2014 BMW i3 and i8

2014 BMW i3 and i8

BMW is hard at work building its new i sub-brand, and we’ve got photos of the Spirograph-embellished development vehicles to prove it. The two cars spied here—the smaller i3 and the high-performance i8—will be the first electrified models from the new project. Both are expected to show up in 2013, likely as 2014 models.

BMW i3

The i3, formerly known as the megacity vehicle, is the better-camouflaged of the two. The head- and taillights are strictly for illumination during testing; the production elements will be integrated into the aerodynamic body. Camo covers the i3’s take on the Hofmeister kink (the trademark element can be seen better on the i8 as a pinched rear side window), while another unseen item, the BMW kidney grille, is promised for the production model. The grille will be ringed in blue to denote the car’s inclusion in the new i sub-brand. Only one door per side is visible, although additional openings, possibly of the rear-hinged variety, may be covered by the wrapper.

Underneath the demented paisley are a carbon-fiber passenger cell and an aluminum chassis. This small city car will use costly lightweight materials to offset the weight of its batteries. A short front overhang and truncated “hood” allow BMW to offer a big interior in this hatchback’s small footprint. While it’s tough to gauge the i3’s exact size from these shots, we do know that it is larger than a Mini Cooper.

BMW i8

When last we spied development mules of the i8, the car wore some 6-series body panels along with elements of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept on which it’s based. OK, so those weren’t technically spy shots, as BMW itself supplied the photos through a don’t-look-at-this-but-please-do microsite at dontblogaboutthis.com (it now redirects to a bmw.com subpage). The cladding has come off once again, revealing a car that looks very similar to the 2009 concept. BMW doesn’t seem too intent on hiding the car’s space-age design since we’ve already seen it; it’s a refreshing attitude in the world of camo’d future metal.

The production version of the i8 will use a powertrain similar to the concept’s, with a battery pack and electric motor working with some kind of internal-combustion engine. A diesel was used in the Vision ED, although we hear BMW may switch to a gas-fired unit, fearing buyers of the ultra-expensive laboratory on wheels might look down on a compression-ignition lump. The plug-in hybrid coupe will top the BMW range, packing the most current lightweight and fuel-saving technologies, and demanding the most currency as a result.

BMW, BMW 6-series Coupe Concept

BMW, BMW 6-series Coupe Concept

Lately, BMW has been previewing its new production cars with 95-percent production-accurate “concepts” at major auto shows. At the 2010 Paris auto show, BMW is giving a glimpse of where it’s taking the 6-series coupe, and from the looks of it, the final product may become the most emotional thing in BMW’s lineup.

Immediately, the 6 concept appears stronger, more sculpted, and more harmoniously designed than the outgoing production model, which has a number of awkward “moments.” The face greets the world with a brighter gaze, thanks to higher-set all-LED headlamps that are cropped top and bottom by black trim, imparting both sophistication and a bit of aggression. The kidney grille becomes a true piece of jewelry, with glass inserts along the top ridge. Beneath all of that is a full-width air intake with LED fog lamps. It’s a busy nose, but one that is more attractive in pretty much every way than that of the 2010 6-series.

As with other recently redesigned Bimmers, flame surfacing is out, replaced by hardened lines above the waist and softer, more billowing surfaces below. Most notable are the swollen front fenders, after which a sharp, chiseled upper body emerges with its chopped greenhouse. And in back, there’s not much to say other than, “Hello, light-tube taillights; goodbye, Bangle butt.”

Sultry Interior

Expect more elegance inside the next 6er, too, if we can believe much of what’s been previewed here. An all-glass roof floods the beige interior with light, the better to see the flowing, driver-oriented dash and center-console lines, as well as the freestanding, chrome-rimmed 10.2-inch iDrive interface screen. Individual rear buckets that BMW says offer “first-class” comfort for long journeys seems to imply that the company is taking rear-seat comfort seriously with the next 6, something we applaud if it bears true. Notable features include matte-finish wood trim, a head-up display, and a 16-speaker surround-sound stereo by Bang & Olufsen.

