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BMW confirms new Mexican plant

After over a year of speculation, BMW is finally officially announcing that it's building a factory in Mexico. The new plant will cost the German automaker roughly $1 billion US and will have a capacity of about 150,000 vehicles a year when complete. However, production won't begin there until 2019.
The new factory is being built near the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with plans to employ about 1,500 people. Unfortunately, BMW is still mum about which models it's producing south of the border. Earlier rumors indicated the possibility of the 3 Series, 1 Series and maybe even Mini models there.
BMW says Mexico's multiple free trade agreements are a major factor in the choice of location of the plant. They make it possible for the automaker to ship models more cheaply to North America, parts of South America and the European Union. "The Americas are among the most important growth markets for the BMW Group. We are continuing our strategy of 'production follows the market,'" said Harald Krueger, the board's head of production, in the company's official announcement.

Mini JCW Paceman vs. BMW M135i in family faceoff

Over the last year, we've had the chance to drive two of the most exciting hatchbacks in the BMW family - the BMW M135i and the Mini Paceman John Cooper Works - but Autocar has managed to get the two corporate cousins together for a head-to-head comparison. Just like our initial impressions of the Paceman JCW, Autocar has little to complain about this new 215-horsepower hatchback... until it begins to factor in the faster, better-mannered and similarly priced M135i.
Despite laying down an extra 100 hp and delivering a 0-60 time that is almost two seconds quicker, the M135i carries the same price tag of 29,535 pounds in the UK; US pricing for the Paceman starts at $36,200, while it still isn't even clear if the US will be getting the M135i. Even more surprising is the fact that the Paceman falls short of the M135i in regards to rear seat and cargo volume, and just barely squeaks out a win in the fuel economy department. Scroll down to watch the BMW versus Mini hot hatch battle.

Protonic Red BMW i8 will bow in Geneva

BMW will unveil special edition versions of the i8 at the Geneva Motor Show, but we hope the rest of the company's offerings are more exciting than its first one – the new Protonic Red Edition. BMW bathes this limited edition i8 in the eponymous red and paints some the trim Frozen Grey metallic. The company finishes off the exterior improvements with 20-inch W-spoke wheels that it decorates Orbit Grey metallic with Aluminum matte hubs. The interior upgrades amount to red double-stitching around the cabin and the addition of some carbon fiber and ceramic trim. There are no mechanical changes. It's hard to get too excited about special paint and trim, but if you are in the market for a more colorful i8, then the Protonic Red Edition seems like a good opportunity. Production begins in Leipzig in July. Related Video: Comfortably exceeding expectations: BMW i8 is the world's highest-selling hybrid sports car. Exclusive BMW i8 special editions. Protonic Red Edition gets the ball rolling at the Geneva Motor Show. Munich. Last year, global sales of the BMW i8 exceeded the combined figure of all other hybrid sports cars produced by other manufacturers*; 5,456 units of the i8, which is powered by the combination of a three-cylinder turbocharged engine and an electric drive system, were sold worldwide in 2015. The car's innovative plug-in hybrid technology delivers system output of 266 kW/362 hp (fuel consumption combined: 2.1 l/100 km [134.5 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 49 g/km)**. "The success of the BMW i8 speaks for itself," said Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board Member for Sales and Marketing. "It is already the world's most successful hybrid sports car and has comfortably exceeded our own expectations. I can think of no better illustration of the relevance of our young BMW i brand." And the BMW i8 is about to add further lustre to its appeal with exclusive special-edition models poised to be unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. The new arrivals present customers with even more ways to own a very individual car. BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition will be built in Leipzig from July. The first in this line of special-edition models is the BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition. Like those set to follow in its tyre tracks, it is only available for a limited period.