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Audi tops BMW and Mercedes in luxury sales

April was a good month for Audi, as the four-ring automaker beat out both Mercedes-Benz and BMW in sales. Bloomberg reports that it was America's appetite for CUVs like the Q5 and ancient Q7 that helped Audi move nearly 153,000 units around the globe. It's not all good news, though. Audi's worldwide sales only jumped by 2.5 percent, compared to BMW and Mercedes, whose sales increased 5.6 and 11 percent, respectively. On top of that, BMW is still the best-selling brand (of the three, anyway) so far in 2015, outselling Audi by roughly 9,000 units and Mercedes by about 23,000 vehicles. Considering the faster growth of its rivals, it's unclear if Audi will be able to hang onto the monthly sales crown beyond April, or if BMW will continue its reign as the world's biggest luxury automaker.

BMW is ready for our inevitable EV future  

Is "rolling lithium" a thing, yet? Because BMW is trying to make this — the opposite of " rolling coal" — happen at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. The Bavarian vehicular group is showing five all-new electric-powered concepts or production models in L.A. These include the C-Evolution, a 99-mile range scooter from BMW Motorcycles; the 150-mile range, two-door hardtop Electric Concept from Mini; and three vehicles from its advanced i sub-brand: the i3S, a sportier and more potent version of the brand's electric commuter nodule; the i Vision Dynamics four-door coupe concept, featuring a sporty four-second 0-60 time and a professed 373 mile range; and the long-promised roadster version of the i8 supercar, with just two seats, a bikini top, and an enhanced power pack providing 18 miles of range. The unveiling of these vehicles in Los Angeles makes perfect sense to us. California is one of the world's largest markets for luxury automobiles. It is also America's biggest market for electric-powered vehicles. Studies show that the state's combination of fiscal incentives, trendsetting cultural positioning, legislative requirements and massive population contributed to the purchase of half of the country's EVs and hybrids this decade. "The customers for the brand are mainly on the West and East Coasts, and the California customer especially is interested in sustainability and environmental protection," said Robert Irlinger, head of BMW's advanced i sub-brand. The bigger question revolves around BMW's larger EV strategy. Given the current global regulatory environment, with its rightful pressures on increasing efficiency and decreasing emissions to help soothe our warming planet and save all life on it, luxury automakers seem to be making a push toward developing a range of battery-powered vehicles to be available around or after the start of the next decade. It seems BMW, with its varied subsidiaries — from lightweight scooters to ultra-luxury barges — is uniquely poised to provide an array of such vehicles. "In the first stage of i back in 2013, we brought what you could call 'bookmark' cars to the market — the i3 commuter and i8 sports car — to show the range of what an electric vehicle could be," said Irlinger. "Now, we are seeing growing interest from customers to bring electrification to the heart of the brand, even to a sport sedan like our i Vision Dynamics four-door coupe.

BMW 4 Series Convertible basks in the sun

The BMW 4 Series Convertible will show its non-camouflaged face sometime later this year, but our spies recently caught this nearly naked prototype out getting some sun. As you'll recall, the droptop 4 Series replaces the 3 Series Convertible in the BMW range, and if our recent stint behind the wheel of the new 435i Coupe is anything to go on, this topless 4er should be quite a fun runabout for sun-drenched motoring.
To no one's surprise, the 4 Series Convertible shares all of its design with the 4 Series coupe, save, of course, the obvious roofectomy. Beyond that, the topless 2+2 will use the same engines and transmissions as the coupe, meaning it should arrive in the US in both 428i and 435i guises, powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, respectively. Both six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions will be available.
The car spied this time around has the full M Sport visual treatment, with the revised (and better-looking) front fascia, larger 19-inch wheels, and attractive Melbourne Red paint. Interestingly, it appears this prototype has the standard xenon headlamp setup, rather than the full-LED option that's also available.