BMW isn’t saying what powers this concept, or what might power the production version, which we expect to be on our roads within a year or so. Nor does it mention if there will be an attempt to reduce mass in any meaningful way, but the next 6-series will remain closely related to its 5- and 7-series brethren. We expect to get at least two non-M versions—a 640i and a 650i with turbocharged inline-six and V-8 engines, respectively. We should eventually see a convertible version as well as an M6, the latter with the more-powerful twin-turbo V-8 that will motivate the 2011 M5.

BMW also is poised to expand the 6er lineup beyond coupe and droptop body styles: The company has confirmed plans to build the Gran Coupé four-door, and it likely will be badged as a 6-series.

2012 BMW, 2012 BMW 650i Convertible

2012 BMW, 2012 BMW 650i Convertible

If you are shopping for a 6-series convertible, please accept our congratulations. According to BMW market research, this is your third or fourth car—not ever, mind you, but currently.

To snag such customers, the Bavarians start with style. Although the previous-generation 6 ushered in an almost iconoclastic era of BMW design, the new 6, styled by Nader Faghihzadeh, returns somewhat to the elegance of the first-generation 6 introduced in 1976. From every angle, the new car looks low and wide and oozes a subtle but unmistakable aggressiveness. The front end features a new fog-light style—executed with LEDs—and a hint of the shark nose that had all but disappeared from BMWs. Thankfully, the 650i uses an evolution of the previous car’s fabric roof instead of a heavy folding hardtop.

Inside, the new 6 is far better executed than the old. It is more driver-oriented, befitting a car with sporting aspirations—particularly a BMW. It is easy to find a comfortable seating position, at least up front. The rear seat remains as tight as before, but it is possible to take along two friends for short distances without jeopardizing the friendship.

Twin Turbos Underhood

Europe gets a 640i with an inline-six and will soon see a turbo-diesel as well. The only model for the U.S. market is the 650i, powered by BMW’s twin-turbocharged 400-hp, 4.4-liter V-8. With 450 lb-ft of torque, it simply leaves the last-gen 650i—and its naturally aspirated 4.8-liter eight—in the dust. The 2012 car always seems to have extra power in reserve, and it pulls relentlessly to its governor, which is set at a low 130 mph for regular models and 150 mph on those with the optional Sport package.

Some credit for this car’s responsiveness goes to the transmission, the ZF 8HP70 eight-speed automatic. It shifts quickly and efficiently, and its extremely tall top gear helps keep fuel consumption at acceptable levels. But if you hustle it, the 650i still slurps gas. Figure on real-world fuel economy somewhere around 12 to 14 mpg if you’re going to play hard.

More rewarding than talk of efficiency is the great soundtrack of the V-8. We’ve experienced this engine elsewhere, but here, BMW tinkered with the ignition timing to achieve a delicate burble in the exhaust whenever the automatic shifts. And with so many gears to choose from, it shifts a lot.

Wait. Who Wanted What?

As nicely as the eight-speed box works, we’re glad a six-speed manual is still available—in the U.S., anyway. European customers, it seems, are embracing the idea of modern automatics being sportier than manuals. It remains to be seen whether the manual transmission sells in relevant numbers here. “The Americans clamor for it, but then they don’t buy it,” a BMW engineer complains.

BMW talks at length about weight-reducing technologies, but this car is porkier than the one it replaces. According to BMW, it now tips the scales at a whopping 4500 pounds, up from its predecessor’s 4300. The new 6 loses the old car’s complex aluminum front structure but makes liberal use of plastic and aluminum panels.

The chassis, with a multilink suspension front and rear, does an impressive job of masking the extra pounds. Equipped with the optional active roll stabilization, it provides exceptional roadholding, making it difficult to unsettle the car even on rough pavement. The stability system doesn’t allow for much oversteer even in sport plus mode, which triggers a gratuitous but legally required warning in the instrument panel when selected. You can turn off stability control almost all the way, but it will still kick in if you hit the brakes in a slide, remaining switched off after recovery. As in other BMWs, the other chassis settings are sport, normal, and comfort.

Help Wanted at the Helm

Unfortunately, the electric steering is a reason to stay away from the sportier modes. As in the new 5-series, the steering is slightly numb on-center and feels artificially heavy, but the synthetic feel is less noticeable in comfort and normal. You can tinker with the system settings individually, but no combination will charm you.

