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BMW working on 'FAST' CUV to slot between X1 and 2 Series

Our spy shooters have caught a new FAST BMW testing that's rumored to hit the market in late 2015. Sadly, the word fast in that last sentence isn't describing the car's performance; instead it's an acronym that stands for Family Active Sports Tourer. Talk about a case of false advertising.
Despite it's speedy name, the FAST doesn't look ready to set any Nürburgring lap records. It rides on BMW's modular, front-wheel drive UKL platform that underpins the current generation Mini Cooper, upcoming 2 Series Active Tourer and next X1. According to our spies, its design is supposed to blend the looks of a wagon and a CUV on the outside with a large, useful interior. Conceivably, it could be offered with the hybrid system from the 2 Series, as well.
The new prototype definitely shares the styling of its front-wheel-drive BMW siblings. Up to the A-pillar, it looks pretty similar to what we know about the future X1. But the FAST has a more arched profile and lower ride height compared to the crossover's chunkier, more conventional design.

Mini fini: The Mini Clubman passes into British motoring history

Au revoir, Clubman. The veddy British Mini model that found a loyal following in the UK and elsewhere for more than a half-century has folded its spilt rear “barn doors” for the final time. The ultimate Clubman — assuming there wonÂ’t be another sequel, and Mini says there won't — rolled off the production line Monday at Mini Plant Oxford in England. The Mini “estate” version bows out after 17 years of build at Oxford and more than a half-million units churned out for deliveries to more than 50 countries. The heritage of the Clubman — and of most Minis — is worth recalling because the brand has spawned such affection among its fans. One has to deep-dive back to the early Sixties, when MiniÂ’s owner, British Motor Corporation (BMC), introduced two estate versions of the original Mini: the Austin Seven Countryman and Morris Mini Traveller. In 1967, the characteristics of existing Mini wagons were combined to form the first Clubman. lt was axed in 1982 — after it was once renamed as the 1000HL — and the Clubman wouldn't return until 2007, with the brand then under the auspices of BMW. Modern vehicle safety standards presented a challenge for those rear doors. “We needed to ensure that both doors would always open fully without obscuring the rear lights, which was a legal requirement,” said Guy Elliott, who was part of the development team for the doors at the time. The reborn Clubman was updated in 2015 for a second generation. It adopted Mini's signature circular daytime running lights, a feature still seen today, and ditched the unusual rear doors for a more conventional setup. Last year Mini launched the “Final Edition” of the car, with a special grille and alloys and limited it to a run of 1,969 units, paying homage to the launch year of the original. The BMW Group says it expects to invest about $750 million in the next few years in realigning the Oxford plant to accommodate assembly space for the upcoming electric Aceman crossover and new Cooper variations later this year.

BMW i3 sales rise after Germany adds plug-in vehicle subsidies

BMW's advance sales of its i3 electric vehicle have risen since Germany began offering incentives for plug-in vehicle buyers. About 1,000 of the 5,000 global orders for the updated version of the i3 were taken from Germany, says Reuters, citing the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS), which itself cited BMW sources. That sales rate for deliveries from mid-July onward marks a "many times over" increase from how the i3 had been selling. BMW representatives weren't available to comment, according to Reuters. That demand increase coincides with the German government's recent decision to collaborate with automakers by offering financial perks for plug-in vehicles. German consumers get a $4,400 break on electric vehicles and a $3,300 discount on plug-in hybrids. All told, the program will be worth about $1.4 billion, and about half of that funding will come from the German automakers themselves. That program will also fund the deployment of as many as 15,000 vehicle-recharging stations, which should further spur demand for plug-in hybrids and EVs. The ultimate goal is to speed up plug-in vehicle adoption to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2009 goal to have 1 million EVs on Germany's roads by 2020. Upon adoption of the government initiative, Germany had accounted for about 30,000 electric vehicles, implying that the country was far off the pace needed to meet Merkel's decade-end target. As for BMW, the company announced this spring that the 2017-model-year i3 will offer a 33-kWh battery. The larger pack will increase the i3's single-charge range to 114 miles from 81 miles, or a 41-percent boost. Reuters says BMW is also planning to further improve the i3's performance for 2018, while another electric vehicle is on tap for 2021. BMW also sells the super-sporty i8 plug-in hybrid under its "i" sub-brand. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 BMW i3 View 26 Photos News Source: Reuters Government/Legal Green BMW Electric PHEV