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BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is a minivan by any other name

The Ultimate Driving Mini Minivan? Too early to say, considering that we've not yet driven it and so we don't know if it's the ultimate anything. But the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer definitely slots into place as a small MPV in the European market, hence the mini minivan designation, though it doesn't have sliding doors. We don't have any indication that this 2 Series variant will come to the United States, in case you were wondering. With the option of a third row, this seven-passenger, front-wheel-drive (or optionally, all-wheel-drive) machine from BMW is sure to ruffle a few enthusiast feathers, but it also has the potential to be a big seller for the German brand. Available with a range of three- and four-cylinder engines offering between 116 and 192 horsepower, the 2 Series Gran Tourer packs a lot of space into a very small platform. It may not be the prettiest vehicle to wear the Roundel, but it may be the most practical. See it for yourself from every angle in our high-res gallery of live images above, and feel free to read more in the press release below. The new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. 11.02.2015 With the new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer, BMW has carved out yet another new vehicle segment. With its generous space, versatility and groundbreaking flexibility, the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is the world's first premium compact model to offer up to seven seats and fully meet the mobility requirements of young families. Compact yet capacious. Despite its compact dimensions – measuring just 4,556 millimetres long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,608 mm high – the new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer offers ample space and a generous luggage compartment that can be extended in capacity from 645 to 805 litres. With the rear-seat backrests folded down, this rises to an impressive 1,905 litres of load space. Ensuring maximum variability is the standard-fitted fore-aft sliding rear seat bench – with a 40:20:40-split backrest that folds down at the press of a button – which allows three child seats to be fitted. Extending the possibilities even further is an optional third row of seats which can be completely lowered into the loading floor. Maximising the vehicle's everyday practicality is a range of storage options for all three rows of seats, as well as rails on the front-seat backrests with fold-out tables attached.

BMW sees shortage of crossovers in the United States

BMW of North America CEO Ludwig Willisch is anxious to get the Bavarian brand's $1-billion upgrade at the Spartanburg, SC, factory done because the automaker can't keep up with demand for its crossovers. The expansion should boost total capacity there to 450,000 units a year and support production of the upcoming X7. Still, Willisch would love to have more crossovers as soon as possible. "That is a constant battle now, to get more X3s and X5s," he said in an interview about the company's future in North America to Automotive News. If they the supply were available, Willisch predicts he could sell at least another 10,000 of the CUVs. Willisch sees getting the X7 on the market as a big win for the brand, too. "We were able to convince the company that this is exactly what we need in the United States," he said to Automotive News. However, there is a bit of a wait. The model rides on BMW's next-gen platform, and is at least two years away from challenging the Land Rover Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz's renamed GLS-Class (previously the GL-Class). The fullsize CUV reportedly shares development with Rolls-Royce and might offer the best interior of any model bearing the blue and white roundel. The boss also talked about other future product plans for this continent. For example, Willisch reiterated BMW will not bring the 2 Series hatchbacks here, citing a lack of a market for them. There will be plenty more plug-in hybrids available at dealers, though. Due to "legal requirements" and popularity, Willlisch says PHEV versions will be offered throughout the lineup by 2017. Although, the i sub-brand will stick with the i3 and i8 through that time.

BMW begins restoring Elvis Presley's 507 [w/video]

Imagine the King of Rock n' Roll driving a car and you'll likely picture a pink Cadillac or a yellow De Tomaso shot full of holes. But Elvis also owned a 1957 BMW 507 roadster, and now that roadster is returning home to BMW headquarters.
The 507 was a rare bird, of which only 254 examples were ever made. They were sold mostly to celebrities and royalty, but Elvis Presley was a GI when he bought it while stationed in Germany. The example that he bought had been displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, used as a press car and raced by Hans Stuck (which is how Elvis came to see it in the first place), so when he took delivery of it second-hand, the dealership had a new engine installed. It was originally white, but legend has it that Elvis got tired of women writing their phone numbers on the side of it in lipstick that he had it repainted in red.
Stories differ on what exactly happened to it next, with some saying that he returned it once the lease was up and other saying that the army shipped it back to him in the States after his tour was over. But what we do know is that the car sat for many years, neglected but sheltered from the elements. Now it's heading to the the BMW Museum in Munich, where it will be on display until August 10, after which the BMW Group Classic department will undertake a comprehensive restoration of the star-studded roadster that's expected to take two years of work.