the new BMW 7

BMW has detailed a few of the high-tech features that will be available on the next-gen 7 Series.

Surprisingly, the 7 will inaugurate BMW’s remote-controlled parking technology. Owners who order the option will be able to maneuver the sedan in and out of tight parking spots by controlling the gas, the brakes and the steering using buttons located on a purpose-designed key fob. The system will only work at ultra-low speeds, meaning it won’t be possible to send the 7 to the store and back without a driver.

The 7 will also usher in the latest generation of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system. For the first time ever, passengers will be able to operate iDrive using either a touch screen, hand gestures or the controller knob found in most modern BMWs. The redesigned infotainment system will gradually trickle down to smaller members of the BMW family.

Official technical details are still few and far between but the Munich-based automaker promises the 7 will be available with a wide selection of four-, six- and twelve-cylinder engines. A plug-in hybrid model will likely join the lineup later in the production run, and German media outlets are reporting that a 600-horsepower M7 will be introduced in 2016.

The 7 will also benefit from technology gleaned from BMW’s i sub-brand. In its lightest configuration, the flagship will weigh nearly 300 pounds less than the current model thanks to the widespread use of carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic in its construction. The diet is expected to noticeably improve the 7’s gas mileage and make it a lot more nimble to drive.

BMW will publish additional details about the next-gen 7 Series in the coming months. The sedan will greet the public for the first time next fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it is expected to go on sale in about a year as a 2017 model.

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A new straight-six engine is just the tip of the iceberg for the 2016 BMW 3 Series

BMW has announced that the compact 3 Series is getting a handful of significant updates for the 2016 model year.

One of the most important modifications is the addition of a brand new turbocharged all-aluminum 3.0-liter straight-six engine called B58 internally. The six-cylinder produces 320 horsepower between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm and 330 foot-pounds of torque starting at just 1,380 rpm.

Called 340i, the new range-topping 3er comes standard with an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, but an enthusiast-friendly six-speed manual gearbox with a rev-matching function is available as a no-cost option. The automatic 340i sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds when it is ordered with rear-wheel drive, and it performs the same task in 4.6 seconds when purchased with BMW’s optional xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Confirming a long-standing rumor, BMW has announced plans to launch the first-ever plug-in hybrid 3 Series next year. Called 330e, the sedan will be powered by a fuel-sipping hybrid drivetrain made up of a small turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline-burning engine and a compact electric motor built into a model-specific eight-speed automatic transmission. Together, the two power sources will generate about 250 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque, enough to send the gas-electric 3 from zero to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Alternatively, the motor will be able to power the 3 by itself for up to 22 miles.

The 3 Series Sports Wagon benefits from a revised suspension setup, an updated Dynamic Stability Control system and a redesigned electric power steering system. BMW promises the updates noticeably improve the wagon’s handling and feedback under all load conditions.

Buyers planning on taking their 3 to the track can order the Track Handling Package. Not available on the diesel-burning 328d, the package bundles BMW’s Variable Sport Steering system, an Adaptive M suspension, M Sport brakes with blue calipers and high-temperature Euro brake pads as well as 18-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin Super Sport Tires.

The 3 Series alone accounts for 25 percent of BMW’s global sales so the Munich-based automaker is very careful when it updates it. Accordingly, the visual modifications for 2016 are discreet and largely limited to new bumpers on both ends, new exhaust tips, new halogen headlights, and full LED tail lamps. Most models can be ordered with an Adaptive Full LED Headlights with Automatic High-beam System, a first in the nameplate’s history, while the expected assortment of new alloy wheel designs and paint colors round out the updates.

The interior is spruced up with high-gloss black trim on the center console, new ambient lighting, cup-holder covers and chrome accents all around. An additional storage bin located next to the cup holders allows the passengers to store small items.

The 2016 BMW 3 Series will go on sale across the nation in the next few weeks, while the plug-in hybrid 330e is not expected to land in showrooms for another year or so.

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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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