It may start from $136,500 in the United States and €130,000 in Germany, but apparently the BMW i8 is in such high demand that the automaker has recently doubled production.
Currently, buyers of the plug-in hybrid sports car have to wait four and a half months for their vehicles to be delivered, BMW production boss Harald Krueger said at the company’s annual press conference. And that’s despite the fact that BMW has recently doubled i8 production at its plant in Leipzig, Germany, to 20 cars a day. Krueger explained the long waiting list with the fact that demand for the i8 continues to rise.
BMW sold 17,800 i3 and i8 models worldwide in 2014, 16,052 of which were i3s and 1,748 i8s. The United States accounted for more than a third of global 2014 sales, with 6,647 i vehicles sold: 6,092 i3s and 555 i8s.
Story references: Automobil Produktion
It was only a matter of time before popular blockbuster-roasting YouTube channel CinemaSins had a go once again on the Fast & Furious franchise.
It’s no secret that this hugely-successful car-related blockbuster is full of over-the-top stunts and a plot that basically is just there to justify the aforementioned stunts.
Yes, I admit it’s easy and good fun to watch, with all the unbelievable (literally) car chases, the explosions, the ridiculous villains and many more, which is probably why it became the huge franchise it is nowadays.
With the 7th instalment being currently released to the theatres worldwide, CinemaSins rip apart the 2009 “Fast & Furious”- the 4th one- in their own special, cynical way, finding everything that’s wrong with the movie.
Enjoy the video.
Did you ever imagine there would come a day for Mercedes-Benz to put its three-pointed star on a pickup truck? For the sake of the argument, let’s leave the Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 out of this, because that vehicle isn’t exactly a typical pickup truck.
Apparently, Mercedes-Benz Vans is serious about launching the world’s first premium midsize pickup truck before the end of the decade. Aimed at markets like Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe, theMercedes-Benz pickup is seen by Volker Mornhinweg, the head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, as “an ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”
“The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets. We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value,” adds Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division.
Mercedes-Benz points out that the midsize pickup segment is currently undergoing a transformation worldwide, with more and more pickups being used for private purposes. Furthermore, commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications.
This is where the Mercedes-Benz will come into play as the first midsize pickup truck from a premium carmaker. There’s no other information about the vehicle, except that it will offer a high level of utility as well as “the comfort, safety, and design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car.” The official rendering released along with the information offers a clear idea about how the Mercedes-Benz pickup could look like.
The story seems pretty real to us, but considering April Fools’ Day is just around the corner, it’s difficult not to suspect Mercedes-Benz of trying to trick us.
Note: Official Mercedes-Benz Vans sketch pictured
There’s no coupe in Skoda’s current lineup and there hasn’t been a single one in the company’s post-VW history. But the Czech brand used to sell coupes, both before and during the communist period.
Obviously, Skoda’s current positioning as a more affordable alternative to the VW brand means we won’t see a coupe made in Mlada Boleslav too soon (if ever). But for those who are curious what a Skoda coupe would look like, automotive manipulator X-Tomi provides the answer.
Using the all-new Skoda Superb as a starting point, he transformed into a coupe and the result is not half bad.
Like the Superb cabriolet we posted a week ago, this rendering has been made just for fun, but it shows the design language of the the Superb would work on a coupe body style as well. In real life, however, the only body style the Superb will get besides the sedan is the estate.
Renderings courtesy of X-Tomi Design
One of the biggest criticisms on the world’s only RWD hot-hatch was the way it looked. The M135i wasn’t the prettiest child of the Germans but BMW addressed the issue with its latest facelift.
The new M135i finally lost that awkward, sad-looking face that personally reminded me some famous egg-stealing pigs (I’m talking to you, Angry Birds fans), using the much sleeker style from its coupe-convertible sibling, the 2-Series.
The slimmer headlights are a much welcome addition to a package that on paper looks unbeatable, offering a turbocharged 322hp straight-six driving the rear wheels in a segment full of front-driven 4-cylinders.
The new BMW M135i may not be a full-fat M model but this doesn’t detract anything away from its desirability, especially now with that new, so much better face on it.
