1995 Bmw M3 Lightweight Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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BMW i5, i7 rumors surface again

When we first wrote about a rumored BMW i5 in January 2014, after speaking to the Munich-based head of electric vehicle operations and strategy, BMW USA wrote to tell us that the "suggestion of a BMW i model larger than the i3 is hypothetical at this point." After that note came a year of speculation from places like Car and Driver, Automobile and Autocar zeroing in on what this "hypothetical" EV would look like. Car has this year's first scoop, laying out a few more of the ideas behind the expansion of the i line. Said to be aimed straight at the Tesla Model S, it is based on the long-wheelbase, Chinese-market 5 Series but will be badged as either an i5 or an i7. Expected to arrive in time for the 2018 model year to join the next-generation 5 Series, it will be priced to compete with the Model S, but loading up on options can push that beyond $125,000, according to Car. Outside will be a sedan body, possibly with cues from the 6 Series Gran Coupe and the next 7 Series. The internals will be a mix of components like steering, brakes, and suspension from the next ICE 5 Series, with a plug-in hybrid, battery-extending powertrain derived from the i8. Car's info suggests a four-cylinder motor with around 245 horsepower up front, with a 204-hp e-motor also up front and a 90-hp e-motor in the back, as opposed to the i8's single motor. That arrangement provides about 544 total horsepower and will allow the sedan to run in purely electric front- or rear-wheel drive, or as a petrol-electric all-wheel drive. Electric range should be around 80 miles, and the ICE will be limited to operation above 40 miles per hour. There's reason to start putting weight behind these specs because they repeat, almost exactly, those written in the Automobile piece from December. That story said BMW wants to build 30,000 of them per year, and a concept could come in 2017. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos News Source: CarImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Rumormill BMW Hybrid Sedan bmw i bmw i5

BMW reveals new X5 Security Plus in Moscow

A major player in the Russian market, BMW is heading to the Moscow Motor Show this month with a slew of local debuts... most of which we've already seen. But among all the new models making the trek from Bavaria to Moscow will be the new X5 Security Plus.
In a new-model launch that will surprise exactly no one, BMW's latest armored vehicle upgrades the X5 with enhanced protection for oligarchs against Chechen rebels, AK47-touting gangsters and missiles randomly falling on Crimean highways. Now meeting the VR6 standard of ballistic protection, the new X5 Security Plus incorporates reinforced bodywork, seats and joints, along with bulletproof glass.
Of course all that reinforcement (not to mention the jars of beluga caviar and bottles of Stoli in the glovebox) will come with a weight penalty, but the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 ought to do the trick, driving 450 horsepower through BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system to get the vehicle's occupants out of a war zone in a hurry.

Zombie cars: A dozen discontinued vehicles people still buy new

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.