1999 Bmw Z3 2.3 Convertible Automatic 96k Miles on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai/Kia fined $755M for exaggerated MPG ratings; BMW dealers want more i8s

The fine against Hyundai and Kia has grown to $755 million for overstating fuel economy ratings. $360 million of that fine comes from the EPA for violation of the Clean Air Act: $100 million is a civil penalty, $210 million is a forfeiture of greenhouse gas credits and another $50 million will pay for independent fuel economy audits on future models. The remaining $395 million is a settlement for customers who purchased the affected vehicles. A slew of 2011 to 2013 models were found to have fuel economy ratings overstated by one to six miles per gallon. Customers will be awarded funds to offset the unexpected fuel costs or to put toward a new Hyundai or Kia vehicle. Read more at Hybrid Cars. BMW dealers are awaiting details on new dealership standards - and BMW i8 models for their showroom floors. According to BMW National Dealer Forum Chairman Steve Late, BMW dealers are anxiously waiting to see what sort of updates they'll need to do to get in line with BMW's Future Retail 2016 program. As for the new EVs, Late says that the BMW i3 sales were slow to start, but that once people learned more about it, "wham, bam, it is taking off." The i8 shortage is a bigger problem: "I was allocated three for 2014, and I have a waiting list of 47 people. This year, maybe I will get eight or 10, and I still won't be able to fulfill them." Still, Late says he won't sell the cars at an upcharge. Read more at Automotive News. Opel is reportedly planning an electric version of its Karl hatchback. According to German automotive magazine Autobild, Opel will begin selling the diminutive Karl EV by the end of 2018. The electric car will offer a driving range of about 93 miles. The gasoline-powered version is expected to begin deliveries this June. Read more at Automotive News Europe. PSA Peugeot Citroen says it will keep its Hybrid Air program alive as it looks for a cost-sharing partner. Hybrid Air technology uses a compressed air hybrid system to improve fuel economy as we saw in the Peugeot 208 Hybrid Air concept. A French newspaper reported that Hybrid Air won't make it to commercialization, and that the program's team of engineers has been reduced. A PSA spokesperson confirms the change to the program, saying, "We are now waiting for another partner to help us begin the production stage." Read more at Automotive News Europe. Related Video:

BMW invests in carbon fiber for use beyond i and M models

The immense amount of resources BMW has poured into its i brand program hasn't stopped, and recent developments indicate it's likely to pay off for BMW and BMW buyers outside the i brand. The i8 has already sold out its first year run, the i3 racked up 10,000 orders before it even went on sale and is already the subject of public discussion about being stretched into an i5, and a new investment in carbon fiber production has the automaker talking about CFRP use in non-i and non-M models.
BMW and SGL Group got together to form SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (ACF), and the joint venture produces all of the CFRP for the i3 and i8 on two production lines at its plant in Moses Lake, Washington. After already investing $100 million to increase capacity, BMW has announced that another $200 million will add four more production lines, tripling production from 3,000 tons per year to 9,000 tons. When the expansion is complete in 2015, BMW says the Moses Lake facility will be the world's largest carbon fiber plant.
That's a lot of weave and the long view is that it will find its way into core models, with BMW exec Dr. Klaus Draeger saying, "As part of an intelligent mix of materials, we will apply carbon also beyond our BMW i and BMW M models in the future," and be able to do so "at competitive costs and in large quantities."

Zombie cars: A dozen discontinued vehicles people still buy new

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.