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BMW Z5 roadster gets frosty in winter testing

The successor to the BMW Z4 (remember that thing?) is currently undergoing testing in what may be the least hospitable place for a two-seat roadster – northern Sweden. Yep, even sunshine-loving convertibles need to undergo winter testing. We still aren't 100-percent certain of the name, but rumors are pointing to BMW ditching the Z4 nomenclature in favor of Z5. As we've reported before, it's very likely that this car is being developed with help from Toyota. The platform underpinning the car shown here could become the long-awaited new Supra (albeit in hardtop-only form). We'd love to tell you about the look of this new car, but between the camouflage and the caked-on snow, it's hard to draw a bead. We can clearly see the headlights are inspired by newer BMWs like the 7 Series and 2 Series, but other details are harder to discern. The right elements are here, though. The prototype has a long hood and short rear deck. It's also worth pointing out that the car shown here marks a return to a canvas convertible roof. Aside from being less complex, our spies report that the soft top is being used to lower weight and provide sharper handling. While our report on the Z4's successor from March 2015 pointed to a 2020 launch date for the new roadster, our spies say the German part of this BMW/Toyota partnership could launch in late 2017 or early 2018 with four- and six-cylinder engine options. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Z5: Spy Shots Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos BMW Toyota Convertible Performance bmw z5

Toyota begins shipping Le Yaris to America

Our tiniest Toyota (Scion iQ notwithstanding) is about to get a little French flair. The Japanese automaker announced Thursday that its Toyota Motor Manufacturing France facility would begin building Yaris models destined for North America - specifically, the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. This will mark the first time in history that Toyota has exported vehicles to North America from Europe.
Initially, Toyota will export roughly 25,000 Yaris models to North American markets from France each year. In order to handle this additional production, Toyota Motor Manufacturing France has invested 10 million euro into its French facility.
Despite being somewhat of a snooze-fest (it's a car!), the Yaris carries on in North America with a 106-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with prices starting at $14,370 for the three-door and $15,395 for the five-door, not including $795 for destination.

Is this the fourth-gen Toyota Prius? [w/video]

A new video has appeared on Prius Chat of a camouflaged hatchback that just might be the next Toyota Prius. There's nothing here that concretely proves what we're looking at is the fourth-generation model of the world's best-selling hybrid, but upon first glace, the Prius guess makes sense. In an ironic twist, the car was caught because it needed gas. Prius Chat user Savior1974 says that the car was spotted on a drive between Las Vegas and California in Baker, CA. Savior1974 wrote, "As we are leaving we see a car dressed as it were being road tested. Upon further inspection it looks like it might be a Prius. I took a quick video as I drove by but it's not the best quality." The launch of the next-gen Prius has been delayed because of more work that was needed to make the car more efficient and to improve the styling. Work on getting the Prius to work well with the new Toyota New Global Architecture platform also needed more time. Last summer, we heard rumors that the Prius' new design would be finalized in November 2014. There are a few points to keep in mind that might point to this being something other than the next Prius. First, the all-black, electrical-tape-style camo is not the normal wrap that the Toyota Technical Center uses for testing (compare with these early shots of the Prius C and these other fourth-gen Prius spy shots). Second, the Baker grade between Las Vegas and California (where the video was shot) is full of vehicles being tested by any number of automakers. Nonetheless, the lines of this car do look like a Prius, so we leave you with a gallery of stills from the video and, of course, the video itself, above.