The steering feel and the V-8’s drinking habits are the only drawbacks of an otherwise wonderful car that looks like a BMW should. The regular 6-series doesn’t have many competitors, although the even burlier M6 will return with a thoroughly reworked version of the same engine that could reach close to 600 hp. The somewhat-lighter 650i coupe will trail the convertible by six months. Whichever 6-series you choose for that fourth car, just be sure to spec the manual transmission.

BMW

BMW
The gap between the 5- and 7-series has finally been realized, thanks to the unveiling of the all-new 6-series. The new 645Ci is powered by the 325-hp, 4.4-liter V-8 from the 745i and upcoming 545i. Europeans have the option of a smaller-displacement V-8. The 3500-pound 645Ci will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds, says the company.

BMW will throw all its technology at the 645Ci, including Active Front Steering (variable-ratio steering), an optional head-up display, optional adaptive headlights that swivel to the side in turns for better illumination, and a modified version of the iDrive information/entertainment control system. Unlike the 7-series, there will be enough room on the center console for the shifter. You can have your shifter connected to a six-speed automatic, six-speed traditional manual, or six-speed paddle-shift manual. The 645Ci should start at about $69,000 when the car goes on sale here early in 2004. A convertible version will go on sale next summer.

BMW, BMW Alpina B6 GT3 Race

BMW, BMW Alpina B6 GT3 Race

Based on the last-gen BMW 7-series, the 500-hp B7 supersedan was the last product available in the U.S. from tuner/carmaker/BMW specialists Alpina. A B7 building upon the all-new 2009 7-series is on its way—it debuts at this year’s Geneva show—but Alpina hasn’t yet confirmed that it will make it stateside. That’s the bad news.

The good news? If you’re an American and absolutely have to have a new Alpina—and happen to own a racing team—the company confirms to us that its 6-series-based B6 GT3 race car, which is also making its first public showing in Geneva, is available for any U.S. racing team interested in campaigning the car. Alpina also says the B6 GT3 will be made available to collectors and other clients of the company.

The B6 GT3 marks Alpina’s official return to racing following a 20-year hiatus and is intended to compete in the FIA European GT3 championship, where the company will field two factory cars against models from Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and Porsche, among others. The Alpina factory drivers have yet to be announced.

The B6 GT3 is motivated by a 530-hp, 4.4-liter supercharged V-8 with 535 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed Xtrac sequential gearbox. Weight is less than 3000 pounds, and Alpina says the racer can jet to 62 mph from a standstill in 3.9 seconds. Top speed—notated as occurring on the Nürburgring Nordschleife—is a claimed 177 mph.

2012 BMW

2012 BMW

Along with the X3, the 6-series is the oldest BMW on the market. Launched at the Frankfurt auto show in the fall of 2003, the current car has carried on for seven years, supported by a convertible version launched in 2004 and a very modest face lift in late 2007. Now it's time to move on, and this is what we believe the next-generation 6-series will look like. It will be launched in late 2010 or early 2011 and draw heavily from the Gran Coupé concept car BMW unveiled at the Beijing auto show earlier this year.

Stylistically, the next 6 will be less bulky than the current model, which—back in 2003—was the second Bangle-fied blow absorbed by BMW loyalists after the portly 2001 7-series. With LED running lights and BMW’s characteristic air intakes below the headlights, the next 6 will launch with styling elements that undoubtedly will prove less controversial than the outgoing model's protruding posterior. It will look leaner, tighter, and more aggressive than the current model.

Power initially will come from BMW’s 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and 400-hp, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. Europe will get a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel likely rated around 320 hp, but we doubt it will be offered in the U.S. We will, however, get another M6, which—like the next M5—will be powered by a high-output version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 rated as high as 580 hp. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a manual-transmission option. The current-generation V-10 M5 and M6 were launched with the automated SMG transmission only, but U.S. customers forced BMW to hastily add a six-speed manual—a lesson unlikely to be forgotten soon. If this engine portfolio sounds awfully similar to that of the 5-series, that's because under the skin—as has been the case since the 6-series debuted in the late ’70s—the 5 is the 6's closest sibling, even though the coupe poses as a sportier, slightly downsized 7-series.

