2016 Bmw 6-series Xdrive M Sport $97k Msrp on 2040-cars

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BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range

BMW plans to significantly increase the number of electric cars in its range during the 2020s. It outlined plans to launch several battery-powered models, including M cars, and transform Mini into an EV-only brand by 2030. In the medium-term future, the firm's lineup will include electric variants of the 5 Series, the 7 Series, and the X1, though they will likely be based on the next-generation cars, not on the models currently found in showrooms. They'll join the i4 — a 3 Series-sized sedan with a fastback-like design — and the iX crossover in the lineup. BMW hopes to have at least one electric model representing it in about 90% of its current market segments by 2023, and it realistically expects that EVs will account for approximately 50% of its global sales by 2030. Beyond 2025, the Munich-based firm will align its range with a new strategy it calls Neue Klasse, a name borrowed from a series of enthusiast-friendly sedans and coupes sold during the 1960s and the 1970s; the 2002 is arguably the best-known Neue Klasse model. Fast-forward to the 2020s, and the designation will denote cars built with a new IT and software architecture, powered by new-generation electric technology, and designed to be sustainable. EVs shaped by the Neue Klasse approach to design will be positioned in many market segments, ranging from mass-produced cars (like the 1 Series hatchback sold in Europe) to high-performance M models. Most will be powered exclusively by batteries, but some will be available with a hydrogen-electric powertrain. Highly automated driving technology will be available, too, though BMW stressed its EVs will be enjoyable to drive. Crucially, the firm plans to increase its annual revenue by offering configurable and bookable features available during a car's entire life cycle; think of this system as an a la carte menu for cars. If you buy a used 2027 5 Series in 2031, for example, you'll theoretically have the ability to configure it with many of the options and features you want even if it wasn't ordered new with them. Some might even be enabled for a pre-determined amount of time. You might not need heated seats if you live in Tucson, but you might want them for a weekend if you're going skiing. What about Mini? Confirming a wave of recent rumors, BMW-owned Mini will exclusively sell electric cars in less than a decade.

BMW could expand 'i' lineup

Well, this isn't exactly a surprise. BMW CEO Harald Krueger (shown above) has hinted that the i3 electric car and the i8 plug-in supercar could soon be blessed with a bouncing brother, perhaps in the form of the oft-rumored i5. Specifically, Krueger told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (as reported by Automotive News) that there was certainly room in the middle of the i sub-brand's current two-model lineup "from the number point of view." The exec declined to offer any additional information. Unlike the i3 and i8, which are their own unique products independent of the rest of the BMW range, the i5 will allegedly be based on 5 Series sedan. It would also eschew the all-electric approach of the i3 in favor of a new and different version of the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the i8. Rather than that car's turbocharged, three-cylinder gas engine, 129-horsepower electric motor, and 357 total system hp, the rumored i5 – according to our most recent report – would be significantly more powerful. There are rumblings that the new model would have anywhere from 544 hp to 640 hp, with at least two electric motors (one on each axle, making it effectively all-wheel drive). On top of the high performance, the i5 will have no issue running on EV power. According to one report, there'd be up to 78 miles of electric range, and would run purely on electricity up to 36 miles per hour. Even then, the gas engine would only join the party when under hard throttle. What do you think? Will BMW come out with a four-door PHV that could potentially outrun the current M5? Have your say in Comments. Related Video:

Next BMW X6 to be larger, more aggressive

If the current BMW X6, introduced in 2008, is looking a bit too bland for your tastes, have no fear as the next-generation model is reportedly going to be larger and more aggressive than its predecessor.
Autocar is reporting that an insider has revealed the all-new second-generation X6 will make its world debut at the 2014 Moscow Motor Show, going on sale just after summer. More aggressive styling will help BMW distinguish its sportier X6 from BMW's more practical models, such as the X3 and X5, said the source.
The next X6 will again share platforms with the X5, but it will be stretched slightly to provide second-row passengers with more legroom. Powerplants will also likely mirror those of its mainstream cousin, including a range of turbocharged six- and eight-cylinder engines and a range-topping M model (the 2013 BMW X6 M is show above).