BMW i Series 2014 News

The i8 2+2 seater is a striking design with groundbreaking technology and points the way towards forthcoming BMW sporty cars in style and powertrains. A genuine performance vehicle, the i8 delivers impressive fuel economy and low emissions -- worthy of a small car.It pairs light weight with optimised aerodynamics and cutting-edge BMW eDrive technology using a compact, turbocharged 1.5-litre BMW TwinPower turbo petrol engine and "intelligent" energy management.It marks the next stage in the evolution of the Efficient Dynamics strategy. The body features a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell and is in fact a low weight plug-in hybrid vehicle.The i8 can operate solely on electric power, which means no tailpipe emissions, and offers the dynamic performance of a sports car, with an expected 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.4 seconds. The BMW i8's plug-in hybrid system is specific to this model. The 170kW three-cylinder engine drives the rear wheels and a 96kW electric motor drives the front wheels for a combined maximum output of 266 kW and 570 Nm of torque.This configuration also offers all-electric driving capability with a range of up to 35 kilometres and a top speed of 120 km/h. Calculated using the EU test cycle for plug-in hybrid vehicles, the average fuel consumption of the BMW i8 will be less than 2.1 litres/100km. Full pricing and specification for the BMW i8 will be available soon. 

BMW has launched its electric 'i' sub-brand in Australia with an event in Sydney to introduce the first cars. On hand was both the all-electric i3 family hatchback and the M1-inspired hybrid supercar.BMW managing director Phil Horton introduced the cars and the pricing for the two model, three variant i3. The i3 will start from $63,900 plus on-roads for the battery-only version and $69,900 for the range-extender version. The i3 will have its local launch in September.The i8 hybrid supercar will launch later, with deliveries expected to begin in December. Prices of around $300,000 are being bandied about by other publications, but nothing has been confirmed.BMW says the electric i3 is capable of 170km on a single charge, with the Range Extender version capable of 300km between charges. Both figures assume extremely careful driving and possibly a force 4 tailwind.The i8 relies a lot more on its turbocharged, three cylinder 1.5 litre engine. The internal combustion unit produces 170kW that, with the front-mounted electric motor slings the i8 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds and on to a limited 250km/h. You can also pootle for 35km on electric only power and charge it from a powerplug at home.Both cars can be fast-charged with a BMW-supplied wallbox that increases the current and roughly halves the charge time. Before launch the company will also announce its public battery charging partner, expected to be Chargepoint as it's the only one left after Better Place went under.Both cars are built on an aluminium chassis with a carbon fibre bodyshell. Open the doors on either and you can see the carbon fibre weave, giving the cars a lovely handmade feel (in a good way).After you step over the slightly wide sill of the i8 and drop down into the driver's seat, the car is surprisingly spacious. There's plenty of headroom for even those over six feet tall or with extra tall hair.Back seat passengers would have to cross their legs, however. While the seat is incredibly low, the view forward is expansve as the bonnet drops away. Vision to the rear isn't so great, but the reversing camera which is displayed on the standard 10.6-inch screen should sort that out.The doors open like the McLaren F1's in dihedral fashion and are very light to use, with just a little effort to pull them down. Again, if you're of average height, you won't have to hoist yourself out of the seat to reach the handle. Both cars feature what BMW calls "next premium" materials to clothe the interior.The i8's simpler material mix shares a recycled material for doorcappings made from recycled plastics and rubber. It doesn't sound great but actually looks and feels good, with an unusual (for now) texture. The i3 adds to this with woollen and leather upholstery and a wave of open-pore eucalyptus across the dashboard.BMW isn't expecting big sales numbers for either car, with twenty pre-orders for the i3 and 15 for the i8. 

