without being overly sentimental. Futurism is a thankless profession, and we can't take this concept literally as a vision of what the brand will be in 100 years. We can say this: it doesn't seem that Mini will be able to transcend the styling tropes that currently define Mini. Let's hope they find a way out of their rut. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Vision Next 100 Concept View 38 Photos Design/Style BMW MINI Coupe Hatchback Concept Cars Future Vehicles vision next 100

NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

BMW could expand 'i' lineup

Well, this isn't exactly a surprise. BMW CEO Harald Krueger (shown above) has hinted that the i3 electric car and the i8 plug-in supercar could soon be blessed with a bouncing brother, perhaps in the form of the oft-rumored i5. Specifically, Krueger told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (as reported by Automotive News) that there was certainly room in the middle of the i sub-brand's current two-model lineup "from the number point of view." The exec declined to offer any additional information. Unlike the i3 and i8, which are their own unique products independent of the rest of the BMW range, the i5 will allegedly be based on 5 Series sedan. It would also eschew the all-electric approach of the i3 in favor of a new and different version of the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the i8. Rather than that car's turbocharged, three-cylinder gas engine, 129-horsepower electric motor, and 357 total system hp, the rumored i5 – according to our most recent report – would be significantly more powerful. There are rumblings that the new model would have anywhere from 544 hp to 640 hp, with at least two electric motors (one on each axle, making it effectively all-wheel drive). On top of the high performance, the i5 will have no issue running on EV power. According to one report, there'd be up to 78 miles of electric range, and would run purely on electricity up to 36 miles per hour. Even then, the gas engine would only join the party when under hard throttle. What do you think? Will BMW come out with a four-door PHV that could potentially outrun the current M5? Have your say in Comments. Related Video: