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BMW M235i Racing restores our faith in 'M'

Based on the upcoming BMW 2 Series and aimed at amateur and semi-professional racers, the 2014 BMW M235i Racing is a stripped-down, race-spec coupe ready to take on the Nürburgring in the VLN Endurance Championship race series against cars from Audi, Porsche and Toyota.
Obvious in the image above (click to enlarge), BMW has given the M235i Racing the wide-body treatment with a track that has been stretched by 3.5 inches. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder receives a power boost from a stock 322 horsepower up slightly to 333 hp, while other modifications include a full FIA roll cage, a racing fuel tank and a limited slip rear differential.
The M235i Racing replaces the M3 GT4 as BMW's factory racer, and it will be priced at 59,500 euros (close to $80,000), which is about as affordable as a factory-prepped racecar can get. The full press release is posted below, but we can't wait to see this car in action next year.

2014 BMW 4 Series

Because Four Is Greater Than Three
Say what you will about the name 4 Series, there is a method to BMW's madness. On one hand, it's easy enough to just buy into the logic that odd numbers are reserved for sedans and wagons, and that even numbers are reserved for coupes and convertibles. On the other hand, consider the idea that the higher numbers are used to separate the more dynamic, more engaging vehicles that use the same platform. It's that sort of separation that differentiates the 6 Series so nicely from its 5 Series roots, after all. And if we're being cynical, it also allows BMW to charge a bit more money for its lower-volume offerings.
So with the new two-door version of the 3 Series, BMW has gone the route of strengthening the dynamic virtues of its F30 chassis to create a car that's more removed from its sedan kin than one might think. And after spending some time with the new 4 Series on the roads around Lisbon, Portugal, as well as the famous Circuito do Estoril racetrack, it's increasingly clear that calling this car a 3 Series Coupe simply wouldn't be fair.

BMW i8 named Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year [w/video]

The winner of Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year award was given this year for not just one technology, but for how a suite of technologies worked together to make one impressive vehicle. The BMW i8 was named the winner Wednesday night at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles, just outside the Los Angeles Auto Show. Autoblog's editorial staff agreed that the i8, which drew crowds of attention during our testing days, represents a future of driving that we can't wait to see happen. "I do believe that green vehicles solve a very fundamental problem, and if a car like the i8 can get a rich man with good knees (to get in and out of the car) to drive something with a plug instead of a 12-mpg sports car, then mission accomplished," says Sebastian Blanco, editor of AutoblogGreen and one of our judges. The panel reviewed nearly 50 qualified submissions from readers, editorial staff and industry, the panel of judges named the following as finalists: Dodge's SRT Performance Pages (read more here) The Subaru Eyesight forward collision warning system (read more here) The Performance Data Recorder in the 2015 Chevy Corvette (read more here) The 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine from Ford (read more here) Chrysler's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine (read more here) Ultimately, we picked the car that excited us the most. The BMW i8 has a throaty exhaust note when accelerating. It's got carbon fiber, and a plug-in hybrid system that uses a small 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and an electric motor. It has through-the-road all-wheel drive, and in Europe it'll come with laser beams for headlights. All that, and it's a massive eye catcher. People stop and stare when they see this car, for good reason. It's simply gorgeous. For a more in-depth look at our testing of the car, click here.