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Chevy Bolt wins 2017 Green Car of the Year

We knew that a plug-in vehicle was going to win the 2017 Green Car of the Year award this year, given that all five finalists have a way to charge up. And when Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, announced the winner – the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV – he said that the car itself represents one of those times in the auto industry when everything is about to change. Similar to the invention of the starter motor, things are about to get different. For now, though, the fact that the Bolt EV won an award sounds like the same old thing all over again. Just this week, it was named Motor Trends Car of the Year and to the Car And Driver Top 10 list. The other four finalists for Green Car of the Year included the Toyota Prius Prime, the Chrysler Pacifica, the Kia Optima (including hybrid and plug-in hybrid models) and the BMW 330e iPerformance. Last year, the winner was the 2016 Chevy Volt. Did Green Car Journal make the right selection this year? See the award ceremony below.

BMW X4 tunes up its crossover game in Germany

Except for the fancy wheels and the overly expressive fascias, the production version of the BMW X4 looks like it will carry over practically untouched from what we saw in the X4 Concept several months back. With the same fastback roofline as the concept, these spy shots show that the X4 is taking shape to be a baby version of the BMW X6.
Sharing the same platform as the X3, the lower and wider X4 will be positioned slightly more upmarket - as is the case with the X5 and X6. We hear that this could mean that the X4 will ditch the X3's base engine to give an even sportier feel right out of the gate, but word has it that an M version will being showing up down the road as well.
BMW has already revealed what it plans to show off at the Frankfurt Motor Show (i3, 4 Series Coupe, next-gen X5, refreshed 5 Series, X5 Concept eDrive plug-in hybrid and Concept Active Tourer Outdoor), so barring any surprised we definitely won't be seeing the X4 there. At this point, with as close to production as these images would have us believe, our best guess would be that we'll see the X4's official unveiling happen either at LA or Detroit.

Alpina introduces new B5 Biturbo with 600 horsepower

If the BMW M5 is not enough for you, Alpina created the new B5 Biturbo. Where the factory M5 packs 560 horsepower, the B5 has 600. But even more impressive is the B5 Biturbo bests the M5's 500 pound-feet of torque with 590 of its own. That beats the 15-hp boost from the M5's Competition Package and matches the power of the limited 30 Yahre edition - but with more torque. All that muscle and twist is produced by Alpina's own version of BMW's 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission instead of a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The result is a 0-62 time quoted at 4.2 seconds, besting the M5 by a tenth. The top speed is also unlocked from 155 miles per hour to 204 – which may be entirely hypothetical for most of us, but could make all the difference for those who regularly commute along the Autobahn. Of course Alpina didn't tinker with the engine and leave it at that. It also customized the suspension, rolling stock, aero kit, and interior, and fitted a mechanical limited-slip differential built by Drexler Motor Sport. But perhaps the best part of all is that the Alpina B5 is also available as a wagon. That makes this modified Bimmer one of the best have-your-cake/eat-it-too propositions we could ever ask for. Featured Gallery 2016 BMW Alpina B5 Biturbo News Source: Alpina Aftermarket BMW Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan alpina alpina b5 biturbo