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Auto blog

2015 BMW i8 Beauty-Roll

For those of you paying attention, we've really ramped up the old Autoblog video game these days. Our new series Car Club USA joins Translogic and The List, and there are more Daily Drivers and Short Cuts than ever. But sometimes, all you care about is the car. The Autoblog Beauty-Roll video series has one goal: bring you glossy video images of cars, and nothing but. We're collecting moving pictures of all the cars we test, inside and out. Each episode comes with a hit of engine sound – start-up and with a few revs – to round out the package. Set your resolution to max, kick it into full-screen, turn up the sound, and enjoy today's subject, the 2015 BMW i8. Oh, and if you'd like more Beauty-Roll, click here to see the back catalog.

BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra replacement spied in the snow

The new BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra will be the fruit of a marriage of convenience, born from the former's chassis and powertrain expertise and the latter's giant coffers full of money. The final product, spied testing in frigid temperatures in parts unknown, will have specific bodies depending on which brand it carries, so it won't be a simple rebadging exercise. This mule sports a softtop, rather than a retractable hardtop like the existing Z4. Whether this represents a final decision about what type of roof will be fitted to the production model is unclear. What we have heard, repeatedly, is that the chassis and the entire driveline will be pure BMW for both models, and that the main difference will be brand-specific sheetmetal. There are even rumors that an all-wheel-drive version will be available, or that the model will be available as a hybrid using Toyota's expertise in that arena. It's been a long wait since the memorandum of understanding that lead to the mule you see above was signed in 2012, and we had expected an announcement that the roadster would go into production by the end of 2015, but that time has come and gone. Perhaps we'll find out more at one of the upcoming auto shows. Geneva is coming up in March, after all.

AWD BMW M5 is headed our way

Remember the rumor about the BMW M5 going all-wheel drive? Well, there's definitely some truth there because these spy shots show BMW testing the Autobahn-storming sedan with the ability to spin the front and rear wheels. Our spy shooters grew suspicious when they saw this seemingly normal-looking M5 appearing to turn all four wheels during ice testing. They checked it out and snapped these shots underneath clearly showing power routed to the front axle. While this shows that the tech is at least being tested on a current-gen M5, all-wheel drive is probably not coming until the next 5 Series model, which is already being evaluated. The idea of power going to the front and rear axles for this sport sedan might polarize some hardcore brand fans as a break with tradition. However, the head of the M division thinks the change is a priority to actually put torque down effectively. The future vehicle is slated to get at least 600 horsepower and pack it into a lighter platform. Rear-drive M5 purists can take heart, though. The all-wheel-drive system would reportedly be an option, and it would be rear-biased to still let drivers hang the tail out, if the desire arises.