2005 Bmw X5 3.0i! Pano Roof! Hi-fi Sound! Wood Trim! Serviced! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The importance of Angel Eyes, Ventiports and four round taillights

Just the other day, we told you about how Lincoln isn't really a luxury brand, according to Ford's head design man, J Mays. His argument was that Lincoln lacked the unique DNA to differentiate it from the rest of the market, although the arrival of the MKZ is beginning to change that. Now, we have this video from Autoline Detroit, where Jim Hall, an analyst for 2953 Analytics who was quoted in yesterday's Lincoln story, explains the influence of certain styling cues and how they impact the brands.
Using BMW (Angel Eyes) and Buick (Ventiports) as examples for small, simple touches that serve to distinguish the brand's vehicles on the road, Hall then points out how changing trademark styling features, as Chevrolet has done on the new Corvette Stingray, can hurt the vehicle's public perception. Take a look at the full video below for an interesting dive into what these styling features mean to their individual brands.

Recharge Wrap-up: EVSR returns to Mt. Washington, China Mulls $16 Billion For EV Charging

Foxconn and electric carmaker BAIC are partnering to provide an electric car rental service in China. Slated to kick off next month in Beijing, Hangzhou and Jiangsu province, the company, called Henyu, will offer the EV rentals by the hour. Henyu hopes to offer 5,000, to 10,000 electric rental cars within a year, and wants to become the largest EV rental group in China. The company will also deploy BAIC's E150EV to ten cities for rental outside of Beijing. Read more at Want China Times. Hoping to convince more people to make the switch to electric cars, China is considering investing $16 billion to install charging facilities. Anonymous sources have said that an announcement about the program will be made soon. China has already announced and implemented various measures, such as incentives and tax breaks, to encourage more people to drive emissions free and improve urban air quality. China aims to have 30 percent of its government vehicle purchases be EVs by 2016, with higher targets after that. There's more from Bloomberg. BMW is launching a campaign to highlight technology features from the i8 to be used in other BMW vehicles. Called BMW Innovations, the program will include television ads showing how the i8's full-color heads-up display, LED headlight technology and Surround View Camera System are making their way into cars such as the 3 Series, 5 Series and X3, respectively. BMW Innovations also includes digital and social media campaigns, as well as hands-on technology presentations at dealerships. See the new ads below, and learn more in the press release. EVSR is set to return to Mt. Washington for the Alternate Energy Summit. It is the team's first time back since EVSR set the electric vehicle record at the Climb to the Clouds hill climb earlier this year. EVSR will run the cars up the hill again, and it will hold a workshop about electric racing, called "Redefining Motorsports - A How-To Guide for Creating a Revolution in Speed." The Alternative Energy Summit takes place on September 13 and 14 as part of National Drive Electric Week, and is free to the public. Read more in the press release, below. BMW Debuts BMW Innovations Campaign Showcasing Key Technology Features. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 27, 2014... BMW of North America will introduce a new campaign, BMW Innovations, which will highlight how the range of BMW vehicles share several key technology features with the visionary BMW i8, a plug-in hybrid high-performance vehicle.

BMW's new strategy: Electric everything

Mercedes isn't the only car maker determined to beat Tesla before it gets huge. Sources speaking to German business daily Handelsblatt claim that BMW is in the midst of planning an executive shuffle that will also include a big shift in its electric vehicle strategy. While the company would still offer ground-up EV designs like the i3, the new strategy would greenlight electric versions of some of BMW's most important vehicles, including the 3-series sedan, X4 crossover, and iconic Mini. If the leak is accurate, management is likely to approve the change at the end of September. We've asked BMW for its take on the report, although it declined to comment to Handelsblatt. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Munich crew change tack, though. While Tesla has received hundreds of thousands of Model 3 pre-orders, i3 sales dropped in 2016 – the upscale (if oddly-shaped) EV just isn't as hot as it once was. If BMW electrifies some of its most popular cars, you wouldn't have to choose between a super-efficient, eco-friendly EV and the familiar designs of the brand's mainstream driving machines.The story originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life.Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Vision Next 100 Concept View 38 Photos Green BMW MINI Electric Hybrid engadget