The first BMW electric car has gone on sale in Australia today -- but the German car maker wants Australian taxpayers to cover $10,000 of its $64,000 price, and even get tolls waived on some roads.The BMW i3 will be only the third electric car to be sold in Australia when it arrives in showrooms by the end of the year.  Despite the global push towards electric vehicles, figures show Australians have been slow to embrace petrol-free driving because of the high price of the technology and concerns about being left stranded between power points.Indeed, the first electric car that went on sale in Australia, the Mitsubishi iMiev, has already been withdrawn from showrooms after slow sales. And the second electric car to arrive, the Nissan Leaf, is currently being discounted by almost $20,000 -- to $39,990 drive-away -- in an attempt to give it a jump start.Of the 266,370 vehicles sold in Australia so far this year, just 42 were electric cars, or 0.015 per cent of the market, according to figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. Nevertheless, BMW believes the i3 will reverse the trend and wants taxpayers to help.BMW Australia boss Phil Horton said the company is speaking with state and federal government to make the i3 cheaper.  "Part of the issue that we have in Australia is there are so many layers of government," said Mr Horton. "But we've had initial meetings with Federal Government and those have been quite promising.Mr Horton said BMW Australia was "not asking for a specific subsidy". However, he said: "Our aspiration in the fullness of time is that we would get something like they have in the UK or some other markets where you get either a straightforward $10,000 subsidy because you're buying an electric car, or ... a waiver on some part of the on-road charges." Mr Horton said he was also trying to negotiate "a waiver of tolls on electric cars"."There are whole range of things that (governments) could do, whether or not they will do them is a different thing," said Mr Horton. BMW believes its electric will succeed even though others have failed because it will be available with pure electric power or with a "range extender", a tiny two-cylinder petrol engine that almost doubles the maximum driving range from 160km to 300km."So why is it going to be different for us? Without taking the arrogant overtones of it, we're a premium brand, it's a premium price for the car, but we think it's a premium car," said Mr Horton."I think (Australia) is more ready than it probably has been before. It would certainly help if we had more, and you hear this from all the manufacturers, assistance from government."This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Lighter is better. Less weight improves handling while increasing efficiency and performance, so even mainstream automakers are really beginning to push the boundaries of lightweight vehicle construction in order to meet emissions regulations and performance expectations.When the BMW i3 electric city car launches it will be the first economy car sold in Australia to make extensive use of carbon-fibre and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The i3 employs a carbon-fibre passenger cell – like an F1 car or McLaren 12C - while all of its body panels are made of CFRP, so despite lugging heavy batteries around it is very light.Using lessons learned during the development of its new ‘i’ models, BMW is set to push the carbon-fibre envelope even further by introducing wheels made of the lightweight material. During BMW’s Innovation Days in Munich, the brand displayed two types of lightweight wheels; one featuring a carbon rim with alloy spokes which is around 25 percent lighter than an all-alloy equivalent. And one all-carbon design which is 35 percent lighter than an alloy.Carbon wheels have previously been sold by aftermarket manufacturers in limited numbers at ridiculous prices, but BMW is the first automaker to develop them in-house. The German brand has indicated that these wheels are not planned for production or EU approval, however overseas reports suggest we could see the innovative lightweight wheels on BMW products within two years. The company is also finding uses for its secondary carbon-fibre – the scraps from i3 and i8 production. These offcuts are chopped up and mixed together with plastic molecules to create a material that will replace aluminium, magnesium and steel in semi-structural components like steering wheels, seat frames and even dash board support structures. And because this new material is made from what would normally be considered waste, it’s cheaper than magnesium and other lightweight metals.BMW now just needs to prove to the regulators that these carbon components are strong enough and safe enough to be used on the road.

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Toyota’s FT-1 concept was arguably the star of the 2014 Detroit motor show -- prompting considerable comment about whether or not it points to a successor for the iconic Supra – with an outright perfo

