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2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe images leak out

Because embargoes were apparently made to be broken, images of the 2014 BMW 4 Series coupe have leaked onto the Internet ahead of the car's official debut thanks to Car Design News' Facebook page. As you'll recall, the 4 Series is the replacement for the outgoing 3 Series coupe, its nomenclature falling in line with the rest of BMW's lineup, where coupes and convertibles will be set apart from their sedan counterparts by one number.
As we can see in the photos, the 4 Series takes a lot of its design cues from the 3 Series on which it is based, but there's a lot more in the way of attractive body sculpting, and this production model stays true to the original 4 Series Coupe Concept that we saw at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.
We don't have official details to divulge just yet, but we can discern from the photos that the range-topping coupe will be the 435i model, likely powered by BMW's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six from the 335i. There will no doubt be a 428i model with a 2.0-liter turbo-four underhood, and we expect BMW to offer its xDrive all-wheel-drive system on both models. Much like the 3 Series, a variety of trim levels will be on offer, including a top-spec M Sport trim that you can see painted in Estoril Blue here.

BMW i8 now has 10-month waiting list in UK

Reports that the BMW i8 would be a popular plug-in vehicle have been circulating since stories claiming 'sold out' status circulated late last year. Those turned out not to be entirely true, but now that deliveries have actually started, the $160,000 EV is proving to be only available to the patient in posh English shops. The Telegraph reports that there is a 10-month waiting period for the i8 in the UK, where one dealer (Park Lane in London's Mayfair) has managed to convince 170 people to place an order. Well, maybe convince isn't the right word. The store's sales manager told The Telegraph, "We've had numerous people asking to buy the display car. Many have said to me: name your price." Many locals want the car to avoid paying the expensive London congestion charge. The i8 uses a turbocharged 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine and a 96-kilowatt electric motor to move from 9 to 60 miles per hour in only 4.2 seconds. The plug-in powertrain is good for 357 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The plugged portion gives the i8 an EV range of up to 22 miles. The first i8 in the US is going to be auctioned off at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Weekend next weekend.

BMW bringing 9 Series concept to Beijing

It appears that BMW is ready to take another step upmarket with a new concept flagship luxury sedan at the Beijing Motor Show at the end of April. The showcar is said to preview the company's rumored 9 Series, a sedan that would be positioned against top trims of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, like the rumored S600 Maybach.
According to Automotive News Europe, the concept sedan wears styling language adapted from the curvaceous BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe (pictured above) shown at the 2013 Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance in May. It rides on BMW's new, modular platform - codenamed G11 - for the company's largest cars, an architecture also expected to be shared with the next 7 Series and future Rolls-Royce vehicles. It's rumored to bring the weight of the 7 closer to the 5 Series, which would be several hundred pounds lighter when comparing the base models of both current vehicles. We spotted the next-gen 7 Series testing over a year ago, and both it and the 9 Series are expected to go on sale in 2016.
Unfortunately, at the moment there is no official information about the concept. "We don't have any official news yet on anything in Beijing," Julian Arguelles, BMW USA spokesperson, tells Autoblog. However, it's heartening to think that BMW might be adapting the gorgeous shape of the Gran Lusso for production.