Awd Auto Nav M Sport Prem & Tech Pkg Htd Seats Repairable Rebuildable Lot Drives on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 gets Super Bowl bump; CA funds EV readiness

Super Bowl ads sparked interest in the BMW i3 for car shoppers at Edmunds. Analysts at the automotive website reported that traffic increased for the BMW i3 by 583 percent by the end of Super Bowl XLIX, second only to the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT (up a whopping 2,189 percent). Having aired its ad in the first half of the game, the BMW i3's traffic increased 1,807 percent during halftime, while the BMW i8 saw a 501-percent spike during the same period. Read more in the press release below. Mahindra is making progress with the GenZe electric scooter and electric bicycles in Portland, Oregon. While no official launch date for the GenZe has been set for Portland, Mahindra is holding events and offering test drives. The GenZe 2.0 will start at $2,999, and offers over 30 miles of range per charge. Mahindra sees Portland as a good resource for technology and design partners as it pursues electric urban mobility. Read more in the interview with Mahindra's Yesim Erez at Portland Business Journal. The California Energy Commission will award nearly $1.3 million in Zero Emission Vehicle Readiness grants. The grants will go toward three categories: Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan Implementation, PEV Readiness Plan Development and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Readiness. The funds will go towards projects like installation of EV chargers, permitting and inspections, developing local codes, EV promotion and creating hydrogen infrastructure plans. Each grant awarded will be worth between $50,000 and $300,000. Read more at Green Car Congress. Super Bowl Advertisers Mercedes-Benz and BMW See Biggest Increases in Car Shopper Interest on Edmunds.com SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz and BMW saw the most significant spikes in traffic on Edmunds.com after their ads ran during Super Bowl XLIX, according to a real-time analysis by the car shopping website. By the end of the game, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT had the biggest cumulative spike in traffic, with a 2189% jump over previous Sunday averages on Edmunds.com. The BMW i3 captured the second most buzz on Edmunds.com; its cumulative traffic climbed 583%. "Even though these two advertised vehicles are likely to be sold in small volume to niche audiences, the BMW and Mercedes brands will enjoy the overall buzz they have generated, especially as both continue their efforts to grow their overall reach into new car shopper segments," said Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell.

BMW denies collaborating on Apple Car

BMW and Apple already have a few possible partnerships coming in the future. For example, the Bavarian brand is likely using CarPlay at some point, and there may be an Apple Watch app for the i3 and i8 eventually, too. However, there is absolutely no plan for the German company to collaborate on the oft-rumored Apple car, the automaker says. The rumor of this shared development first cropped up in the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, according to Reuters. The report claimed that the Apple cars could be sold from Apple Stores but serviced at BMW dealers. "We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles. Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions," said a BMW spokesperson responding to the allegations to Reuters. The Apple car has been a scorching hot topic as of late. The tech giant reportedly has assigned around 200 people to the project, including former employees from Tesla and A123 Systems. The EV model could be ready as soon as 2020, according to some stories. This latest collaboration rumor seems especially dubious when you consider BMW's investments to develop the i3 and i8, though. With more models possibly on the way, it doesn't seem to make much sense to take on a development partner so late in the game. Last year, there were similar stories about a deal between the automaker and Tesla, which were also dismissed.

Totally uncovered BMW M3 caught by helmet cam

Sure, we've seen - and even ridden in - the 2015 BMW M3 before, but always under the cover of camouflage. Proving that it's always nice to be in the right place at the right time, a motorcyclist managed to capture a completely undisguised 2015 M3 (codenamed F80) on video during a closed-road photo shoot.
Road & Track has the helmet cam video, which shows the bright blue M3 doing a three-point turn as it follows a camera car possibly for an upcoming commercial or launch video. While the images are grainy, we do get to see some of the styling details for the next-gen M3. Aside from the extra set of doors, this M3 looks a lot like the Concept M4 Coupe we met a few months ago, including the bulging hood, oddly shaped door mirrors and the wide, vented front fenders. The aggressive fascia, big wheels/low-profile tires and quad exhaust outlets all but confirm this is the production M3 we'll be seeing at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months.
We've put together a gallery using screen shots from the video, but check out the video posted below to see the new M3 in motion.