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | $59,000-$100,000LUXURY CARSAudi A8: Audi will refresh its A8 flagship sedan lineup by mid-2014, with subtle styling tweaks and interior details, along with shuffled drivetrain options. (Approximately $188,000-$249,000)Audi RS7 Sportback: Essentially a five-door hatch version of the existing RS6 Avant, the RS7 will arrive in February with sleeker Sportback styling than the wagon, and the same 412kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. 0-100km/h is the same 3.9 seconds too. (Approximately $240,000)Bentley Continental GT S: While Bentley prepares its first SUV model, there’s not much else in store for 2014 from the legendary Brit aside from powered-up new S models added to the V8 Continental GT lineup. (Approximately $380,000)Jaguar XJR: Jaguar will add the new XJR to its XJ big sedan lineup in the first quarter, with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 performance flagship to sit above the existing Supersport range-topper. (Approximately $350,000)Lexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli: 2014 is set to be a big year for Maserati, with the new Quattroporte (Approximately from $250,000) arriving in V6 form in January, and V8 form in February, with the return of the smaller Ghibli sedan ( Approximately from $150,000) in March.Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Mercedes will cap its local S-Class sedan lineup in January, with the arrival of the $385,000 S63 AMG high performance model. The 430kW/900Nm twin-turbo V8 S63 will sit above the existing S350 and S500 models, and be joined by the diesel-electric S350 BlueTec hybrid and twin-turbo V6 S400 variants by June. (Approximately $250,000-$385,000)Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe: Mercedes’ upcoming S-Class Coupe is expected down under before the year’s end, with the yet to be officially revealed new model replacing the existing CL coupe models. A drop-top version is also planned, and a V8 and V12 petrol-only lineup is expected with an entry price north of $300,000 likely.Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid: The plug-in Panamera E-Hybrid is also due early in the year, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and 70kW electric motor to enable 3.1L/100km fuel use with 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $296,900)SUV/4WDLand Rover Range Rover: Before mid-year, Land Rover will add a range-topping lineup (Approximately $250,000) with new hybrid versions of it and the Sport expected before the end of the year. (Approximately $102,000-$182,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAston Martin V12 Vantage S: Aston will add its fastest model this side of the ultra-exclusive One-77 in the first quarter of this year, in the form of the track-ready V12 Vantage S coupe. (Approximately $450,000)BMW M3 and M4: BMW’s new M3 and M4 mid-size performance heroes are set to arrive after mid-year, with the move to twin-turbo six power resulting in the fastest M3 to date, and matched by the renamed M4 coupe. (Approximately $124,000-$180,000)BMW i8: The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is expected to arrive before the year’s end, blending grand tourer luxury with 4.4 second 0-100km/h acceleration and 2.5L/100km fuel economy. (Approximately $200,000)Ferrari 458 Speciale: The first of 60 Australian examples of Ferrari’s hardcore 458 Speciale are set to arrive before mid-year, with the lighter, more powerful track-focused special able to lap Fiorano 1.5 seconds faster than the old Enzo flagship. (Approximately $550,000)Jaguar F-Type Coupe: Jaguar will add the recently unveiled Coupe version of its stunning F-Type in the third quarter, with the 20kg lighter V6, V6 S and V8 S variants also expected to slightly undercut their soft-top counterparts on price. The Coupe-only F-Type R will sit at the top of the hardtop range, with the 404kW/680Nm spec V8 promising 0-100km/h acceleration in the order of 4.2 seconds. (Approximately $125,000-$200,000)Lamborghini Huracan: With the Gallardo now officially out of production, Lamborghini is keen to follow with its Huracan replacement to sit beneath the V12 Aventador models before June. The V10 Huracan is set to challenge Ferrari’s 458 with an uprated version of the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. From $428,000Nissan GT-R: Nissan will bring its latest incarnation of the GT-R performance coupe down under from March, with cosmetic upgrades the key changes for 2014. New LED headlights and taillights are changed for the first time since 2007, and mesh wheels keep Nissan’s giant-killer a fresh opponent for Porsche’s new 911 Turbo models. (Approximately from $170,000)Porsche 911 Turbo and GT3: Porsche will launch several key hi-po versions of the 991 911 to its Australian lineup in the first half of 2014, with the $359,800 Turbo and $441,300 Turbo S arriving first in coupe and convertible ($29,000 premium) guises, with the $294,000 track-oriented and now PDK-only GT3 soon after.Porsche 911 Targa: The new semi-convertible unveiled in Detroit will touch down in Australia before mis-year, with a new folding roof mechanism and all-wheel drive 4 and 4S versions. Both manual and PDK auto will be available, and prices will sit $2,300-$3,300 over existing Cabriolet models. (Approximately $247,900-$291,050)CONVERTIBLESAston Martin Vanquish Volante: For those who prefer their V12 Astons roofless and with a back seat, Aston will bring the Vanquish Volante to Australia in the first quarter of 2014. (Approximately $510,000)Bentley Continental GTC S: Like the hardtop GT, the soft top Continental GTC is set to score a powered up S model in 2014. (Approximately $420,000)BMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)   

