Bmw Other 3.0 Cs on 2040-cars

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Auto execs surveyed say VW, BMW most likely to grow

A new survey of top global automotive executives indicates both Volkswagen and BMW are the most likely to grow their market share over the next five years.
Tax advisory firm KPMG LLP has released its 14th annual Global Automotive Executive Survey, which includes responses from over 200 executives. A total of 81 percent of respondents said they expect to see Volkswagen make gains, compared to 70 percent last year. BMW, meanwhile, saw 70 percent of those surveyed say they believe the company will increase its market share. That's a jump of 7 percentage points over last year. This is the first time in the history of the survey that BMW has claimed the second-place spot.
Meanwhile, Hyundai has seen its perceived market share potential slacken for the third year in a row. Around 61 percent of those surveyed predicted gains for Hyundai, down from 63 in 2012. Toyota also has a surprising year, but for just the opposite reason. While the manufacturer had slipped in ranking since 2011, it enjoyed the largest increase of any company in the 2013 survey, jumping to 68 percent from 44 percent last year.

BMW unveils 2016 X5 M and X6 M super CUVs

The second-generation BMW X5 M and X6 M have officially made their arrival for the speed-obsessed, crossover-loving masses that aren't willing to turn to Mercedes-AMG or Land Rover Special Operations.
While the new models retain their 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8s, power has increased from 555 horsepower to 567 ponies. Torque is up more significantly, climbing from 500 pound-feet to 553 pound-feet. The extra twist is slightly less accessible, with peak grunt arriving between 2,200 and 5,000 rpm, rather than the earlier model's 1,500 to 5,650. Still, we'll take the ten percent increase in torque as a net win.
The big powertrain switch sees the old X5/6 M's six-speed automatic replaced with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission from BMW M. This new gearbox feeds power to an xDrive all-wheel-drive system that can variably shuffle up to 100 percent of power to either axle. In conjunction with the force-induced thumper under the hood, this powertrain arrangement allows both M models to hit 60 miles per hour in just four seconds. That's a mightily impressive stat in a 5,000-plus-pound vehicle.

Pure black BMW i8 hydrogen fuel cell prototype on the track

Largely coated in matte black paint with just a few touches of dark blue contrast, the BMW hydrogen fuel cell-powered i8 prototype looks stealthy just sitting still. Now, that ninja-like styling is taking to the track in this video to prove that its performance doesn't come with much noise. The quiet hum of the tires and an odd whir from the rear are all that you hear coming. As this i8 prototype picks up speed around the circuit, the sounds that the drivetrain makes just get weirder. When moving slowly, you can pick out the usual whine that's expected from conventional electric vehicles. However at higher velocities, the coupe almost makes a noise like its constantly exhaling. Along with the recently unveiled BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo hydrogen-fueled concept, this sneaky looking i8 is part of BMW's technological push to become a greener automaker. The company is also prototyping a turbocharged engine with water injection and new plug-in hybrid powertrains. Although this low-slung coupe is by far the most attractive of that bunch. We might not be too far away from actually seeing this tech on sale on models bearing the Bavarian brand's roundel, either. Thanks to collaboration with Toyota, the company wants to have fuel cell components ready by 2020, and sales could start early in the decade. Hopefully all of the company's FCEVs look as menacingly great as this i8 by that time, though.