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BMW and Samsung team up with Galaxy Gear smartwatch that talks to your i3

Without a doubt, the most impressive thing that BMW showed at CES this year was a driverless M235i drifting flawlessly around a wet track at Las Vegas Speedway. However, that bit of robotic helmsmanship wasn't the only trick the German company had up its sleeve. Or, more to the point, on its wrist.
Taking a page from rival Mercedes-Benz, BMW demonstrated how a "smartwatch," in this case the Samsung Galaxy Gear, could be made to function usefully with a vehicle, in this case the BMW i3. Calling it a "research application," BMW showed off its BMW i Remote App on the Galaxy Gear; the app gives information about state of battery charge, available range and whether or not all the doors and windows are closed or open. Perhaps more useful still, the watch can be used to send a destination to the i3's navigation unit, adjust the climate control in preparation for a trip and can recognize voice commands. Nifty stuff, if not world-shaking, that could help tech-obsessed luxury buyers take a second look at the upcoming BMW EV.
Take a closer look at the watch in action below, or read thru the BMW press release.

2014 BMW X5 priced from $53,725*

A month after the official curtain was dropped, BMW has seen fit to release pricing information on its new 2014 X5 crossover. The X5 sDrive35i, which is the first rear-wheel-drive version of the X5, will begin at $53,725 (*including $925 for destination and handling) while the traditional all-wheel-drive X5 xDrive35i will begin at $56,025. Both feature BMW's well-regarded 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo N55 engine with 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.
The 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Have these convoluted names confused you yet?) is priced at $57,525 with its 3.0-liter diesel engine (255 hp and 413 lb-ft), and, finally, the TwinPower Turbo V8-powered X5 xDrive50i (445 hp and 480 lb-ft) will start at $69,125. Buyers looking to customize their X5 experience can choose from the Luxury Line, xLine or M Sport packages, plus Ivory White and Mocha Interior Design Packages. Regardless of which engine is chosen, the X5 will come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
For comparison, the 2013 X5 xDrive35i started at $48,425. That means the price has increased by over $5,000 despite not including standard all-wheel drive or by $7,600 when comparing apples to apples with similar six-cylinder engines and power to all four wheels. The V8 model increased by $4,000 and the diesel, interestingly enough, dropped by $100.

BMW i3 called 'most revolutionary car' since Ford Model T

The Ultimate Driving Machine, or at least one of them, may also be the Ultimate Engineering Success. Consultant Munro & Associates, which specializes in automotive tear-down analysis, pretty much said as much when taking an under-the-skin look at the BMW i3 plug-in. In short, the firm liked what it saw. Presenting at Detroit's Plastic's in Automotive conference this week, Munro CEO Sandy Munro called BMW's first mast-produced plug-in model the most revolutionary car "since Henry Ford's Model T." The car earned big points for its substantial uses of materials that are both lightweight (key for any plug-in's range) and recyclable. BMW has touted these advantages all along. In late 2013, the German automaker went as far as saying its use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) would reduce customer costs related to both repair and insurance. The i3 went on sale in the US last May and, by the end of the year, moved more than 6,000 units here. It sold almost 17,800 The i3 last November also was named the Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, beating out models such as the compressed-natural-gas-powered Chevrolet Impala B-Fuel and the Audi A3 TDI diesel. Munro made news earlier this week when it offered a free i3 for anyone who bought the master- or OEM-level version of the report, though the report isn't cheap and that offered disappeared once Munro made his presentation. Check out Munro & Associates' press release below. Munro Discusses Groundbreaking Technology Finds from BMW i3 Teardown at Plastics in Automotive Conference; Offers New BMW i3 for Purchasers of Master-level Report DETROIT, Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- During today's Plastics in Automotive Conference in Detroit, Sandy Munro, CEO of Munro & Associates, Inc., discussed – for the first time publicly – his consulting firm's findings from its extensive deep-dive teardown, costing and benchmark study of the BMW i3 urban electric car. During his presentation, "Deconstructing the BMW i3: Groundbreaking Technology and the Composite Car," Munro discussed the carbon fiber life module, polymer components, recyclability and safety of what he considers to be "the most revolutionary car in terms of creative engineering and manufacturing since Henry Ford's Model T." During the presentation, Munro focused on four crucial aspects of the BMW i3: the manufacturing of its carbon fiber life module; its polymer components; recyclability; and safety.