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Take a look at the shocking Rolls-Royce Next 100 concept

Rolls-Royce showed off its Vision Next 100 concept today in London, giving a look at what its vehicles might look like a century years from now. Each BMW brand will show its own concept this year; BMW's Vision Next 100 concept was an interesting mix of textile-like patterns with stretchy fenders and a very 2010s four-door coupe shape, but this Rolls-Royce concept looks more like a luxury version of a World Solar Challenge racer. The car's official title is 103EX, following the convention of recent Roller concepts. Whereas its BMW counterpart was perhaps a safe, predictable vision of the future, the Rolls is a striking vehicle and a big departure for the brand. Whether it works as a whole for you or not, it represents the kind of stylistic provocation that made ex-BMW stylist Chris Bangle a household name. While the early Bangle cars were extremely controversial, this Rolls concept is clearly the heir of his penchant for sharply creased character lines. Call the rocker panel crease flame surfacing if you want. The floating headlamps and blade-edged verticality of the fenders are classic Rolls: imposing and visually heavy, without necessarily being classically beautiful. The square, flat grille is, to my eyes, much less successfully integrated. It seems like Rolls had the perfect opportunity to evolve the trademark grille into something more contemporary. In 100 years, the brand will still need to lean on this sort of anachronism? That seems short-sighted. We'll have more on this concept from our man on the ground in London later today. Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 Concept View 27 Photos Design/Style BMW Rolls-Royce Coupe Autonomous Vehicles Concept Cars Future Vehicles Luxury

BMW i8 with 500+ horsepower in the cards?

While BMW makes plenty of machinery to keep enthusiasts interested, its most enticing models are often based on more ordinary ones. That's what made the arrival of the i8 so captivating, emerging as the first stand-alone BMW sports coupe since the M1. But if its dual purpose - trying its best to both embrace the earth and traverse it rapidly - somehow left you disappointed, the next development could prove to fix that.
According to Automobile, BMW is working on a more potent i8S model. The hardcore version of the hybrid sports car would offer more power and a stiffened chassis to make it that much more aggressive. The Bavarian automaker is reportedly still evaluating two potential powertrain options: The first would pair a 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder good for 320 horsepower to an electric motor with another 204 hp. The second would use a 3.0-liter straight six with 480 hp and an electric motor with 109 hp. Both would be mated to a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission and an integrated starter motor packing an extra 27 hp.
Either way, we'd be looking at a combined output well in excess of 500 horsepower - far more than the existing i8's 228-hp turbo three and 129-hp electric motor - dropping the 0-62 time down from 4.1 seconds to an estimated 3.5. Couple that to a more advanced carbon chassis, wider tires and other goodies, and the i8 would be transformed into a far more capable performance machine than it already is.

BMW looking to fix i3 acceleration problem uncovered by Consumer Reports

The BMW i3 has been hailed in some quarters as the future of electric mobility, what with its innovative carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body and commitment to sustainable materials wherever possible. The modernist little hatch is even available with a 650cc two-cylinder gas engine with 34 horsepower to act as a range-extender for those who want it. However, that optional engine might have a drawback - at least for the moment.
Consumer Reports brought the problem to light when one of its drivers was behind the wheel of an i3 using the range-extender. When the driver attempted to pass another vehicle on a rolling, two-lane road, the BMW suddenly had no power to accelerate - a scary situation. CR started examining the car and found something pretty shocking: After driving at a constant speed for a while without any regenerative braking in range-extended mode, acceleration to 60 miles per hour plummeted from about 9 seconds normally to a staggering 27 to 40 seconds in their testing.
A BMW spokesperson told CR that it knows about the problem and has a fix coming next spring that also works on current models. The upgrade includes a state of charge indicator, a warning about loss of power and uses the car's navigation to boost the battery before driving on rolling terrain. It is not clear if the severe power deficiency will also eventually result in a recall.