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BMW i8 headed to Frankfurt

According to Edmunds, BMW will reveal its production i8 hybrid sports car at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The i8 is the second vehicle to come from the automaker's new "i" initiative, following the debut of the smaller i3 hatchback last month.
The BMW i8 makes its debut nearly four years after the original Vision EfficientDynamics concept bowed at the Frankfurt expo in 2009. The production car is expected to use a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that drives the rear wheels, coupled to an electric motor that drives the front wheels. Combined output is said to be something like 393 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, based on our earlier reports. The i8 is also expected to be very light, with curb weight coming in somewhere around 3,125 pounds. Finally, the i8 is said to have a pure electric range of 20 miles, and should be able to hit 62 miles per hour in just under five seconds.
Other publications had the chance to ride along in the i8 (in prototype form) and came away impressed. We're hoping we'll feel the same when the car officially goes on sale sometime in early 2014. Stay tuned for more at the i8's official unveiling in just a few weeks.

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.

BMW 1 Series Sedan is a CLA fighter only for China

Mercedes-Benz and Audi have made solid in-roads with small, entry-level sedans. But while the CLA-Class and A3 lure in a new group of consumers, BMW's most affordable vehicles in the US are the small X1 crossover and the 2 Series Coupe. And it's going to stay that way, even though BMW just introduced a new 1 Series Sedan in China. Previewed at the 2015 Guangzhou Motor Show by the Concept Compact Sedan, the four-door 1 Series is a handsome little thing, like a scaled-down 5 Series but with better proportions. But unlike the 5er, the new 1 Series is, unfortunately, front-wheel-drive. It shares its UKL platform with everything from the Mini Hardtop and Clubman to the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and X1. While that'd normally allow us to make a few safe guesses about the powertrain, the China-only nature obfuscates things – expect three- and four-cylinder gas engines, and possibly a plug-in powertrain. But since it's not coming here, we're less concerned with what will power the car. While BMW doesn't seem so keen on building an entry-level range here in the United States, the new 1 Series Sedan is the latest sign of how serious the company is taking the low end of the market in the PRC. Like a lot of cars sold in China, the new 1 is a product of the joint venture between BMW and Brilliance Automotive and is built in the PRC, alongside the 2 Series Active Tourer, X1, and 3 Series. Related Video: