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BMW bringing two new concepts to Pebble Beach

BMW has announced that it will reveal not one, but two new concept cars during Monterey Car Week next month. The Bavarian automaker released this teaser image in conjunction with the announcement, showing what looks like a rather racy steering wheel to suggest that at least one of those concepts will be focused on performance. The signature red and blue stitching on the wheel and the participation of the M division's R&D chief in the press conference also hint at its nature. We're intrigued, though, by some of the buttons on the wheel with labels like "Flash," "Cool," and "PSL." The Roundel marque has been known to create concept cars to showcase at classic car concours, but they're more often presented at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este that BMW has supported for over a decade on the shores of Italy's picturesque Lake Como. That's where BMW revealed in recent years the 3.0 CSL Hommage, the Pininfarina Gran Lusso, and the Zagato Coupe concepts (to name just a few). It did, however, follow up on the latter with Zagato Roadster concept at Pebble Beach that same year. We might project that at least one of the concepts would represent another brand affiliated with BMW – like Mini, Rolls-Royce, or BMW Motorrad. However the announcement below seems to indicate fairly clearly that they'll both be "concept cars" (not bikes), and that they'll be presenting the BMW brand itself (not another from the group). The show cars are also likely to veer more toward the design-study end of the spectrum than previewing any specific upcoming production models, and we wouldn't be surprised if the two arrived as a matching pair of sorts. BMW's California-based Designworks studio is also likely to have played a key role in at least one of the projects. But to find out more, we'll have to wait for the press conference on August 13 in the BMW Villa at Pebble Beach. The concepts will subsequently make the rounds of key Monterey events, including The Quail, the Legends of the Autobahn Concours d'Elegance, the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, and of course the headline Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. BMW to Unveil Two World Premier Concept Cars During Monterey Car Week. Media Preview at The BMW Annual Press Conference on Thursday Evening. Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – July 17, 2015... BMW is pleased to invite credentialed media to the 'BMW at the 2015 Monterey Car Week' preview press conference on August 13th at 6:00pm.

BMW i3 takes to the track, circles it in a way you don't expect

So, who wants to see a BMW i3 race around a track. That's what we thought. It's not a long video, but it is entertaining, and the way the urban EV does a 'loop' at second 25 certainly caught out eye. The i3 is scheduled to go on sale in the US later this year and will start at $41,350. The diminutive electric vehicle has a top speed of 93 miles per hour and can hit 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. We found it a hoot to drive, but we're not sure if hardcore BMW performance fans will totally 'get' this car's performance. The i3 is great at what it does, but it wasn't born to hit the race track. After seeing this video, though, we want a crack at it, skinny wheels and all. You can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse here, where Chris Neff writes, "The i3 basically turns in on itself. This is one sharp turning radius, take a look at 24 seconds into the video. We were actually trying to get the i3 to do doughnuts, but the computer would not let the rear brake loose, still, you can see how it held and how sharp we were turning....about 27 times in a row." Watch all 49 seconds below. And wonder with us if whatever aerial device was used to get the shot that ends at four seconds in was destroyed just after the video cuts away.

BMW details Concept X5 eDrive ahead of New York debut

Already weighing more than most other types of vehicles and with the space to accommodate the extra equipment, crossovers and SUVs arguably make for one of the more ideal platforms to transform into a hybrid. And there have been a handful of them - like the Audi Q5, Infiniti QX60/Nissan Pathfinder, Porsche Cayenne/Volkswagen Touareg, Lexus RX450h/Toyota Highlander and Cadillac Escalade/Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon - but by and large the majority of hybrids on the market are sedans and hatchbacks. BMW, however, looks poised to join the minority with the X5.
The Bavarian automaker showcased the X5 eDrive concept at Frankfurt last year, and as promised, has now revealed the followup it will present at the New York Auto Show in just a few days. The new Concept X5 eDrive, as BMW has now revealed, pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four good for 245 horsepower to a 95-hp electric motor to deliver a combined 340 horsepower. Its lithium-ion battery can power it for up to 20 miles and at speeds up to 75 miles per hour before the gasoline engine needs to kick in. All that without sacrificing the vehicle's utility, maintaining an almost perfectly flat loading floor with 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, and without sacrificing much on performance, either: with a 0-62 time of seven seconds flat, the X5 eDrive concept is quicker off the line than the production X5 with the 2.5-liter turbodiesel and just a tenth off of the 3.0-liter turbodiesel.
With the full technical details now released (you can delve into it all in the press release below), the only question remains when BMW will actually put the X5 eDrive into production. Given its appearance in New York, though, we gather that whenever it does reach showrooms, it'll reach American ones as well.