2009 Bmw Z4 Sdrive30i Convertible 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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BMW i1 EV rumored, based on electric Mini

With just two BMW i cars currently available — and aging — we've been hankering to know what new EVs are coming down the pipeline for the Bavarian automaker. We've had news of the iNext and i4, caught wind of an iX3, and as BMW is in the early stages of a large electrification push, there has been a multitude of "i"-prefaced trademarks registered. The next we can expect, if the rumors from Spanish outlet Motor.es are to be believed, will be a diminutive i1 EV, based on the same platform as an upcoming electric Mini Cooper. As such, it would share the electric Mini's front-drive/front-motor configuration — previewed on the Mini Electric Concept, shown above, that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. It stands to reason that the i1 would be smaller than the high-roofed i3, possibly borrowing the five-door hatchback format from the 1 Series sold in Europe (which would be a long-awaited dream come true if it made its way to the United States). The electric car would be about a foot shorter than the 1 series, though, according to the report, at about 158 inches long. It would be built on an electric version of BMW modular UKL platform. Keep in mind, the BMW i1 is just a rumor at this point, with Motor.es keeping its sources unnamed. If true, though, it could replace the i3 in BMW's lineup five years from now, in 2023. Related Video: News Source: Motor.es via Motor1 Green Rumormill BMW MINI Hatchback Electric Future Vehicles bmw i mini ev mini cooper ev

Car subscription services: A slow, expensive start — but the potential is huge

Americans are used to paying for subscriptions — to magazines and cable television, for instance — but experience shows they'll cancel when the price of admission gets too high, or there are more tempting alternatives. Cord cutters ditched nearly 1.5 million pay-TV subscriptions in 2017, according to a survey by Leichtman Research Group. Cable TV started out cheap with basic offerings, and then got expensive. The auto industry's subscription offerings are new, but they're starting out costly, and not price-competitive with traditional leasing. The upside is that they take the hassle out of car ownership for busy people by letting the service take care of maintenance, insurance, licensing and taxes. And they give consumers choice, often allowing relatively painless switches between different cars in the automakers' lineup. Subscription services also point the way toward an ownership-free auto experience, and offer an easy transition to a potential world where ride- and car-sharing will be dominant. Subscriptions are here to stay, but consumers may take a while to "get" them. Lincoln's subscription service for lightly used 2015 to 2017 models, offered through the Ford-owned Canvas beginning this year, got off to a slow start. Many early subscribers canceled. Last month, Cadillac announced it would " temporarily pause" its $1,800-per-month Book subscription service for "adjustments" as of December 1. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Snags with the back-end technology used to support the service made some customer-service functions tedious and time-consuming, adding costs for the company." The challenge for automakers is to come up with a strategy that offers consumers a compelling, affordable option to regular ownership, and one that can also make a profit. I think they'll find that sweet spot, but they're not there yet. Jack Nerad, former executive editorial director at Kelley Blue Book and author of " The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying or Leasing a Car," points out that "A lot of people expected that subscriptions would be very valuable for people who wanted inexpensive transportation, but the reality is quite the opposite. Subscriptions are offering more choices for the wealthy.

These BMW M6 GTLM racing liveries are great

This weekend we'll see a whole new crop of racing machinery line up for the start of the 24 Hours of Daytona, including the new BMW M6 GTLM. So far we've only seen it in flat black, but now the Bavarian automaker has revealed two special liveries for the two cars it will be fielding in the race this weekend. The number 25 car features a throwback livery that reinterprets BMW's classic racing stripes of red, dark blue, and light blue over white bodywork. It's designed to be reminiscent of – and even features images of – legendary racing machinery from the Roundel marque's history. Those include the 3.0 CSL that wore the same number when it took the company's first win in the US at Sebring in 1975, the M1 sports car from the early 1980s, the V12 LMR that scored BMW's only Le Mans victory to date in 1999, and the M3 GT that dominated the American Le Mans Series in 2011. The second car features a more futuristic livery, wearing the number 100 to mark the automaker's centenary and a multicolor lattice design applied with a luminescent 3D-effect reflective vinyl on a white body. They'll both be fielded by BMW Team RLL, a partnership between the manufacturer and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (of Indy fame), which took a class win at Laguna Seca last year. The new M6 GTLM replaces the previous Z4 GTLM and will proliferate across racing grids in motorsport series around the world following its race debut this weekend. But it won't be the only new piece of racing kit turning a wheel in anger for the first time at Daytona; the new Ford GT and Ferrari 488 GTE will be competing in the GT Le Mans class alongside proven competition machinery. BMW Team RLL reveals 100th anniversary livery for the BMW M6 GTLM race cars in Daytona. Daytona (US), 27th January 2016. BMW Team RLL today revealed two commemorative 100th anniversary liveries for the new BMW M6 GTLM race cars, with which Bobby Rahal's (US) team will compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona (US). The race forms the first round of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). The number 25 car sports a look reminiscent of the iconic BMW 3.0 CSL, which contested its first season of racing in North America back in 1975 and claimed the first victory in Daytona 40 years ago. The second BMW M6 GTLM will race with the number 100. To mark BMW's 100th anniversary this year, its livery looks to the future.