2003 Bmw X5 4.4i Sport Utility 4-door 4.4l on 2040-cars

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BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coup'e concept echoes 8 Series

BMW and Pininfarina are planning to debut a new concept at the 2013 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. The Gran Lusso Coupé is designed to be the next logical step forward from the Zagato Coupé, and the one-off creation boasts plenty of BMW earmarks to set the car off as a true member of the German automaker's family. With a long wheel base and a stretched nose, the two door can't help but channel the long-dead BMW 8 Series, and the potent V12 under the hood only reinforces the link.
BMW has been kind enough to slip the world a few teasers, and the images show what looks like it could be the low-slung grand tourer of our dreams. Check out the full press release below for more information, and stay tuned for the full unveiling.

10 automakers shack up in Detroit hotel to talk Takata airbags

Since Takata has decided not to take the lead concerning potential issues with its airbag inflators, the automakers have. Perhaps that's unsurprising, since it's the automakers, not Takata, that will take a beating on the dealership floor if consumers decide its models are a health hazards. The Detroit News reports that Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru met in a hotel conference room near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week to sort out a way to understand the technical issues involved. So far, faulty airbag inflators have been ruled the cause of five deaths and 50 injuries around the world, but neither Takata nor investigators understands exactly why the inflators are malfunctioning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently asked Takata to issue a national recall, Takata declined, citing a minuscule failure rate and the fact that it's still investigating the issue. Toyota and Honda then made an industry-wide appeal for "a coordinated, comprehensive testing program" that would pinpoint the problem inflators and get them replaced, and that's what the Detroit meeting was about. Numerous issues, however, will make this a long row to hoe: simply getting the parts to replace the nearly 20 million inflators in cars recalled around the world so far - even working with other suppliers - will take a years, but more importantly, no one knows if the replacement inflators currently being installed will suffer the same issue. Answers will hopefully come quickly with Takata, the ten automakers and NHTSA all independently investigating the problem.

2016 Technology of the Year Finalist: 2016 BMW 7 Series

BMW remade the legendary 7 Series around technology for 2016. Yes, the sixth generation of BMW's iconic flagship remains a luxury leader, but its sophisticated new features expand the 7's traditional strengths to a new generation that relies on smartphones. The 7 Series' extensive tech is most evident inside, where the driver and passengers have new interactions with the car. A feature called gesture control allows the driver to turn up the volume, accept or decline phone calls, or turn off the home screen using hand movements (see the video below). The sedan also has a digital instrument cluster, LCD touchscreen keyfob, wireless charging feature for phones, and a pinch-to-zoom function that makes iDrive simpler to use. Life is especially good in the backseat, where a seven-inch Touch Command Tablet allows the passenger to control comfort, lighting, and infotainment tasks. There's also WiFi, a gorgeous panoramic Sky Lounge LED roof, and 10-inch screens mounted into the seatbacks. Creature comforts and connectivity aside, BMW literally redid the 7 Series to the core. The new body structure, called Carbon Core, helps the sedan cut weight by up to 190 pounds compared with its predecessor while improving stiffness and rigidity. Meanwhile, the big sedan now offers four-wheel steering, improved aerodynamics, and it will get a plug-in hybrid version next year. It's still a 7 Series, and that means it has all of the luxury can you imagine. The car will massage you, perfume the air, and ionize the cabin. Naturally, it has a potent twin-turbo V8 pushing out 445 horsepower. This is what you've come to expect from BMW. But with the new 7 Series, the venerable automaker moves toward the modern tech-savvy consumer, and that's why Bavaria's most decadent sedan is a finalist for our Technology of the Year award.