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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.

Motorweek remembers the Bimmers that made us all fall in love

The enthusiast's tied-in-knots relationship with BMW makes the Bavarians one of those brands especially ripe for nostalgic flights. That's why as soon as we saw the opening shot of Motorweek's review of the 1986 BMW 325e and a 635Csi, we let out a long sigh and thought, "Ahhhhh, I remember those days..." The two red barons were the new entries for the year, the 325e offering a couple of extra doors for the first time, the 635CSi rounding up the powerplant's displacement compared to the 633CSi that preceded it. The inline six-cylinder in the current 335i sedan gets on with 300 horsepower; 28 years ago, the 325e made do with a 2.7-liter inline six offering 121 hp, taking 9.3 seconds to get to 60 miles per hour from a standstill. That's four seconds more than today. Those willing to pay $41,000 for the 635CSi got a 3.4-liter inline six with 182 hp, and Motorweek praised it as a "confident handling car that does feel big and clumsy at times." The more things change, you know... Check out the video for a reminder of how BMW got to be what it is, and to hear the most unusual use of the word "oriental" we've heard in a while. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube BMW Coupe Luxury Classics Videos Sedan

BMW X4 order guide sneaks onto the web

Much like we gave you an early look at the ordering guide for the BMW M3 and M4 (you can now configure those two, as well), yet another list of BMW options has leaked out. This time, the upcoming X4 is the target. We told you last month that prices for the X3-sized, X6-shaped vehicle started at $45,625, and now, we can confirm everything else for the newest Bimmer.
Only two trim lines will be available when the X4 arrives - M Sport and xLine. The former starts at $2,300 for the xDrive28i model and $1,900 for the xDrive35i, and includes as standard, 19-inch wheels (or optional 20s for $950), sport seats, an M steering wheel, a more aggressive body kit, a black headliner and the option of brushed aluminum interior trim. The xLine is $1,500 for the 28i and $1,000 for the 35i, and is made up exclusively of 19-inch Y-spoke wheels and dark copper interior trim.
Metallic colors dominate the pallet, with just a pair of gloss options available alongside the $550 metal-flake colors. BMW offers a pair of SensaTec leatherette options, along side a wide variety of $1,450 leather trims.