2001 Bmw Z3 on 2040-cars

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BMW working on 'FAST' CUV to slot between X1 and 2 Series

Our spy shooters have caught a new FAST BMW testing that's rumored to hit the market in late 2015. Sadly, the word fast in that last sentence isn't describing the car's performance; instead it's an acronym that stands for Family Active Sports Tourer. Talk about a case of false advertising.
Despite it's speedy name, the FAST doesn't look ready to set any Nürburgring lap records. It rides on BMW's modular, front-wheel drive UKL platform that underpins the current generation Mini Cooper, upcoming 2 Series Active Tourer and next X1. According to our spies, its design is supposed to blend the looks of a wagon and a CUV on the outside with a large, useful interior. Conceivably, it could be offered with the hybrid system from the 2 Series, as well.
The new prototype definitely shares the styling of its front-wheel-drive BMW siblings. Up to the A-pillar, it looks pretty similar to what we know about the future X1. But the FAST has a more arched profile and lower ride height compared to the crossover's chunkier, more conventional design.

Confident new Cadillac marketing boss ready to take on Tesla, BMW

When there's a former BMW executive heading Cadillac's efforts to boost sales of its only plug-in, it's a pretty safe guess that the marketing emphasis won't be on environmental friendliness and tree-hugging tendencies. The General Motors luxury brand has appointed ex-Bimmer executive Uwe Ellinghaus to be its marketing chief late last year, and the German-born Ellinghaus is now saying that he's targeting potential customers of Tesla Motors, in addition to BMW, for potential growth in sales of the Cadillac ELR extended-range plug-in. Appointed to Cadillac's head of marketing last November, Ellinghaus recently told Advertising Age that GM needs to highlight the Cadillac's looks and performance. He complimented Tesla for putting more emphasis on those attributes in the Model S than on its lack of emissions or lack of refueling costs (but Tesla hasn't shied away from highlighting the EV's savings). Ellinghaus says that trying to gear advertising "for people who are tree-huggers and green-wash an entire brand" won't be successful. You don't say. So far, the ELR hasn't made much of a dent in US car sales. Through May, Cadillac, which spent about $280 million on all of its US marketing last year, sold 293 units, whereas Tesla had been approaching the 11,000-unit figure for the Model S. With that in mind, Cadillac may be working on a sportier version of the ELR, as spy shots of a test vehicle from May revealed larger brakes and wheels. You can read our First Drive impressions of the ELR here.

Alpina B4 coupe will be your subtle M4

We're big fans of Alpina here at Autoblog - the BMW tuner has created some seriously delicious products in the past, and recently tuned the diesel-powered 3 Series wagon to create the D3 Bi-Turbo. What we like most about Alpina is how the cars only look subtly more aggressive than stock, yet they pack a real wallop under the hood.
Take this B4 Coupe, recently spotted testing at the Nürburgring. It looks pretty tame compared to the normal 435i, the only visual additions being the Alpina-standard 21-spoke wheels, modified front lip and rear wing spoiler. But under the hood, Alpina is reportedly working on a tuned, twin-turbo straight-six that produces something like 410 horsepower. That means the B4 should be good for a 0-62 time of 4.2 seconds, with a top speed around 190 mph. Rear-wheel drive will be standard, though our spies suggest that Alpina could also use all-wheel drive here in the B4.
We have no doubt that the next BMW M4 will be super hot, but for those seeking a bit more stealth and exclusivity, this Alpina B4 certainly looks the business. Check it out in our gallery above.