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BMW dismisses Tesla tie-up talk

Despite recent rumors to the contrary, don't expect to see much collaboration between Tesla and BMW in the near future. Based on some rather prickly statements from the German automaker, Elon Musk might have even burnt some bridges in Bavaria with his latest proclamations. The spat stems from Musk's recent interview with German magazine Der Spiegel where he discusses future collaboration with BMW on "battery technology or charging stations" and the possibility of a battery factory in Germany. But apparently, any future tie-ups are news to the Bavarian automaker. In an interview with the German business publication Wirtschafts Woche, an unnamed spokesperson for the company claims Musk said it all for PR value and swats down most of the statements. BMW has no intention of acquiring Tesla shares, and they aren't working together on any tech. There's not much chance for future cooperation on a battery factory in Germany, either. BMW believes that the cells can just as easily be purchased from suppliers, like other auto parts. The one slight concession is that the spokesperson said that the German automaker would be willing to supply Tesla with carbon fiber. That's not an exclusive offer, though, and the company is open to negotiate such a deal with any interested automaker.

BMW announces M235i xDrive, 7 Series Exclusive among summer upgrades

Like any automaker worth its lug-nuts, BMW is constantly striving to improve its products. And so it has announced a series of upgrades for the summer - none of them revolutionary, but a couple of them notable.
For one, the Bavarian automaker has announced that is is offering xDrive traction on the M235i coupe, a model that has been available until now only in rear-drive configuration. The all-wheel drive version comes with the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with 326 horsepower (320 in the US market) and eight-speed automatic transmission as the rear-drive version, but now channels that power to all four wheels for a 0-62 time quoted at 4.6 seconds - two little ticks quicker than the existing version. It's the first time that all-wheel drive is being offered on the 2 Series, and will also be fitted on the convertible - at least, that is, in Europe. We're waiting on confirmation of North American availability.
Among the other announcements is a special edition of BMW's flagship luxury sedan. The 7 Series Exclusive Edition upgrades with metallic paint, 19-inch V-spoke alloys, Nappa leather upholstery and a leather-trimmed instrument panel. Buyers will also be able to opt for the Merino fine grain leather and Alcantara roof lining from the BMW Individual catalog, and choose between any available engine or either wheelbase lengths.

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.