Just as it does with the current model, BMW will offer a coupe and a convertible, and we expect the latter to keep its traditional fabric roof. But this time around, there likely will be a third variation: a sedan—which inevitably will be dubbed a "four-door coupe"—to compete with the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Judging from the four-door Gran Coupé concept, it will be beautiful enough to make us forget the 6’s stylistic sins of the recent past.

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

Having seen the 6-series coupe concept in Paris just a few weeks ago, we’re in no way surprised by the styling of the 2012 650i convertible. What is a bit of a surprise is that BMW chose to display the 6-series coupe concept in L.A., showing only images of this production car during its press conference at the show. Now, the car has appeared in the metal at the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Looks Greatly Improved, Top Still Goes Down

As previewed on the coupe concept, the somewhat ungainly 6-series has evolved into a well-tailored grand tourer, taking more than a few aesthetic cues from the recent 5- and 7-series redesigns. Changes from the concept are few and subtle, aside from the differing roof executions, of course. The front and rear fascias have been toned down a bit, with the biggest difference being the exhaust finishers that route below (instead of through) the rear valance. All of the lighting elements—adaptive xenon headlights and LEDs for all other functions—have been redesigned for real-world use, and, this being a convertible, the CHMSL has been moved to the trunklid.

As on the previous 6er droptop, a flying-buttress top is used here, as is an independently opening, power rear window. Lowering the roof is said to take 19 seconds, while raising it again requires 24. As with the previous model, the roof can be operated at vehicle speeds of up to 25 mph. Color choices for the cloth roof are black and beige. The car’s wheelbase and length grow by about three inches and it’s 1.5 inches wider than the outgoing model. As with the 5-series, the 6 gets an aluminum hood and doors, with reinforced plastic being used for the front fenders, tonneau panel, and trunklid.

Ought to Go Pretty Fast

The 50i suffix on this car means BMW’s increasingly ubiquitous 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 lives below its sculpted hood. Output is rated at 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque—just as in the 5 and 7 sedans—increases of 40 hp and 90 lb-ft over the outgoing 650i’s naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8. The V-8 comes with a standard six-speed manual or a ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic; interestingly, BMW’s release on the car claims the former is “quite popular with North American enthusiasts.” We’re awfully proud. BMW projects 4.9-second 0-to-60-mph times for 650i convertibles with either transmission. The U.S.-market 6-series also will join other new BMWs in including a clutched alternator to help efficiency.

As for other powertrains, we expect M versions of both the coupe and convertible to rejoin the lineup a year or so in the future. Power will come from a higher-output version of the twin-turbo eight, with as much as 580 hp. The next M6 should get a dual-clutch transmission and, hopefully, retain a three-pedal option.

Chassis Tech and Classy Tech

Another unsurprising inclusion is BMW’s Driving Dynamics Control system, which lets drivers choose between four driving modes to tailor throttle response, power-steering assistance, the adaptive suspension, and transmission behavior (for auto-equipped models). Tweakability aside, our hope is that the electric power steering is an improvement over the 5-series sedan’s; the setup’s lack of feel and communication contributed to a 535i’s last-place finish in a three-way comparison test. Optional items—which then can also be fiddled with through DDC—include active roll stabilization and four-wheel active steering.

The interior is a slightly more driver-focused iteration of what’s found in the 5- and 7-series. There’s a separate binnacle hood in front of the driver, and the standard iDrive controller is integrated into an armrest for the helmsman that sweeps away and into the dash. The center stack is dominated by a huge, 10.2-inch screen that can show, among other things, images from a standard rearview camera that’s hidden under the hinged roundel badge on the trunklid—it swivels when the camera isn’t needed to keep the lens free of raindrops and schmutz.

The 6’s front seats are said to use lightweight construction, and BMW claims improved headroom in all four spots. (The latter refers to top-up motoring, mind you. BMW hasn’t moved the troposphere.) An optional package bundles automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, blind-spot detection, cameras on the front and sides, parking sensors, and a new, three-dimensional color head-up display. Active cruise control and night vision can be added as well, but shouldn’t be.

This new 650i convertible will go on sale in the spring of 2011 as a 2012 model, wearing a base price of $91,375. We expect the production-ready 6-series coupe to appear at an auto show in the not-too-distant future, and we're told it will trail the convertible to market, arriving later in the year. The 650i will be built in Dingolfing, Germany, alongside—no surprise—the 5- and 7-series.