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | over $100,000 LIGHT CARSBMW i3: BMW will bring the high tech i3 city car down under from September, with the pure-electric i3 BEV expected to start at about $60,000, and a range-extended i3 REX version with a 647cc petrol generator further up the price scale. (Approximately $60,000)SMALL CARSAudi A3 sedan: Audi will add a sedan version of its A3 small car to the existing Sportback hatch lineup from January, with the hot S3 version to follow in April, and the drop-top A3 Cabriolet (from about $57k) to complete the lineup in about September. (Approximately $65,000)BMW 2 Series: The discontinued 1 Series coupe will be replaced by the new 2 Series coupe in around May, and will likely mirror the petrol and diesel drivetrains of the existing 1 Series hatch. A soft-top convertible is also in the works, but its launch date is still up in the air. (Approximately $45,000-$85,000)FAMILY CARSInfiniti Q50: Infiniti models are set to become a more common sight on Australian roads before June, with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series-rivalling Q50’s arrival, boasting fresh styling, rear-wheel drive, and a choice of diesel or hybrid drivetrains. (Approximately $51,900-$73,900)Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Mercedes' new C-Class sedan and wagon are due around mid-year, with a range of new engines and an 80mm wheelbase stretch to help combat the also enlarged BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rivals. Drivetrain availability from launch will include the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre C180 and 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre C200 petrols, and the 125kW/400Nm 2.1-litre turbodiesel C220. A smaller diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and more powerful petrol engines will come later. (Approximately from $60,000)Tesla Model S: The long-awaited Tesla Model S pure-electric passenger car is due to arrive locally in the second quarter, with the five door hatch balancing style, performance, and all-electric tech in equal measures. (Approximately $80,000)Volvo S60 and V60: Volvo will introduce the first of its new Drive-E engines to the S60 sedan and V60 wagon range in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $49,000-$78,000)LUXURY CARSLexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)SUV/4WDAudi RS Q3: The company’s first RS-badged SUV will arrive in February, with the RS Q3 borrowing its 228kW/420Nm five-cylinder heart from the TTRS, and promising 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $81,900)BMW X1: The baby bimmer SUV is also in line for a refreshing in March, with styling and interior tweaks expected. (Approximately 46,000-63,000)BMW X5 sDrive 25d: BMW will add the first two-wheel drive X5 to the new 2014 lineup early in the year, with a price-leading $82,900 2.0-litre turbodiesel sDrive 25d undercutting the existing all-wheel drive xDrive 25d by $5000. (Approximately $82,900)Ford Territory: The Territory SUV will score SYNC-inclusive revisions by the end of the year, ahead of its 2016 fate. (Approximately $40,000-$63,000)Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: The stylish Range Rover Evoque is due for an update before June, with a new nine-speed auto delivering fuel economy gains of about 10 per cent, plus styling tweaks to bring it in line with the new full-size Range Rover and Sport models. (Approximately $50,000-$91,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)Volvo XC60: Volvo’s new Drive-E engines will also appear in the XC60 SUV in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $57,000-79,000)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAlfa Romeo 4C: Alfa will bring a limited number of its limited-build 4C sports car to Australia in around June, with the mid-engined, carbon-chassised performance hero expected to lob for as little as $75,000.Peugeot RCZ-R: Building on the brand’s reignited performance cred thanks to the excellent 208 GTi, the French brand will also add the hot RCZ-R to the lineup in the second quarter, with a highly tuned 199kW version of the existing petrol version’s 1.6-litre turbo. (Approximately $70,000)CONVERTIBLESBMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)  

German carmaker BMW is intent on making electric cars desirable with their little i3 city vehicle and sexy i8 sports car. The problem with both of those is that no matter how much a family desires them, neither model can practically do duty for the usual family chores of lugging people, gear and groceries.However a solution may be in the works, with BMW planning to stretch the i3's platform to build a new vehicle, tipped to be called the i5 according to UK website Autocar.Their report suggests the little car's 4000mm could be extended by just another 100mm of leg room in the back and another 150mm of rear overhang for extra cargo, to create a family-friendly electric package longer than the current Mini Countryman -- although the next Countryman is likely to be bigger than that as well.The i3's carbon-composite body is built onto a separate aluminium chassis 'skateboard' rather than integrated into the monocoque steel platform of a conventional vehicle, so stretching will be a simpler task involving extending the platform length -- and changing the design of the rear doors.But it could also mean the necessity of muscling up the drivetrain to cope with the extra load without penalising range. The i3 has a 130-160km range when powered entirely by the  lithium-ion battery pack feeding a 125kW/250Nm electric motor. And while the range is boosted to 300km by adding the optional 647cc rear-mounted motorcycle engine -- which tops up the battery charging but also adds 150kg of weight to the i3.Also watch: BMW i3 electric car video reviewWe've reported previously that BMW could build a range of body designs on the same rolling electric platform. And with the brand tipped to have already registered nameplates ranging from i1 up to i11, a volume-targeting family car is the next logical step for the birth of a new BMW sub-brand.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Mercedes-Benz could be working on its own answer to the electric BMW i3, according to a new report. Speaking with Reuters, Daimler CFO Bodo Uebber said the German giant will increase its focus on small cars, in a bid to lower the average age of its buyers.Uebber also said that Mercedes “could use more” involvement with Tesla -- the US electric car brand founded by Elon Musk – in which the German brand has held a stake since 2009.The first fruit of this technological alliance will be the B-Class Electric Drive, which will use a Tesla-supplied motor and battery system when it goes on sale internationally next year.While the B-Class is smaller than Mercedes’ conventional C, E and S class models, the Uebber’s words point to the possibility of electric variants of the smaller-again A-Class or CLA models, to sit above electric versions of the upcoming 2015 Smart Fortwo.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn