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Why this could be the perfect time for Apple to make a car play

While the automotive and technology worlds have been pouring billions into autonomous vehicles (AVs) and preparing to bring them to market soon as shared robo-taxis, Apple has mostly sat on the sidelines. Of course, Apple is the last company to ever make its intentions known, and the super-secret tech cult giant hasn't been totally out of the AV game based on the clues that have slipped out of its Cupertino, Calif., citadel over the past few years. Related: Apple self-driving cars are real — one was just in an accident News first broke in 2015 that it had assembled an automotive development team, in part by poaching high-profile talent from car companies, to work on a top-secret self-driving vehicle project code-named Titan. (Thank you very much, Nissan.) Apple also subsequently broke cover by making inquiries into using a Northern California AV testing facility and receiving a permit to test AVs on public roads in California. But then as the AV race started to heat up in the last few years, Apple reportedly began scaling back its car activities by downsizing team Titan. More recently, Apple's car project has shown signs of life with the hiring a high-level engineer away from Waymo and luring one Tesla's top engineers and a former employee back to Apple. It also inked a deal with Volkswagen to provide a technology platform and software to convert the automaker's new T6 Transporter vans into autonomous shuttles for employees at tech company's new campus. That is a far cry from giving rides to Wal-Mart shoppers, like Waymo is doing as part of its AV testing in Phoenix. But this could be the perfect time for Apple to enter the AV market now that ride-sharing is reaching critical mass and automakers and others are planning to deploy fleets of robo-taxis. Apple could easily establish a niche as a high-end ride-sharing service – and charge a premium – given its cult-like brand loyalty and design savvy. The growth of car subscription models could also play in Apple's favor since is already has many people hooked on paying for phones in monthly installments – and eager to upgrade when a new and better model becomes available. To achieve this, some believe Apple will fulfill co-founder and CEO Steve Job's dream of building a car. And as the world's first and only $1 trillion company it's sitting on a mountain of cash that certainly gives it the means. But other tech darlings like Tesla and Google have discovered how difficult it can be to build cars at scale.

BMW has a rough 100th birthday as share prices slide

BMW is 100 years old now, but falling stock prices are giving the German automaker the birthday blues. Investors are worried about the company's future outlook against luxury rivals, and the shareholders aren't happy about the recent dividend payments, either. According to The Wall Street Journal, BMW's shares dropped almost 2 percent on March 9. Investors have concerns that rivals are closing in. While BMW is in first place, it's not a commanding lead. For example, the German was first in the US luxury market last year with 346,023 deliveries. However, a Polk study found that Lexus actually earned the high-end crown in the US after looking at vehicle registrations rather than sales. BMW performed well last year, including delivering a strong 2.25 million vehicles. Net profits also jumped 10 percent to $7.05 billion, and revenue grew 15 percent, according to the WSJ. However, the shareholders wanted larger dividends after the successful year. The automaker paid out based on a percentage of earnings, but the investors expected more. BMW CEO Harald Kruger has an opportunity to get stockholders back on his side next week when he announces the automaker's new strategy. Expect technology to play a major role in that discussion, including electric vehicles and digital services. We might even see the i5 debut there, according to the WSJ. To be the automotive tech leader of the future, BMW plans to make computer programmers half of its research and development staff. The goal is to develop the most intelligent car on the road. Related Video:

BMW 7 Series iPerformance hybrid priced at $90,095

We've known that a new flagship plug-in hybrid from BMW was coming, but the German automaker hadn't revealed any details or exactly when it would be coming. Now we know both. Today BMW released detailed information on the electrified 7 Series. The new plug-in hybrids will be available in both short- and long-wheelbase variants, with xDrive all-wheel-drive available on the long-wheelbase model. The new model will carry the 740e (or 740Le for the stretched version) iPerformance moniker. BMW also confirmed to Autoblog that the models will be available in August starting at $90,095. Drivers concerned about letting everyone know they have the most high-tech and environmentally friendly 7 Series will be happy to know that BMW has visually distinguished the hybrid. The car will carry eDrive and i badges as well as exclusive blue grille bars and hub covers. And for potential owners wishing to make a personal statement, all the other styling kits available on the normal 7 Series are also available on the hybrid. Speaking of the exterior, know that the laser headlights available in Europe will not make the trip here. Mechanically, the big Bimmer is propelled by a 2.0-liter inline four coupled to an electric motor to make a combined 326 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Power is transferred through an 8-speed automatic to either the rear wheels or all four. The electric motor, depending on configuration, can provide between 25 and 30 miles of driving on a full charge. That full charge also comes in under four hours using the standard wall charger, and under three when using the BMW i Wallbox accessory charger. When performance trumps frugality, the quickest 740Le xDrive iPerformance can hit 62 miles per hour in a claimed 5.3 seconds while it's two-wheel-drive counterparts are only 1 to 2 tenths slower. Drivers will also have a remarkable amount of control in how the drivetrain doles out power. An eDrive button will allow the driver to choose between Auto and Max settings. The former is the default setting that attempts to maximize range, but will engage the gasoline engine at 50 mph or under heavy throttle usage. The latter shifts to electric-only mode and can remain a pure EV up to 87 mph. It will still engage the combustion engine if the driver floors the throttle. Other features that control power usage are the new Adaptive driving mode and Battery Control function.