What better way to celebrate your 50 year anniversary than with two even more powerful versions of the B5 Bi-Turbo and B6-Biturbo Bimmers?
Sure, there are probably a few better ways if you want to nitpick, but if you're Alpina, then you're definitely doing yourself, your fans and your customers justice by increasing the power on two of your most popular sedans.
Both models will take on the "Edition 50" moniker and will feature a host of improvements ranging from hand-crafted sports seats, special badges and of course a revised version of their 4.4 liter V8 engine.
The Edition 50 B5 & B6 pack no fewer than 600 HP to go with a peak torque of 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) - which marks an increase of 60 HP and 70 Nm over the standard versions that Alpina normally puts out.
In terms of performance, this means a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph (328 km/h).
Alpina brand manager Matthew Stripling said that Alpina values are safe and sound with the Edition 50 models and that they "combine very high levels of long-term comfort with superb performance that is available from low engine speeds, making it effortlessly fast. Add the deep base soundtrack and the feeling of bespoke luxury, and you have a highly engaging car that offers a unique set of attributes for the discerning enthusiast."
The cars also feature the first major restyle of the Alpina Classic wheel in more than a decade. Each set of wheels now weighs 15.6 kg less when compared to the previous 20" design, which is impressive considering the fact that the width has increased to 9" in the front and 10" at the rear. They've also made side cuts in each spoke and imprinted the "Edition 50" logo on the rim.
Both the B5 & B6 Bi-Turbo will be available in Alpina Green or Alpina Blue, or in a bespoke Edition 50 Sepia created by BMW Individual. Only 50 saloons (or estates) will be made, along with 50 similar coupes, out of which only a few will make their way into the UK.
Prices start at a very steep £86,850.
Mercedes-Benz gave the M-Class or ML a cosmetic, technological and mechanical makeover and while they were at it, they changed its name to GLE to fit their new nomenclature.
While the related, but sportier-bodied GLE Coupe, competes with the BMW X6, the regular GLE will go up against the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Range Rover SUVs of this world.
On the outside and specifically up front, you'll find much of the same styling as on the GLE Coupe with Mercedes updating the former M-Class' snout with new lights (optionally with LEDs), wings, bumper, hood and grille designs. Out back, there are revised LED tail lamps, redesigned tailpipe embellishers, and a re-trimmed bumper. The different roof rails and the new alloy wheel designs round out the exterior updates.
Open up the door and the first two changes that stand out is the new steering wheel and the center console that gets Mercedes' 7.0-inch free-standing screen for the infotainment system controlled through a touch-sensitive controller. Benz says there are also new color choices including ginger beige, espresso brown, saddle brown or porcelain, along with fresh trim options.
One of the biggest changes under the hood is the introduction of the plug-in hybrid GLE 500e 4MATIC,Mercedes' first SUV of the kind. It has the same 328hp (333PS) and 354lb ft 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine and 114hp (116PS) electric motor that produce a combined 436hp (442PS) and 479lb ft or 650Nm of torque as the S500e (formerly S500 PHEV). Power is sent to all-four wheels through a 7G-tronic with the driver having the ability to change between four different modes named "Hybrid", "E-Mode", "E-Save" and "Charge".
In pure-electric "E-Mode", the GLE 500e has a driving range of around 30km (19 miles) at speeds of up to 130km/h (81mph). According to the manufacturer, the PHEV returns a combined (European) fuel economy of 3l/100km (equal to 78.4 mpg UK or 94.2 mpg US).
Other engine options include the GLE 250d with a 201hp (204PS) 2.0L four-cylinder diesel, the GLE 300d with a 255hp (258PS) V6 diesel, the GLE 400 with a 328hp (333PS) twin-turbo V6 gasoline unit, and the GLE 500 with a twin-turbo gasoline V8 producing 429hp (435PS).
At the top of the range you'll find the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8-powered GLE 63 AMG with 549hp (557PS) and GLE 63 AMG S with 577hp (585PS).
The 2016 GLE will make its first public outing at the New York Auto Show on April 1.
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