BMW i Series 2015 News

BMW to demonstrate fully-automated self-parking i3 electric car at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.BMW is set to demonstrate a prototype system that will automatically park a car in a multi-story car park without the use of GPS or the presence of a driver.Called the Remote Valet Parking Assistant, the technology combines onboard laser scanners with a map of car park's layout to enable the driver to exit the vehicle before it navigates itself through the structure autonomously.The car will then find an empty spot, park, lock itself and then wait to be summoned by the driver when they are ready to depart.The Remote Valet Parking Assistant is controlled via the driver's smartwatch, which also monitors the driver's location so the car can meet them at the car park exit.BMW says the same sensor technology can be used to bring crash-free driving closer to reality. Similar to the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems seen in existing vehicles, the system developed by the Bavarian car brand monitors 360-degrees around the car, and acts to stop the car when it detects an obstacle.BMW will showcase the new technology aboard an i3 - their all-new fully-electric car - bringing together its green drivetrains and driver safety systems.This isn't the first time BMW have dabbled in autonomous driving, however.In 2009 a development version of a modified 330i called the Track Trainer navigated the 22.8km, 154-corner Nordschleife circuit using the ideal racing line and at racing speeds.The BMW Track Trainer has also driven racing-speed laps at Laguna Seca in the US, Zandvoort in the Netherlands, Valencia in Spain as well as the Hockenheimring and Lausitzring in Germany.BMW's autonomous vehicle development continued in 2011, with a development vehicle taking to the motorway between Munich and Nuremberg without driver intervention (although one was present in the car).BMW's self-parking i3 will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show, which runs from January 6 to 9 in Las Vegas.

BMW's high performance plug-in hybrid now available for local test drives ahead of 2015 delivery.Although Australian customers won't be getting their hands on BMW's i8 before the start of next year, the German manufacturer’s first foray into the world of high performance plug-in hybrid powertrains is now available to test drive locally.The six specialist BMW ‘i dealerships’ across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide are now armed with i8 demo models to help whet Australian appetites for the innovative petrol-electric sports coupe.The $299,000 i8 is one of a raft of similar models being developed by manufacturers in the face of tightening emissions laws, with such petrol-electric drivetrains capable of mixing green-cred with performance. BMW's The i8’s overall design is focused on saving weightThe two-door, four seat coupe is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor coupled to a lithium-ion battery pack.The petrol engine drives the rear wheels and develops 170kW and 320Nm. The electric motor powers the front wheels and develops 96kW and 250Nm.The i8 also has a second, smaller (15kW/50Nm) electric motor that is used to start the petrol engine and recharge the 7.1kW/h liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack on the move.The battery pack can be charged with a standard household power outlet in two and a half hours, or in 1 hour 45 minutes hours through the optional BMW i Wallbox Pure charging unit.Three driving modes are available - Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport – which can adjust the drive experience between a 37km range of pure electric power, to using the full potential of both petrol and electric power sources to deliver 0-100km/h acceleration in a supercar-like 4.4 seconds.The i8’s overall design is focused on saving weight. The chassis is made up of carbon fibre and alloy and uses an innovative manufacturing process developed by BMW, and the outer skin from high-tech thermoplastic polymers, the same as the electric i3 hatchback.In the cabin, a magnesium panel houses the instruments while the air conditioning ducts are made from a foam-plastic material that provides further weight savings over more traditional materials. Even the glass in the windows is thinner than the norm.The i8’s satav system has the smarts to collect information on the status of the batteries, driving style, real-time traffic and topographical information in order to work out a route that maximises use of the electric engine.Customers will also have the option to hire a more traditional BMW for holidays etc, where a more practical vehicle may be needed.

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 

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)  

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 

One of the big magnets at Frankfurt motor show this year was the dynamic BMW i8 - but performance purists might be horrified to learn the Bavarian muscle car only has a three-cylinder turbo 1.5-litre petrol engine. And an electric motor.But the output is staggering: 170kW/320Nm from the tiny petrol motor and the rest from the electric power plant, for a total output of 266kW and a whopping 570Nm of torque. It goes to 100km/h in 4.4seconds and uses next to no fuel. Try 2.5litres/100km.It's an all-wheel drive model, with the electrics powering the front wheels and the three-potter the rear. Most of the body is of carbon fibre plastic, the suspension and other underbody parts are aluminium and the electric bit can be recharged at home in about four hours.BMW says the i8 is likely to go from concept to production in a matter of months and has even worked out a price for it: US$136,000. It might be a tad more if it comes to Australia.Ferrari produced a 458 Speciale, said to be its 'best V8 ever'. The blue-striped red coupe producing some pretty decent numbers: 445kW/540Nm, three seconds flat from standstill to 100km/h and a top speed of 325km/h.Across the passage Fiat had a flotilla of its cute littlies. There was the 500e, an electric powered one with a 140km range, the 63kW GQ Twinair, a turbo S version with 77kW and one called Living which offered a head-spinning 88kW.Plus a 500 Abarth circa 1959, one of the world's earliest mini hotties, alongside the latest and considerably bigger version. But Alfa Romeo's 4C was possibly the best of the Italian sporting machines, a lovely blend of style, performance and balance at a comparatively affordable price.