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BMW X4 opens up alongside its boxier brother

It doesn't seem so long ago that BMW (not to mention Audi, Volvo and a handful of other European automakers) weren't in the crossover market. But it's been over a decade since BMW began producing the first-gen X5, and in the fourteen years since, the Bavarian automaker has steadily expanded its portfolio to include the X1, X3 and X6.
The next to join the family will be the X4, which is essentially to the X3 what the X6 is to the X5. That is to say, basically the same vehicle, only with an (arguably) more stylish but less utile roofline. Previewed in concept form at the Shanghai Auto Show half a year ago, the X4 has been snapped by our plucky paparazzi in the past, but this is the first time we've seen inside.
Not only that, but the prototype in question was spotted next to the current X3 on which it is based, which gives us ample opportunity to see the differences between them. Of course, that still primarily comes down to the slantback profile, because otherwise, the two are essentially the same inside and out. Or at least they will be: many of the differences between the two are expected to port over to the X3 when it's refreshed next year, including some subtle interior upgrades - just not the roofline.

Researchers halfway to cutting carbon fiber costs by 90%

Carbon fiber has been utilized for decades to build racecars, as a means to cut weight while maintaining strength. But until recently, the space-age material has been largely absent from the street on anything but supercars because of the expense to use it. Recently, BMW signaled a major shift in that trend when it starting using carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels on the i3 and i8. This relatively small scale start might be just the beginning; the German company believes that a breakthrough to inexpensively manufacture the lightweight stuff is just on the horizon.
MAI Carbon Cluster Management GmbH counts BMW, Audi, Airbus, the German government and many other organizations as supporters, and it's researching how to make carbon fiber cheaper to produce, according to Automotive News Europe. The company thinks it can reduce costs by 90 percent in the near future. "We've certainly reached a halfway point on our cost-cutting target for suitable carbon-fiber parts," said project head Klaus Drechsler to Automotive News Europe.
Unfortunately, it isn't entirely clear just what MAI Carbon is doing to make such a huge leap possible. However, a recent post on the company's website talks about a new form a carbon fiber using a thermoplastic matrix that could be cured in less than three minutes. That's compared to about 90 minutes in the traditional process with an autoclave.

BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo won't be a one-and-done model

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo seems like a model without a real segment to fit into. It doesn't quite match the mold for the swoopy four-door coupe niche like the Porsche Panamera or the brand's own 6 Series Gran Coupe. However, the vehicle isn't really a station wagon to appeal to those utilitarian buyers, either. Despite this identity crisis, BMW is reportedly prepping another GT for the next-gen 5 Series platform. According to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, the 5 Series GT somehow has been a big enough sales success in the US and China to warrant another model. The next one would allegedly arrive in 2016, which is the about the same size as the future 5 Series sedan. The magazine speculates the new GT could lose about 221 pounds in the transition and be offered with four- and six-cylinder powertrains, plus a plug-in hybrid with an electric driving range estimated at around 19 miles. Globally, China is actually the larger 5er GT market than the US. According to IHS senior analyst Stephanie Brinley to Autoblog, the variant sold 21,089 units worldwide in 2013 (2014 is still being tabulated), and that represented about 5.7 percent of the 370,930 total sales for the 5 Series. China bought 42 percent of the world's GTs, compared to about 10 percent of the mix from the US. Europe, meanwhile, took about 29 percent of them that year. While the GT's sales figures make up just a fraction of the overall 5 Series, the variant is still a moneymaker for BMW, and IHS forecasts a second generation, too. "The 5 Series range as a whole is stronger for having this product, and it's very likely that the company's profit margin is higher on the GT, even with the cost of some dedicated sheetmetal and tooling," said Brinley. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo View 32 Photos News Source: Auto Motor und SportImage Credit: BMW Design/Style BMW Hatchback Wagon Luxury Sedan bmw 5 series gt bmw 5 series gran turismo