BMW’s third crossover-coupe, the X2, is coming next year

No stranger to niche models, BMW is developing a new segment-defying model that’s tentatively called X2.

When it goes on sale, the X2 will be billed as a slinkier, more sport-focused version of the second-generation X1 (pictured) that was introduced recently at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will feature a sleeker roof line than its more family-oriented sibling but its C-pillar won’t be as rakish and coupe-like as the X4‘s and the X6‘s, a concession made in order to give the passengers sitting in the back a relatively comfortable amount of head room.

Broadly speaking, the bulk of the interior components will be lifted straight from the X1 parts bin. That means the X2 will boast a familiar no-nonsense analog instrument cluster with four gauges, a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, and a center console that’s slightly oriented toward the driver.

Like the X1, the X2 will share its modular front-wheel drive platform — called UKL in BMW-speak — with the 2 Series Active Tourer that’s sold exclusively in Europe, and with the third generation of the MINI Hardtop, among others. In the United States, the X2 will launch with a transversally mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine tuned to send 228 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

A front-wheel drive entry-level model is expected to join the lineup a few months into the production run. At the other end of the spectrum, BMW’s M division will introduce a hot-rodded version of the X2 that could pack over 300 ponies under the hood.

BMW is expected to preview the X2 by revealing a close-to-production concept at a major auto show in the coming months. The production model will be unveiled shortly after, and it will go on sale as a 2017 model. It will cost a little more than the X1, which carries a base price of $34,800.

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BMW's sporty 2 Series coupe could gain an extra set of doors in 2019

The production version of the Concept Compact Sedan that BMW recently unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show will most likely be sold exclusively in China. However, a recent report finds the Munich-based company is preparing to take on the Mercedes-Benz CLA at home and on our shores with a second compact sedan based either on the sporty 2 Series (pictured) or on a new modular platform.

Tentatively called 2 Series Gran Coupe, BMW’s upcoming sedan will essentially be a more spacious version of the aforementioned 2 Series fitted with four doors. It is expected to stretch much longer than its two-door counterpart in order to offer a more spacious interior with an acceptable amount of head room for the passengers riding in the back. The Gran Coupe moniker suggests it will boast a sleek, coupe-like roof line instead of a more traditional design like BMW’s bread-and-butter 3 Series sedan.

Power will be provided by the same four- and six-cylinder engines used by the 2 Series. Buyers in Europe will have access to at least one diesel-burning mill, but it’s too early to tell if BMW will take on the 381-horsepower Mercedes-AMG CLA45 with a hot-rodded sedan powered by the M2’s 365-horsepower, 3.0-liter straight-six. The Gran Coupe will ship with rear-wheel drive, unlike the CLA, and select models will benefit from BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Enthusiast website BMW Blog speculates the 2 Series Gran Coupe will be introduced at a major auto show in 2019, and it will go on sale in Europe and in the United States shortly after. If that time frame is accurate, the sedan’s life cycle will be unusually short because a brand new 2 Series is set to make its debut in 2021. A lot can happen until then, so we’re cautiously taking the report with a grain of salt for the time being.

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Lamborghini’s lighter, RWD Huracán LP 580-2 will please purists, financial advisors

To say that the Huracán LP 610-4 has been a success for Lamborghini would be a massive understatement. Compared to the debut of the Gallardo – a car that Lamborghini has sold more of than all other models in the company’s history combined – Lamborghini has sold nearly twice as many LP 610-4 models in the first 16 months it has been on sale (3,169 Huracáns versus 1,751 Gallardos).

Considering this, it would be understandable for the Italian supercar maker to not want to mess with a good thing. But Lamborghini isn’t a company that likes to rest on its laurels, and as such, they’ve just unveiled a new variant of the Huracán: The LP 580-2, a model which promises even more thrilling driving dynamics while also cutting a sizable chunk out of the price tag in the process.

What’s New

One of the practices of modern Lamborghini that’s been particularly admirable is the way they go about naming their models. The alphabet soup associated with most vehicles on sale today typically has nothing to do with the actual particulars of the car (Mercedes-AMG and BMW, we’re looking your way), but that’s not the case here. As such, the LP 580-2 designates that this new Huracán model generates 580 (or 571 in American measurement) horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque from its naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10. Astute readers may notice this number is down about 30 horsepower from the LP 610-4, but there’s a good reason for that: The “2” in its name denotes that power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels in this new model, making this something of a purists’ special.

“The Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 continues the Lamborghini tradition of pure, visionary and technology-driven models,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “The rear-wheel drive model fits perfectly into our Huracán family, appealing to those wanting an even more intense driving experience, or who currently drive other rear-wheel drive marques and aspire to driving a Lamborghini. This is the purest expression of a Lamborghini to date, with class-leading technological refinements. It is a serious car for serious drivers: it is maximum driving fun.”

Without the extra mechanical bits and pieces required to send the power to all four corners, the LP 580-2 drops some weight compared to its all-wheel drive brethren. Dry weight now stands at a paltry 3,062 pounds, down some 73 pounds from the AWD coupe. Weight distribution shifts further back in the car, and now sports a 40 percent front and 60 percent rear weight bias. Dropping weight up front also benefits handling by reducing inertia on the front axle, which in turn should make this model less prone to understeer and far happier to dish out the tail happy shenanigans that are typical of high horsepower, rear wheel drive sports cars.

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Mercedes begins selling like-new classic cars through its official museum

Mercedes-Benz’s official museum has launched a lucrative new business called All-Time Stars that specializes in selling high-quality classic cars.

All-Time Stars’ inventory is divided into three distinct categories called Premium Edition, Collectors Edition, and Drivers Edition, respectively. Premium Edition cars are all-original machines with low miles that have been fully restored in-house by the experts at Mercedes-Benz Classic. Cars that fall in the Collectors Edition category are in excellent condition inside, outside, and under the hood, but they wear more patina than Premium Edition cars because they haven’t been fully restored.

Finally, Mercedes explains cars in the last group are aimed either at buyers who are looking for a vintage daily driver — instead of a better-than-new, concours-ready vehicle — or a small restoration project. Nice enough is as rough as it gets in Stuttgart, and All-Time Stars doesn’t dabble in ran when parked-style rust buckets, full-on projects or parts cars.

The oldest car currently offered for sale by the museum is a 1929 Type 630 Kompressor (pictured) listed at €850,000, a lofty sum that converts to about $912,000. The newest model is a 1999 SL 55 AMG Mille Miglia Edition, a 350-horsepower roadster of which only 10 examples were ever built. Other highlights include a 1979 450 SEL 6.9 with low miles, an ultra-rare 1967 230 S Universal station wagon, and a like-new 1993 280 TE wagon.

All cars regardless of how old they are and what category they slot into are given a thorough, 160-point inspection by an experienced Mercedes mechanic to ensure they’re described as accurately as possible to potential buyers. The inspector also notes what parts are original, what parts aren’t, and what components have been changed over the car’s life cycle.

All-Time Stars’ full inventory can be viewed online, but prospecitve buyers are encouraged to check out the cars in person by visiting the vast Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

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Mercedes-AMG celebrates its latest F1 title with a limited-edition A45

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team recently took first place in both the driver’s and the constructor’s championships. The car maker is celebrating the end of a remarkably successful season with a limited-edition version of the A45, AMG’s smallest model.

Appropriately called Champion Edition, the special A45 immediately stands out from its regular-production counterpart because it’s finished in silver with eye-catching dark green and black accents, a livery inspired by Mercedes’ winning F1 car. The paint job is complemented by a more aerodynamic body kit that includes new front bumper with a bigger splitter and fins and a sizable roof-mounted spoiler out back. 19-inch alloy wheels whose design is loosely inspired by the ones that the F1 car rides on wraps up the exterior modifications.

The cabin gains power-adjustable sport seats for the front passengers, green contrast stitching on the center console, on the dashboard and on the seat belts, as well as a metal plaque on the center console. Every Champion Edition comes loaded to the gills with features such as the Night package, the luxury-focused AMG Exclusive package, and the AMG Dynamic Plus package, which adds a rear-axle differential lock, an adjustable suspension with a race mode, and a sport steering wheel.

Mercedes-AMG hasn’t made any mechanical modifications to the commemorative A45. That’s not a bad thing, because the pocket rocket was recently updated with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates a healthy 381 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Bolted to a seven-speed automatic transmission that spins all four wheels, the turbo four sends the A45 from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed that’s electronically limited to 155 mph.

Buyers in Europe will be able to order the Mercedes-AMG A45 Champion Edition from January to May of 2016. Pricing kicks off at 65,402 euros, a sum that converts to nearly $70,000. To put that figure into perspective, the regular A45 carries a base price of 51,051 euros (approximately $54,000) in its home country of Germany.

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