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What's up with this thought-controlled BMW i3?

Autonomous driving? A car being controlled by just verbal commands? One pilot program is going way beyond that this year with a car that can theoretically be mind-controlled. UK-based insurance-services company MoneySuperMarket is promoting something called "Epic Mind Drive." The project involves a BMW i3 electric vehicle (nice and futuristic) being rigged up with an autonomous driving system. Only instead of the system watching the road, it involves a person sitting in a seat outside of the car with an electroencephalography (EEG) neuro headset connected to the vehicle. In fact, that headset records brain activity and translates it into instructions. Those instructions are converted to radio frequency that's sent to the car to instruct it to perform various speed and turning duties. Apparently, yes, the car will be mind-controlled. Somehow. If this were intended for real-world use, it would go far beyond the autonomous-driving programs that have been in the works for the past couple of years. Nissan has been real active in that area, with chief Carlos Ghosn saying earlier this year that a "hands-free" car for heavy stop-and-go traffic may be available within the next couple of years. And last year, Google unveiled its autonomous car prototype (though it wasn't nearly as cool-looking as the Bimmer i3) while Tesla Motors has been making noise in that area as well. Besides the i3, MoneySuperMarket has developed the Epic Mind Drive mobile game that uses face-tracking technology to control a car on the screen. The idea with these two whiz-bang ideas is to get drivers to realize that they should think as they drive, it seems. As for the telepathic i3, we're as interested in details as the next website, so we checked out the two videos that are supposed to hype the project. While there is some groovy jazzy-electro music involved, the details of how this works are pretty much nonexistent (16 sensors, think to turn the wheel, and that's about it), so we look forward to hearing more about the project once it's underway. You can check out the videos above and below. News Source: Daily Mail, MoneySuperMarket Green BMW mind control

Frankfurt Motor Show Notes: Why Jaguar decided to build an SUV

It was inevitable. Jaguar had to make an SUV, and that notion became reality this week with the debut of the F-Pace, an all-wheel-drive five-seater that will launch in the United States next spring. Some purists may cringe. But in an era when Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and other traditional luxury brands are all building or (planning to build) SUVs, Jaguar had to evolve. While it seems like a leap for Jaguar to make an SUV, longtime design director Ian Callum said it's been in the works for years. "The first time I was asked the question was when I arrived 16 years ago," he said. So in 1999 (and probably well before that), Jaguar was already thinking SUV. What took so long? "It wasn't a priority," Callum said. Jaguar was concentrating on fixing its existing lineup, which was pockmarked with holes and poorly selling products, like the X-Type. Along the way, Jaguar and sister brand Land Rover were sold by Ford to Indian conglomerate Tata Motors. Flash forward several years, and Jaguar and Land Rover are both experiencing a resurgence in the United States and around the world. Jaguar's lineup is flush with the E-Type's modern successor, the F-Type, plus a new version of the XF. The XJ received a 2016 freshening, and the smaller XE sedan is on the way. Jaguar put its house in order as other factors conspired to make a crossover timely. Fuel prices stayed relatively low, and consumers in the US and China remained steadfast in their love for utility vehicles of all stripes. Making a Jaguar SUV became a priority. "The world was telling us in no uncertain terms this is what they wanted," Callum said. "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." Jaguar proved its intent two years ago when it revealed the C-X17 crossover concept at Frankfurt, and the final production model is close to the prototype's striking looks. "I thought we managed to maintain that spirit," Callum said. It's a true Jaguar, with cues from the F-Type, 1968 XJ, and other famous models. Who would have thought Jaguar would make an SUV? "I certainly didn't," Callum admitted. But the F-Pace is here. If Callum is okay with it, purists can be, too. Quick Hits Opel retrenches for 2016 and beyond Opel used the Frankfurt show to display its new generation of the Astra, a critical vehicle line for the German division of General Motors.

Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria