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BMW introducing i8 to US with Hello Future Olympics ad

It's not all unfinished hotel rooms and unconventional toilet situations at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. During the broadcast of the opening ceremony tonight, BMW is going to introduce the American TV audience to its plug-in i brand of vehicles. Of course, since we have things like Twitter and YouTube (which the Russian hosts might not be too happy about), you can already see the first spot below. BMW is going all-in on its Olympics ads, saying the campaign is the company's "largest media investment of the year." The first ad, called Hello Future, sets the words of science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke to an array of futuristic cityscape visuals before flashing the i8 onto the screen. Two other spots – called SHHH and Sightings – will also debut during the Games. Those have not yet been placed online, but BMW says that Sightings is about people "trying to describe something they have never seen before; something remarkable and other-worldly" (i.e., the plug-in i8). SHHH, on the other hand, is a short romance, about a "boy who sneaks out in his dad's quiet and all-electric BMW i3 as he tries to impress his dream-girl with the ultimate joyride. In the end, the joyride helps him win the girl." There's a twist, of course, which you can read about in the press release below or just wait until it appears on screen, trying to break through the banal advertising landscape, over the next few weeks. BMW has other connections to the Sochi Olympics as well, including designing the two-man bobsled used by the US Olympic team. There's a contest running regarding that project over on BMWTimeTracker. BMW Debuts BMW i Brand Campaign During NBC's Broadcast of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games First-Ever U.S. Television Commercials for BMW i to Begin Airing on February 7. WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BMW of North America, the Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), will tune into the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games tonight at 7:30pm ET on NBC, which is expected to be one of the most-watched television events of 2014. During NBC's broadcast of the event, BMW is officially launching the brand campaign for the revolutionary BMW i brand with its largest media investment of the year.

BMW expounds on i8 design and performance in new videos

At this point, there isn't much we don't know about the 2015 BMW i8, so BMW is starting to focus its attention on reassuring consumers that the future of BMW won't abandon the past. In these two recently released videos, BMW answers questions prospective buyers might have about about the new model's design and performance.
In the design video, BMW explains how the i8's styling is intended to be practical, with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency in mind, yet still have a sporty and dynamic look. The performance video aims to show that the plug-in hybrid can be fuel efficient while still delivering plenty of performance, and it shows an animation about how the i8's drive systems work together. Scroll down to watch both videos on this bold green supercar.

BMW eyes Z4 replacement before 2020

As BMW has been busy building four-door versions of two-door versions of four-door cars, less useful crossovers and front-drive minivans, you could be forgiven for thinking it had given up on its aging Z4 roadster. But that, we're pleased to report, isn't the case. According to Automotive News, BMW is hoping to release the next-generation Z4 (if that's what it ends up being called) before the close of this decade. The news outlet spoke to the company's chief engineer, Klaus Frohlich, at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, who indicated that BMW may split costs on the new car with Toyota, as part of the partnership between the two automakers. This partnership is integral to the next-gen Z4, largely because of the declining importance of the roadster segment, Herr Frohlich indicated. "If you look at the volume... we have to realize that these segments are shrinking," Frohlich told AN. According to the publication, sales of the Z4, which hit the market in its current form back in 2009, dropped 11 percent in Europe and 13 percent in North America. The car also is less attractive to customers in China for a number of reasons. "[Chinese customers] are not interested in roadsters," Frohlich explained. That's because privacy is a high priority for drivers in China, AN said. On top of that, open-roof cars expose their customers to China's notorious air pollution, which drivers are understandably keen to avoid. Related Video: