2018 Bmw 6 Series 640i Xdrive Luxury Pkg / Executive Pkg / Driving Assistance Pk on 2040-cars

Auto blog

As BMW i3 US launch nears, more details discovered

Think of the BMW i3's gas-powered range-extender as akin to driving around with a middle linebacker in the back seat. Except that football player will have a hard time pushing the car 60 miles or so once the battery runs out. Thankfully, he won't prevent you from getting a nifty tax credit either, according to BMWBlog, which isn't affiliated with the company. The i3's front storage compartment is not watertight. Here in the US, where the i3 will be available in short order, BMW will offer an optional i3 plug-in vehicle with a range extender that will have a 1.9-gallon capacity gas tank. That sounds a good deal smaller than the 2.4-gallon tank used in Europe, but the two are actually the same, the US tank is simply limited to the smaller size, Dave Buchko, from BMW's product and technology communications department, told AutoblogGreen. The complete range extender system – including the tank, the engine, and all related hardware – adds about 265 pounds to the 2,634-pound curb weight of the i3 EV and the extra weight in turn adds about a second to the EV's 0-to-60 time of seven seconds flat. Adding the range-extender won't make the US government take any longer to dole out a $7,500 tax credit for the i3, though. We also learned that the i3's front storage compartment is not watertight since it is only meant to hold the mobility kit and the 110-volt charging cord. BMW recently increased its production of the i3 at its German factory from around 70 units a day to about 100 due to better-than-expected demand. Check out our First Drive impressions of the model here.

E.U. executive conditionally approves Daimler, BMW car-sharing deal

BRUSSELS — The European Union's competition authority said on Wednesday it had approved the plan of German luxury carmakers Daimler and BMW to combine their car-sharing businesses, subject to conditions. Under the deal, which includes car-sharing units Car2Go and DriveNow as well as ride-hailing, parking and charging services, Daimler and BMW will each hold 50 percent stakes in a joint venture. They have offered concessions to address E.U. antitrust concerns over the deal they hope would let them better compete with U.S. rival Uber and China's Didi Chuxing. The European Commission has found the deal would raise competition concerns for free-floating car sharing services in Berlin, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna. It said Daimler and BMW agreed to a remedy package in the six cities. "The commitments thus fully address the Commission's concerns as they will reduce the barriers to entry for competing free-floating car sharing providers," the Commission said in a statement. "Therefore the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The Commission's decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments." Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and Philip Blenkinsop. Related Video:

BMW unleashes 160-hp S 1000 R streetfighter motorcycle

BMW Motorrad released the S 1000 RR superbike in 2010, but for those who'd like to take it down a (small) notch, the German motorcycle maker introduced the 2014 S 1000 R, a slightly less-ballsy version of the range-topping superbike, at EICMA on Tuesday.
In its transformation from 193-horsepower superbike to 160-hp sportbike, BMW detuned the 999cc inline four-cylinder engine a bit by lowering the redline from 13,000 RPM to 11,000 RPM, where peak power is made. Torque is rated at "approximately" 83 pound-feet (the RR makes 82.5 lb-ft), but more importantly, engineers tweaked the torque delivery in the R's favor by redesigning the cylinder-head ducts, modifying the camshaft profiles and reprogramming the engine management system. The result is seven lb-ft more torque than the RR up to 7,500 RPM. The R's torque peak occurs at 9,250 RPM.
The bike comes standard with ASC (automatic stability control) and "Race" ABS. Riders can choose between two modes, "Road" and "Rain," which adjust ABS and ASC settings to suit dry or wet roads. DTC (dynamic traction control) is available as an option, and with two modes, "Dynamic" and "Dynamic Pro," the system optimizes traction and helps riders achieve maximum acceleration.