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Mercedes may be working on a new electric car dubbed 'Ecoluxe'

Automobile has a lengthy piece this month on how the four German mass-market luxury manufacturers each plan to go after Tesla with their own electric vehicles. It was written by Georg Kacher, the magazine's European bureau chief, and the English version came a month after he wrote the German-language original for Autobild. Tesla isn't exactly a threat to the Germans, but, according to the report, the Model S is planting the right kinds of seeds in niches that are important to the luxury players. The thinking is that - in addition to needed electric vehicles anyway for stricter US regulations - it's better to start designing the machinery now. The article posited Porsche's attack would rest on the coming Panamera platform, but a big hurdle would be battery placement. Unable to find one large space for a lithium-ion pack, engineers would instead put batteries everywhere they could, for a supposed tally of some "108 battery pouches" throughout the body. A few days after the Automobile piece, however, Porsche publicly said it had no intention of challenging the Model S, because the enthusiastic driving the brand is known for doesn't jive with useful range. In Kacher's retelling, Mercedes' plans are even more ambitious, supposedly taking aim at the Model S and the coming Model X. It would do this with an investment in excess of $2 billion in a program called "Ecoluxe" – Mercedes has no brand division akin to BMW's i and Audi's e-tron. The new brand would create a four-strong family of bespoke electric vehicles: a smaller platform with a wheelbase around 106 inches and a larger one with a wheelbase around 118 inches. In addition, the range would have "provisions for rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel steering." The numbers are impressive: seating for seven in the larger vehicles, both longer than 16 feet, front and rear storage areas, ratings of up to 610 horsepower and production capacity of 80,000 units per year. When would we see such creatures? Perhaps as soon as 2019. We do know that if Tesla can knock the Model X over the outfield fence, automakers are going to have to do something. We don't know what the chances are that Ecoluxe is Mercedes' first move - but such a plan could help explain the weird Mercedes concept spied in October.

BMW, Mini to offer Amazon Alexa in all models beginning next year

Voice recognition has been available in cars for years now, but the technology has improved, and found its way into our pockets and our homes. With applications like Siri and gadgets like the Amazon Echo essentially acting as digital personal assistants, the ways we interact with technology through our voice have advanced significantly in recent years. BMW plans to take advantage of the evolved voice technology, and will offer Amazon Alexa in every BMW and Mini model beginning in the middle of 2018. Drivers will be able to use the usual Alexa features (or "skills" in Amazon speak) to get the latest news and weather, provide entertainment, or remotely control their smart home gadgets. Alexa will also perform car-specific duties, such as navigation or locating nearby businesses. Users can also check on movie times, request specific playlists or even order products from Amazon through Alexa. View 5 Photos It's the logical next step for BMW, which has allowed owners to check the status or control features of their car through Alexa's BMW Connected skill since last year. Users won't need to bring their smartphone along for the Alexa to work, as BMW and Mini models will be equipped with their own SIM cards. Alexa will be available in cars in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. As our friends at Engadget point out, the timing is important, as Amazon risked being left behind by the likes of Apple and Google, which offer their technology in vehicles via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Amazon would do well to expand access beyond the three markets in-car Alexa will launch in, for exactly the same reason. Check out the video above for how BMW envisions users interacting with Alexa. We really hope some lucky M4 owner does, in fact, actually order a pizza while drifting on the deck of an aircraft carrier. That's a future we want to live in. News Source: BMW, Engadget Auto News BMW MINI Technology Videos Amazon Amazon Alexa alexa

BMW reveals updated 2016 Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe

Do you dig the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, but really wanted one with all-wheel drive? We can hardly blame you, considering how well it held up against the Nissan GT-R and Bentley Continental GT in the Australian Outback on a recent episode of Top Gear, despite the disadvantage on driven-wheel count. But that, you see, is where Alpina comes in. The "other M division" offers the a twin-turbo 6 Series Gran Coupe with four-wheel traction – even here in the US – and it's just been upgraded. The 2016 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe packs a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, just like the M6. But whereas the previous B6 packed less power than its factory counterpart, the new one surpasses it. Thanks to a boost by 60 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque, the B6 now cranks out 600 hp and 590 lb-ft – which rather impressively bests the M6 by 40 hp and 90 lb-ft. Plus it's driven to all four wheels. The manufacturer says that's good for a tenth of a second off the 0-60 time, now quoted at 3.6 seconds, with a top speed pegged at 200 miles per hour, making this the fastest Alpina ever offered. The 2016 B6 also benefits from new headlamps, upgraded brakes and reshaped aerodynamic elements, but it's mostly the power boost that makes this the quickest Alpina off the line in the company's history. Related Video: THE NEW BMW ALPINA B6 XDRIVE GRAN COUPE Enhancements for 2016 model year deliver more power and refinement than ever. Woodcliff Lake, N.J. –February 11, 2015... The new 2016 model year BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe gains subtle BMW enhancements and benefits in particular from the results of continuous development by ALPINA. The four-door Gran Coupe, already widely recognized for aesthetic beauty and impressive driving performance, raises the benchmark with exciting new details. The new BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe will become available to order starting in March 2015, with US deliveries slated to begin at BMW Centers in June. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date. The BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe is available as a special-order vehicle with capacity-limited production underscoring its exclusivity. The B6's body is manufactured in the BMW 6 Series factory (Plant Dingolfing) and hand-finished with the remaining ALPINA components at the ALPINA factory in Buchloe, Germany. The hand-finishing sequence at ALPINA increases the production lead-time by approximately two weeks.