2007 Bmw X3 3.0si Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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BMW gets exemption to allow self-parking 7 Series in US [w/video]

The US-spec 2016 BMW 7 Series is gorged with enough technology for it to qualify as a finalist in our Technology of the Year award. But not all of the tricky bits found on the European-spec car are offered Stateside, like the automated Park Assistant Plus that lets a driver remotely move the car into and out of a parking space using the touchscreen keyfob. The reason is Section S5.3 of Standard No. 114 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which dictates that "the service brake... be depressed before the transmission can be shifted out of park.'" Since Park Assistant Plus is remote controlled, the brake pedal isn't pressed when the car shifts from Park into a gear. Automobile reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has conceded the law is too vague, and granted BMW's request for an exemption to bring the convenience feature to the US. NHTSA said that the point of the law was to have brake actuation during the transition from Park to a forward or reverse gear, not to insist that someone actually presses the brake pedal. BMW said it plans to bring Park Assistant Plus to the US soon, but the carmaker doesn't yet have a firm timeline for the move. To us that seems like a small yet significant victory as the marketplace fills up with cars that have abilities beyond the current laws to manage. Now if we could just get that whole FMVSS headlight issues worked out and enjoy some of that tasty Matrix and MultiBeam lighting. You can watch a video of the BMW system in action in the video below.

U.S. tariff threat hits European automakers' stocks

FRANKFURT, Germany — A U.S. warning that it may introduce tariffs on foreign auto imports hit shares in German carmakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Thursday, which together have a more than 90 percent share of North America's premium car market. Washington said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into whether car and truck imports are a national security issue due to signs they had damaged the U.S. auto industry. That could lead to new U.S. tariffs — up to 25 percent — similar to those imposed on imported steel and aluminum in March. BMW and Daimler shares fell as much as 3.1 percent in early Thursday trading, while Volkswagen's dropped as much as 2.5 percent. "(U.S. President) Donald Trump is obviously not thinking about how to prevent a trade war. Import duties on cars would be a nightmare for the German auto industry and would lead to a massive sales impact," said Thomas Altmann at Frankfurt-based asset manager QC Partners. BMW on Thursday condemned the move to consider tariffs. "The BMW Group is committed to free trade worldwide. Barrier-free access to markets is therefore a key factor not only for our business model, but also for growth welfare and employment throughout the global economy," it said. Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz cars, and Volkswagen, which makes upmarket Audis and Porsches, were not immediately available for comment. German carmakers produced 804,000 cars at local factories in the United States and exported 657,000 German-made cars into North America last year, according to German auto industry association VDA. China took pains on Thursday to welcome German firms and investments, with Premier Li Keqiang talking up relations after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. BMW and Mercedes have expanded production capacity in the United States, but BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Daimler have also invested billions to build new factories in Mexico in the hope of selling locally produced cars into the United States. German carmakers hiked vehicle production in Mexico by 46 percent to 620,000 cars last year, while production levels inside the United States fell by 6 percent to 804,000 cars because of a shift to Mexico, according to the VDA. BMW has its biggest factory worldwide in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is the largest vehicle exporter among all the carmakers in the United States measured by value of goods exported. More than 70 percent of BMW's U.S.-made cars are exported.

Consumer Reports says these are the worst new cars of 2014

Consumer Reports has announced its annual list of worst vehicles, a cringe-inducing contrast to its list of top vehicles. Ignominiously leading the way in 2014 is Chrysler, which has a staggering seven models listed.
Jeep nearly sweeps the small SUV segment by itself, with its Compass, Patriot and 2.4-liter version of the new Cherokee, while the only midsize sedans listed by CR were the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger. The new Dodge Dart and the Dodge Journey round out CR's condemnation of Chrysler.
Ford is taking heat as well, with the Taurus, Edge and their counterparts from Lincoln all listed as the worst vehicles in their respective segments. Toyota doesn't fare much better, with its Lexus IS, Scion iQ and tC also making the list.