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In-demand BMW i8 deliveries start in June, and it's more efficient than we thought

Memo to Elon Musk: objects in the rear-view mirror may be closer than they appear. In this case, it's a couple of plug-in BMWs. And they represent the closest thing to a true competitor for Musk and the Tesla Motors electric vehicles. The German automaker re-confirmed that demand for its upcoming i8 plug-in hybrid will exceed the initial supply batch, though BMW didn't release any specific numbers, Reuters says. BMW will start production next month with deliveries commencing in June for the 362-horsepower i8. The news is consistent with a November estimate from BMW that indicated that the first year of i8s were essentially spoken for in advance. We learned in late January that the number of i3 battery-electric vehicles imported to the US won't meet demand during that vehicle's first year of sales either. Here's the thing: all these people were interested in the i8 when BMW said the car got the equivalent of 94 miles per gallon. Turns out, those calculations were a bit off. Reuters also notes that the new numbers show the i8 gets 112 MPGe. That's on the lenient European cycle, but if anyone was holding out for an i8 with triple-figure fuel economy, your time (to get on the waiting list) has come.Motley Fool proposed late last month that BMW is positioned to be Tesla's only real competition when it comes to high-performance plug-in vehicles. The reasoning was that the BMW plug-ins, like the Teslas, are being built from scratch and don't just have EV powertrains dropped into existing vehicle platforms. Whether or not the competition is truly a two-team race is something we're not sure is completely decided yet, but we know it'll be fun to watch unfold either way. Want proof? Check out Autoblog's enjoyable First Drive of the i8 here.

BMW M4 sheds some camouflage for latest test run

Last time we saw the upcoming BMW M4 out testing, it was heavily clad with camouflage and decidedly homely looking (as most early development mules are). But in this latest set of photos, the M3 coupe successor has started to come into its own skin, and we're seeing a shape more closely akin to that of a rendering we brought you a few months back.
Unsurprisingly, the M4 coupe looks very similar to the 4 Series Concept that BMW debuted at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. And while non-M version of the 4er will likely look a bit more sedate, these spy shots clearly show an aggressive front fascia, large wheels and the usual quad-exhaust rounding out the rear end.
Naturally, the M3 sedan will launch before this M4 coupe (and convertible), and powertrain details are still unclear as of this writing. We understand that the current M3's naturally aspirated V8 will be axed in favor of some sort of turbocharged six-cylinder engine, and we've heard plenty of rumors as to what, exactly, it might be, but we have yet to hear any official confirmation.

TRANSLOGIC 147: CES 2014 Autonomous Vehicles

We head back to CES in Las Vegas to check on the progress of autonomous vehicles in 2014. We go hands-free on the highway with Audi, narrowly avoid a collision with Ford and hear all about BMW's drifting driverless car. But first we take a ride on Induct's self-driving Navia shuttle.