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BMW X4 M probably not in the cards

BMW is preparing to exploit its latest market niche - those that find themselves unable to choose between the 3 Series, 4 Series and X3 - with the X4. If you're looking for an M product, though, you'll remain limited to the 3 and 4 Series. BMW's Bernhard Ederer, at the Australian launch of the X5, told Car Advice he wouldn't "bet on it," when asked about a hotter X4.
Oddly, Ederer's reasoning, according to the Aussies, is out of concern for the X6 M, whose sales the X4 M would apparently cannibalize. That's like saying the M3 doesn't make sense because it will cannibalize M5 sales - the logic just doesn't really hold up. "The question is what customers are we talking to? And are we talking to someone that is willing and able to afford [an X6 M]?" Ederer told Car Advice.
Car Advice seems to feel the same way, claiming the X3-based X4 will share its powertrains with its donor platform, and will eventually spawn an M variant, albeit a few years down the line.

Why this could be the perfect time for Apple to make a car play

While the automotive and technology worlds have been pouring billions into autonomous vehicles (AVs) and preparing to bring them to market soon as shared robo-taxis, Apple has mostly sat on the sidelines. Of course, Apple is the last company to ever make its intentions known, and the super-secret tech cult giant hasn't been totally out of the AV game based on the clues that have slipped out of its Cupertino, Calif., citadel over the past few years. Related: Apple self-driving cars are real — one was just in an accident News first broke in 2015 that it had assembled an automotive development team, in part by poaching high-profile talent from car companies, to work on a top-secret self-driving vehicle project code-named Titan. (Thank you very much, Nissan.) Apple also subsequently broke cover by making inquiries into using a Northern California AV testing facility and receiving a permit to test AVs on public roads in California. But then as the AV race started to heat up in the last few years, Apple reportedly began scaling back its car activities by downsizing team Titan. More recently, Apple's car project has shown signs of life with the hiring a high-level engineer away from Waymo and luring one Tesla's top engineers and a former employee back to Apple. It also inked a deal with Volkswagen to provide a technology platform and software to convert the automaker's new T6 Transporter vans into autonomous shuttles for employees at tech company's new campus. That is a far cry from giving rides to Wal-Mart shoppers, like Waymo is doing as part of its AV testing in Phoenix. But this could be the perfect time for Apple to enter the AV market now that ride-sharing is reaching critical mass and automakers and others are planning to deploy fleets of robo-taxis. Apple could easily establish a niche as a high-end ride-sharing service – and charge a premium – given its cult-like brand loyalty and design savvy. The growth of car subscription models could also play in Apple's favor since is already has many people hooked on paying for phones in monthly installments – and eager to upgrade when a new and better model becomes available. To achieve this, some believe Apple will fulfill co-founder and CEO Steve Job's dream of building a car. And as the world's first and only $1 trillion company it's sitting on a mountain of cash that certainly gives it the means. But other tech darlings like Tesla and Google have discovered how difficult it can be to build cars at scale.

2015 BMW 228i xDrive

Has BMW lost its edge? The answer to that depends on what vehicle you're discussing. The company's products, while still quick and agile, are softer and more forgiving than they've ever been. And while this change may be worrying if we're talking about an M3 or an M5, is it necessarily a bad thing for more mainstream models? That's our question after a week behind the wheel of the BMW 228i xDrive, a vehicle that succeeds the beloved, driver-focused BMW 1 Series. In some ways this new car is a let-down, but in many other areas the new 2 Series is just plain better. The latter is particularly true if we're talking about the new sheet metal. While the 1 Series was a great source of compact, rear-drive entertainment, it wasn't a pretty car. The new 2 still isn't a stunner, but it benefits from BMW's latest design language. It looks wider and more muscular than the squat 1 Series, although certain elements, like the daylight opening and rear taillights, look like they were plucked right from the old car. Overall, BMW has crafted a more premium aesthetic for the exterior of its entry-level coupe. A weak spot for the 1er, the 2 Series cabin sports a similarly upscale redo. Like the last-gen car, the top of the dash is home to a master display for the iDrive system (a neutered, non-navigation version on our test car), while the lower half of the center stack is dedicated to analog controls for the HVAC and audio. The dash layout is similar to the 1 Series, but the execution feels more upscale. The trim around the radio and climate controls includes aluminum and gloss accents. The passenger side dash and center console ditch soft-touch plastic for authentic materials – our car uses real brushed aluminum, although piano black and wood are also available. As with all recent BMWs, the combination of the automatic gear lever, the knob and buttons of the iDrive system, and the toggle switch for the Driving Dynamics Control system mean there's a lot of clutter where the driver's right hand falls. What hasn't changed with the 2 Series is the excellent relationship between the driver and the primary controls. Our test car wears the Sport Line package, which does without BMW's obnoxious, too-large-diameter M Sport steering wheel. Instead, there's a thick-rimmed wheel with textured leather and red contrast stitching. It feels more natural than the oversized M wheel, while this car's large paddle shifters have a solid, well-damped action.