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2014 BMW X5 doesn't upset the formula

BMW has unveiled the 2014 X5, and fans of the company's CUV will find plenty familiar in the machine. The biggest change to the recipe comes in the form of the X5 sDrive35i, which is the first rear-wheel drive version of the high-riding five-door to date. Buyers will, of course, continue to be able to opt for all-wheel drive, and both models will get their thrust from a 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. That powerplant makes 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW says the combination is good enough to get the SUV to 60 miles per hour in around 6.2 seconds.
Those who require more thrust can step up to the more potent X5 xDrive50i with its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine. Drivers get to enjoy an extra 45 hp over the previous model, with final output up to 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic of its own, the engine can hustle the big X5 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
The 2014 BMW xDrive35d continues to offer diesel power, though output has dropped 10 horsepower to 255 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. Even so, BMW says the X5 diesel will be just as quick or quicker than the 2013 model. You can check out the full press release below for more information.

Pininfarina Battista hypercar's output specified at 1,873 horsepower

Even in a galaxy far, far away, the Pininfarina Battista would stand out. After a delay of about three years, the official specifications of the all-electric hypercar have been revealed: Full power is rated at 1,873 horsepower, outputting 1,697 foot-pounds of torque. Sixty-two miles per hour arrives in 1.86 seconds, with 124 mph coming in 4.75 seconds. 217 mph is the estimated top speed. (The Rimac Nevera recently hit 258.) The 120kWh battery pack should enable a range of about 280 miles from a single charge. A pair of electric motors are mounted to each axle, each motor powering a specific wheel and giving the Battista full torque vectoring capability. Pricing — and this is one of those cars that, if one has to ask, just move on — is about $2.2 million, which places it in the territory of the Bugatti Chiron. For those customers considering an upsell, a limited “anniversario” edition will comprise five of the expected 150-unit build run. It differs from the standard version by some cosmetic alterations, which lifts the price by some $70,000-plus. 0r you could buy a BMW M3 as a chase car. The two-seater Battista is named for Battista “Pinin” Farina, who founded Carrozzeria Pininfarina in 1930. A lot of its battery, carbon-fiber chassis and motor components come from Rimac, the nascent Croatian electric supercar maker that recently paired with Porsche to take over Bugatti.  Many more details about the carÂ’s development, several photos and our driving impressions can be found in this Autoblog post from August.   Auto News By the Numbers Green BMW Bugatti Green Automakers Green Driving Coupe Performance Supercars Pininfarina Battista

2015 BMW X4 xDrive28i

When BMW unveiled the X6 back in 2008, critical reviews were mixed, to say the least. By all accounts, the heavyweight crossover actually drove quite well, but the idea of a BMW X5 that traded a lot of functionality for polarizing looks and a higher price tag seemed like a tough sell. Then it went on sale and quickly proved to be a cash cow. Today, the German brand has moved over a quarter million of the things worldwide. Unsurprisingly, this success has moved BMW to double down on its so-called Sport Activity Coupe by adding a smaller variant. The all-new X4, while not a bad steer in and of itself, makes even less sense than its big brother, particularly when viewed alongside BMW's other offerings. Like the X6 and X5, the X4 borrows heavily from another of the brand's utility vehicles, in this case, the less-costly X3. Also like the X6, this new crossover-coupe's styling is sure to cause a schism among critics and consumers alike. You can probably guess where the majority of the Autoblog camp falls. To be totally frank, the exterior of the X4 is simply ghastly to this writer, particularly in this tester's eye-catching paint. Admittedly – and much like the X6 – there's not much objectionable from the A-pillar forward, where the X4 has a lot in common with the X3. It's only once moving towards the rear that things well and truly go wrong. There's just so much visual mass, and it's been made worse by the way BMW designers wussed out. Bear with me. Compare the profile of the X6 with the X4, and pay particular attention to the roofline on the bigger vehicle. The angle of the roofline is noticeably more dramatic on the X6, which comes at the expense of second-row headroom (an oft-criticized area for the big boy). For the X4, designers tried to have their cake and eat it too, maintaining second-row headroom but with a coupe-like profile. The result is an X4 that is bulbous and uncouth from the B-pillar back, more hunchbacked Gran Turismo than svelte Gran Coupe. BMW might have been better served if its exterior work had followed the stylings of the cabin, which is more or less a clone of what's on offer in the X3. Material quality is still great, with soft-touch plastics and available cool-to-the-touch brushed aluminum throughout. I really dug the Ivory White Nevada leather and contrast red stitching on this test vehicle, as it provided an eye-pleasing departure from the sea of blacks, grays and tans so typical of the luxury crossover market.