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Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria

Mini Countryman Panamericana PHEV will tackle 16,000-mile trek

In addition to the electric version of the classic Mini, the cheeky British BMW subsidiary has another battery-powered offering to electrify attendees of the New York Auto Show. This one is a special version of the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, slated for a particularly impressive journey. The Mini Countryman Panamericana Plug-In Hybrid — or, rather, three of them — will traverse the world's longest north-south roadway route, traveling from North America to Tierra Del Fuego, at the very southernmost tip of South America. The biggest Mini gets a just a couple of upgrades for the high-mileage adventure, including tires with "emergency running characteristics" and a roof rack to carry a spare. The trip is meant to serve as a demonstration of the plug-in Mini's durability and performance, highlighting the benefits of a car combining electric mobility with traditional gasoline versatility. Its electric and gasoline motors provide a total of 224 horsepower, putting power to the front and rear wheels as needed. Mini notes that the Pan-American Highway, or the Panemericana, covers a total of about 16,000 miles, and requires a boat ride to cross the incomplete inter alia near the border between Panama and Colombia. The journey covers a number of different climatic zones, mountains and jungle and a range of surfaces ranging from smooth highways to gravel roads. Mini will be documenting the journey to the bottom of the world on its Instagram account. We'll be watching. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Countryman Panamericana Plug-In Hybrid View 19 Photos News Source: Mini Green New York Auto Show MINI Crossover Hatchback Electric Hybrid 2018 new york auto show panamericana

Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.