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BMW reveals new X5 Security Plus in Moscow

A major player in the Russian market, BMW is heading to the Moscow Motor Show this month with a slew of local debuts... most of which we've already seen. But among all the new models making the trek from Bavaria to Moscow will be the new X5 Security Plus.
In a new-model launch that will surprise exactly no one, BMW's latest armored vehicle upgrades the X5 with enhanced protection for oligarchs against Chechen rebels, AK47-touting gangsters and missiles randomly falling on Crimean highways. Now meeting the VR6 standard of ballistic protection, the new X5 Security Plus incorporates reinforced bodywork, seats and joints, along with bulletproof glass.
Of course all that reinforcement (not to mention the jars of beluga caviar and bottles of Stoli in the glovebox) will come with a weight penalty, but the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 ought to do the trick, driving 450 horsepower through BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system to get the vehicle's occupants out of a war zone in a hurry.

BMW pondering hardcore M4 to celebrate 100 years?

2013 is the year for Lamborghini, Aston Martin and the Porsche 911, but 2016 will be the year for BMW. That's when the Munich-based maker of the Ultimate Driving Machine will celebrate its 100th birthday, with what will probably be a year-long celebration. Part of that 365-day party will, reportedly, be an even hotter version of the new BMW M4, which is set to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show.
Yes, according to Australia's Car Sales, the über-M4 has been hinted at by higher-ups at BMW's M division, who claim the rear seats will be removed, much like the M3 GTS, while other weight-saving measures will be used to try and bring the M4's weight below 3,000 pounds. There's no mention of engine mods, but if the M4's biturbocharged six is as good as we think it'll be, that's not a deal-breaker for us.
The lightening process on the so-called M4 GTS would involve replacing the hood and front fenders with parts made of carbon fiber, while the doors would switch from steel to aluminum. Besides the deletion of the rear seats, Car Sales is predicting lightweight racing buckets, with a carbon-fiber shell and a minimal amount of padding. Expect lots and lots of Alcantara, in place of leather.

BMW NA president says i3 beats Tesla EVs thanks to lighter all-around footprint

Those waiting for a full-out brawl between Tesla Motors head Elon Musk and BMW North America chief Ludwig Willisch will have to wait a bit. For the bloodthirsty, there are signs of some healthy competition and a little bit of green-car sniping between the two automakers. Willisch, speaking at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month and responding to questions about Tesla, noted (without mentioning that company by name) that the production process of the German automaker's i3 plug-in was "greener" than any other. According to Business Insider, Willisch highlighted the fully recyclable materials used to construct the i3 as well as the hydropower used at the carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, WA. Willisch also noted that the Tesla Model S is "very heavy on the braking. Our car feels just like a normal car. That's a big difference when it comes to driving," Automotive News said in a separate report. The latter model weighs about a third less than the Tesla, though it also has an EV range about a third as big. The BMW executive did allow that the Tesla did make a good proverbial "snowplow," not for its driving characteristics but for its ability to get more people conformable with electric vehicle technology. Musk was asked about the i3 in an August conference call and laughed before noting that the i3 had "room to improve." No word on whether Musk and Willisch will be sending each other Valentine's Day cards next month.