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BMW predicts US will be biggest i8 market

BMW will be showing a production version of its new i8 plug-in hybrid supercar at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and while we're quite excited about seeing the company's second i product in the flesh. According to a new report from Automotive News Europe, BMW is expecting its largest markets to be the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Notable for its absence in that list is everybody's favorite mega-market, China.
Automobilwoche, a German-language publication of Automotive News Europe, spoke with the i8's product manager, Hendrik Wenders, who declared, "The US will be by far the largest sales market for the i8." Wenders stops short of actual mentioning what percentage of i8 sales will be in the US, but does mention that it should arrive in showrooms around the world in about nine months. The simultaneous rollout will occur in 50 different countries.
Check back for our full coverage of the i8's debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. If you just can't wait until September, then check out our first drive of the i8 Prototype.

Refreshed BMW 6 Series sports an understated redesign in Detroit [w/video]

BMW is keeping its refresh for the 2015 6 Series family very subtle. The tweaks amount to an understated nose job for the luxury models and some new standard tech, as well. The Bavarian brand is definitely not going too far with this redesign for the vehicles, and they even remain mechanically the same. The most obvious change for the latest 6 Series models is the sharpened front end. BMW explains that the grille now features nine slats, rather than ten. Clearly, this is a major change in design. The lower air dam is slightly reworked to accentuate the vehicles' width, and, in addition, the four-door benefits from a tweaked window surround with the Gran Coupe name embossed near the rear doors. All versions also get standard full-LED headlights. Inside, there's high-gloss black trim covering the center and LEDs illuminating portions of the interior. Beyond these minor alterations, BMW is offering two new options packs for the family that tweak the looks. While the company doesn't have any earth-shattering changes in store, they are there. Try to spot the changes in the refreshed 6 Series models as they sit on the floor of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The new BMW 6 Series: Three Body Styles Rejuvenated and Ready to Take on the Competition Woodcliff Lake, N.J. - December 10, 2014 6:00pm EST/3:00pm PST... Through three generations, the BMW 6 Series has defined that unique blend of style and elegance with the performance and handling that one would expect of The Ultimate Driving MachineTM. For the 2015 model year the third-generation of BMW 6 Series receives a range of enhancements that refine the character that is unique to the 6 Series. Now offered in three distinct body styles – traditional two-door Coupe, open-air Convertible and unique four-door Gran Coupe – all three are again offered with a choice of BMW TwinPower Turbo engines, the 315 horsepower inline-six in the 640i models and the 445 horsepower V8 in the 650i models. Sitting at the top of the 6 Series range, in terms power and performance, is the BMW M6 with its 560 horsepower M TwinPower Turbo V8, again available in all three body styles. The 2015 BMW 6 Series will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show and arrives in US showrooms in the first quarter of 2015. Sports performance and luxury – a combination rich in tradition. The new BMW 6 Series model range follows in a BMW tradition of legendary dream cars which now stretches back more than 75 years.

BMW 2 Series Convertible goes for a drive in the cold

The BMW 2 Series is the car that will eventually replace the 1 Series here in the United States (remember: the 1 Series moniker will live on to describe the hatchback models in other markets), and while we've seen the new coupe out on the prowl, we're now seeing the droptop version out on the road. We don't have much information about the new 2er models, only that they are expected to bow sometime in 2014.
Dimensionally, the new 2 Series convertible looks very similar in size to its outgoing 1 Series kin, with things like the roofline and roof shape looking nearly identical. Of course, reworked front and rear fascias are immediately noticeable, and judging by what little we can see, it appears as though the small BMW will take many of its design cues from the larger 3 Series rather than the oft-awkward-looking 1 Series hatch that's currently available in Europe.
Assuming things are still on track for 2014, we won't rule out a possible debut in Geneva, though the Frankfurt expo in September makes even more sense.