Enter the BMW i3 Coupe – an eco-friendly little tech-friendly amalgamation of excellence inside and out, and one that’s essentially just been revealed this week. As we spoke about just yesterday, this machine brings on an inter-car communications system, smartphone connectivity, and of course, a 170HP electric motor slice with lithium-ion batteries inside. It’s all topped off by a hardcore lighter yet stronger than steel CFRP (carbon reinforced plastic) passenger cell.
This week we’re having a peek at several conceptual and near-market vehicles at the LA Auto Show 2012, today’s gems being a couple of BMW concept cars, one of them the most recent iteration of the BMW i8 Spyder Concept in its near-final-form. This vehicle is a plug-in hybrid machine able to reach 20 miles using only electricity, and with an amazing looking body and current real-world statistics and specifications in-tact, this machine looks just about as road-ready as we’d like – for now though, it’s still only a dream.
BMW has taken the wraps off of its latest eco-friendly car design, the BMW i3 Concept Coupe, with an innovative carbon fiber cabin, clever inter-car communications system, and smartphone connectivity. Debuted at the LA Auto Show this week, the i3 Concept Coupe follows BMW's LifeDrive ethos, packaging a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell - lighter than steel, but stronger - on top of a 170HP electric motor slice with li-ion batteries.
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BMW doesn’t believe that crossover need mean compromise, and the BMW X1 is the “premium compact” it intends to prove that with. Headed to the US for the first time this month, the smallest of BMW’s X-model SUVs has already carved itself a niche in Europe. Can BMW light a fire underneath the crossover segment, and deliver a small SUV that delivers both an elevated driving position and the sort of driving dynamics the German marque is known for?
BMW is experimenting with infrared heating systems for future cars, warming occupants in a more fuel-efficient and precise manner, and thus potentially extending the range of hybrids and EVs. The system, outlined during a BMW "innovation day," bypasses traditional warm-air vents in favor of infrared heating surfaces that warm passengers directly. There'd be no more sitting shivering until the car warmed up in the depths of winter, either, with BMW claiming that the system can have you toasty in just 60 seconds.
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BMW has revealed its latest electric vehicle, but unlike the i-Series cars the new C evolution bike is somewhat less glamorous and likely to be a whole lot more affordable. Part of BMW's Motorrad group, the BMW C evolution uses a 11 kW electric drive for a top speed 120 kph and a range of 100 km from an 8 kWh battery. Unlike electric city cars, however, BMW believes the C evolution bike is perfectly suited to motorway driving as well.
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This week if you're anywhere near the greater London area you're going to want to head on down to BMW's brand new Flagship i Store. This lovely viewing room of a store contains nothing less than the i3 city car and the i8 hybrid grand tourer as well. Though the i3 isn't due to come out until next year and the i4 wont be available until 2014, BMW is using the massive opportunity that is the 2012 Summer Olympics to gain massive views on their next-level wares through the next few weeks at least.
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Airport terminals can be soul-destroying places at the best of times, with little to distract you as wait for your connection, so we can only hope we end up killing time at Singapore Airport's Terminal 1 on our next trip. The refurbished terminal has a new "kinetic sculpture" called Kinetic Rain by ART+COM, consisting of 1,216 individually controlled copper droplets that can be moved to create ephemeral shapes, waves and more.
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Is there some kind of application that won’t feature Nuance’s Dragon voice recognition in the future? The company has announced a partnership with BMW that will see its Dragon Drive! Messaging service used in the 2012 BMW 7 Series, BMW 3 Series Touring, and BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid. The 2012 BMW 7 Series will be the first car to feature the Messaging feature when it hits the market this month.
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BMW and Toyota have inked an extension to their collaboration agreement, working together on fuel cells, electric powertrains, lightweight components and, most excitingly, "a future sports vehicle." The new memorandum of understanding (MoU) will see the German and Japanese companies team up for "long-term strategic collaboration" with BMW bringing its sportscar prowess and Toyota its green technologies expertise to the table.
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Verizon is hoping to get your next car online, launching the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars to push LTE integration - along with the cloud, mobile content and more - into dashboards. A partnership with BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota, along with links to MIT, the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars "will collaborate and explore ways to deliver connectivity to vehicles of all types, by leveraging open standards and discussing ways to accelerate development of the 4G LTE ecosystem across automotive OEMs, suppliers, device manufacturers, application developers and content publishers."
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The latest entry in BMW's line-up of hybrid vehicles has arrived. The automaker has lifted the veil off the ActiveHybrid 7 as part of a larger unveiling of the entire new 7 Series product line. The ActiveHybrid 7 is noteworthy out of the pack, though, because of its attempts to make the hybrid cool again. With a 55-horsepower synchronous electric motor and hybrid-spec 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, it might do the trick.
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