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BMW puts a sheep in wolf's clothing with 2 Series Active Tourer M Sport

BMW is charting new territory with the 2 Series. No, not the two-door model - that's just the kind of rear-drive coupe for which the brand is known. But the Active Tourer (which only shares its series designation with the coupe) is a front-drive tall hatchback/MPV category buster, and that's not exactly what comes to mind when you think of Bimmers. As such, the 2 Series Active Tourer is bound to turn off some of the brand's faithful, but this latest M Sport kit could at least ease the pain somewhat.
The sport package for the Active Tourer packs all the usual suspects: a more aggressive aero kit, retuned suspension, blacked-out grille, 17- or 18-inch alloys and an interior with sports seats trimmed in blue-stitched Alcantara. Top all that off with an Estoril Blue paint job and you've got a compact family hauler that might look the part, and maybe handle a bit tighter, yet it naturally stops short of the full M treatment (or even an M Performance spec like you'd find in the M235i coupe). All of which is probably just as well, because that might be the only thing BMW purists would object to more than the existence of a front-drive BMW MPV in the first place.

Alex Zanardi talks new challenge at 24 Hours of Spa with BMW

"I have overcome greater things in my life than driving at night." When considering Alex Zanardi's tumultuous life and racing career, the notion that he might be worried about racing for the first time at night seems patently absurd the moment I pose the question. But as I've discovered previously, ask Zanardi a question and his reply - even a brief one - will offer analysis. "I'm really looking forward to it," he says, before adding: "Also, it will be much cooler." Zanardi is talking about the latest installment in his racing career - the 24 Hours of Spa - where he will race a BMW Z4 GT3 alongside fellow ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock and DTM driver Bruno Spengler. For the second year, Zanardi is running with ROAL Motorsport, and the team has the full weight of BMW behind it as it prepares to go up against 57 other cars on the historic Belgian circuit this weekend. I first met Zanardi last year at Brands Hatch on a hot May afternoon after his one-hour Blancpain Sprint Series race. He was exhausted and downing can after can of cola but still happy to chat to fans as he cooled off. I ask why, if that was such a tough experience, he is prepared to do it for 24 hours. "It's a good question, why would I?" he ponders aloud before quickly adding: "I am confident I am as well-equipped as I can be to face such an enormous commitment." That confidence comes from three developments that have allowed him to be the first disabled driver to race the Spa 24H. Firstly, his athleticism; since Zanardi lost both his legs in the horrific CART accident at the Lausitzring in 2001, he has drawn admiration for his subsequent achievements as a racing driver and paracyclist; the Italian won two golds and a silver at the 2012 London Paralympics in handcycling. The man is seriously fit. The next major change is inside the Z4 cockpit, where he has worked with BMW engineers to adapt the braking system without hindering his able-bodied teammates; having two others sharing the car with him is a new challenge for both Zanardi and BMW. New controls, particularly the brake pedal, were designed with impressive results. "[The engineers] made my life easier quite dramatically via ergonomics, pushing the brake pedal and the footrest where I put my prosthetic feet to the side of the space that was available. "This makes everything better for me. The ratio of the brake pedal is changed.

BMW i3 Shadow Sport limited edition opens a moon roof on US

Here's a bit of news for a quarter-million dollars. BMW is bringing a special edition i3 called Shadow Sport to the US for the 2016 model year. That tag refers to the special-edition Bimmers that come equipped with a moon roof, which before this was unavailable in the US. But only 50 lucky folks will get them. The Shadow Sport edition comes with a few other goodies, too, including "fluid" black paint, 19-inch alloy wheels, custom-trim interior and sport-tuned suspension, though there are no changes in the electric motor or performance. That means the same single-charge range of 81 miles, the same 0-60 miles per hour acceleration time of seven seconds flat and the same top speed of 93 miles per hour. If you experience a little slower speed and a little shorter single-charge range because you're spending too much time looking out of the moon roof, that's on you. The catch is that the model won't be available for the i3 vehicles with the gas-powered range extender, i.e. the i3 REx. The Shadow Sport will also have a price of $47,400, or $5,000 more than the base model i3. BMW's Dave Buchko told AutoblogGreen that all 50 Shadow Sports have been sold, with the first 40 selling out in the first hour or so of availability. The Shadow Sport is on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. Through the first 10 months of the year, BMW sold 8,879 i3 vehicles, which was double year-earlier figures. Last month alone, though, things weren't as rosy, as October i3 sales declined 15 percent from a year earlier to 986 units. There's more information at the bottom of BMW's LA Show press release, below. BMW at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show: Making its North American Premier, BMW will showcase the all-new BMW 7 Series, all-new BMW 3 Series eDrive, all-new BMW X1 and the exclusive motorsport inspired BMW M4 GTS. BMW i will premiere BMW Laser Light, available for the first time in the US, as well as the limited edition BMW i3 Shadow Sport, featuring exclusive exterior paint color and interior design, moonroof and sport tuned suspension. Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: November 17, 2015 12:00 pm EDT /9:00 am PDT... The all-new BMW 3 Series eDrive, BMW M4 GTS, BMW X1 and the BMW 7 Series will make their North American debuts at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, BMW will feature the eDrive BMW X5 xDrive40e as well as the high-performance BMW i8, the all-electric BMW i3 and other BMW models at the BMW display.