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BMW 2 Series Active Tourer corners surprisingly flat on 'Ring

With seven seats and front-wheel drive, you might not expect the upcoming long-wheelbase version of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer to live up to the Ultimate Driving Machine reputation that BMW has fostered over the years. But the latest spy clip from the Nürburgring suggests otherwise.
The Bavarian automaker has apparently been testing its new people mover on the Nordschleife, getting it ready to join the growing 2 Series family. And though it's wearing heavy camouflage, we can clearly see from the video below that it's cornering impressively flat - which bodes well for those who'll need to transport their expanding family but aren't prepared to give up on handling.

2023 CES Editors' Picks

Over the past few years, it has become more and more clear that the Consumer Electronics Show is a car show. And this year that reality is more clear than ever. Not only did established automakers show off seriously important vehicles, but a traditional electronics company brought a car that gives an idea of its intents (with the help of establishment car company). With so many car reveals, we had to rank our favorites. Our picks for this show are entirely electric. Or at least, they are on paper, since many are concepts. Considering the name of the show, it would be a little strange if they weren't. In fact, not only are many of our favorites concepts, they all are save for one. See how they shook out below. VW ID7 camo View 28 Photos 5. Volkswagen ID.7 "The ID.7 definitely got lost in the crowd at CES. That it was camouflaged definitely didn't help, even if that camo was electroluminescent (BMW trumped it big time with its color-changing Dee). Nevertheless, this is a close-to-production hatchback-ed sedan, not unlike today's Arteon, with an extra-long wheelbase courtesy its EV architecture. It should be a solid answer to the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, and even if people obviously prefer SUVs now, VW says there is still a market for sedans. I know I'd probably prefer one." –Senior Editor, West Coast and Reviews, James Riswick Peugeot Inception concept View 12 Photos 4. Peugeot Inception "It's not often that show debuts surprise us. While Peugeot teased the Inception ahead of CES, its unveiling seemed almost incidental. But just look at this thing; it's like an electric French Mustang with someplace important to be. I don't buy into the stupid 'It's not a wheel!' thing that Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson described as providing a video-game-like drive experience, but that bit of silliness aside, this is a really promising design study. Give us more of these and fewer tall boxes, please." –Associate Editor Byron Hurd Afeela prototype from Sony Honda Mobility View 11 Photos 3. Afeela by Sony Honda “Ever since Sony showed off an impressively put-together concept car at CES a few years ago, IÂ’ve been anticipating the companyÂ’s next move. Apparently, that next move is “Afeela.” No, I donÂ’t love the name. The specs from SonyÂ’s original concept car give me hope that this prototype sportback (itÂ’s a hatchback!) will be fun to drive, though.

Trump turns his unpredictable ire towards German carmakers

President-elect Donald Trump likes to be unpredictable. During the election, he used the phrase in reference to foreign policy and dealing with terrorism. But he's using the same tactic with the automotive industry, making broad statements that send manufacturers into emergency-response mode. The latest salvo comes from an interview with Germany's Bild, where Trump threatened a 35-percent import tax on German manufacturers. ( Reuters covers the highlights in English here.) "If you want to build cars in the world, then I wish you all the best. You can build cars for the United States, but for every car that comes to the USA, you will pay 35 percent tax," Trump said. Trump's comments seem to be directed at manufacturing in Mexico, although it's unclear if the comments refer to any import from a German automaker or just those from south of the border. BMW is building a $1-billion plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where it plans to assemble the 3 Series. Mercedes-Benz is joining up with Nissan to build a new facility in Aguascalientes near the Japanese company's existing factory. And Volkswagen recently expanded its massive footprint in Puebla to build the new Tiguan as well as a separate factory for the Audi Q5. Reuters states that Trump thinks there's not enough reciprocity between Germany and the United States, as Germans don't buy Chevrolets at the rate American buy Mercedes-Benz Vehicles. At present, only the Corvette and Camaro are sold in Germany. The German subsidiary of Chevrolet parent General Motors, Opel, is the fifth-ranked automaker in the European Union, ahead of FCA but trailing Ford, VW, and both French auto companies. In response to Trump, Germany's deputy chancellor (Chancellor Angela Merkel is shown above) and minister for the economy, Sigmar Gabriel, did not mince words. As reported by The Guardian, Gabriel said "The US car industry would have a bad awakening if all the supply parts that aren't being built in the US were to suddenly come with a 35% tariff. I believe it would make the US car industry weaker, worse and above all more expensive." Asked what it would take for Germans to buy more American vehicles, he said "Build better cars." Gabiel also noted that BMW's largest plant is already in the US. The Spartanburg, SC plant exports about 65 percent of its 400,000-unit annual production to foreign markets and directly employs 8,000 workers according to BMW.