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BMW i8 official images leak ahead of Frankfurt [w/video]

The new BMW i8 plug-in electric supercar isn't set to make its official debut until September 10, when it will glide onto the Frankfurt Motor Show stage amidst a sea of flash photography. Of course, that isn't so true in today's world, where debuts are always preceded (often carefully) by "leaks."
Take this trio of images of the BMW i8 - there's just enough of the exterior on display in the profile shot to draw attention, without showing important styling points that might be present on the front or back of the car. The same goes for the video attached below. The cabin shot is cool, but isn't particularly earth-shattering when it comes to BMW interiors. As for the skeletal shot, we can see the 1.5-liter, turbocharged engine positioned between the rear axles, the battery pack found in what would be the transmission tunnel and the front-mounted electric motors.
We'll have a full set of live images when the BMW i8 makes its debut in Frankfurt next week. Until then, have a look in the gallery and at the video below, and let us know what you think of BMW's next big thing.

BMW i3 wait list grows to six months

This could make one real expensive decision a little easier to make. The latest official word is that BMW remains undecided if or when it will expand its sub-brand of i plug-in vehicles beyond the i3 and i8, but the i3 city EV has certainly struck a chord in Europe. Citing BMW executive Ian Robertson, Automotive News Europe reports that the German automaker is running a six-month wait list for the i3, which started sales in Europe in November. Bimmer has taken about 11,000 orders globally, and about 1,200 of those are from the US, where the car will debut in May. BMW executive Harald Krueger recently said that the German automaker will hold off on making plans to broaden the i sub-brand until more sales results come in. That said, BMW has trademarked all of the single-digit "i" names from i1 through i9, so should these EVs remain popular, BMW has room to grow. We won't be surprised if we do see more vehicles, since BMW North America chief Ludwig Willisch is already on record as saying the US demand for the i3 will likely exceed supply this year. For a taste of why, check out our first drive here. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3 View 107 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Green BMW Electric ev sales wait list

Toyota passes BMW as most valuable car brand

An annual market study of the strongest brands across various industries has seen Toyota leapfrog BMW as the world's most valuable automotive brand. Toyota's 2013 brand value rose to $24.5 billion, up 12 percent versus 2012 numbers according to market research company Millward Brown's BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list. BMW's value fell slightly; down by 2 percent to a total of $24 billion.
Mercedes-Benz finished in third place in the automotive category, up 11 percent from 2012 for a valuation of $18 billion. Honda ($12.4 billion, down 2 percent) and Nissan ($10.2 billion, up 3 percent) rounded out the top five for the category. Volkswagen was the only other auto brand that finished in the top 100 overall, in 100th place. Audi made the greatest percentage gain over 2012, up 18 percent to $5.5 billion, but finished outside of the top 100.
Technology companies dominated the overall list, with Apple, Google and IBM ranking one through three. Couture brand Prada was 2013's biggest gainer, rising by 63 percent over 2012.