Finally putting an end to a long-standing rumor, BMW has confirmed once and for all that it will not celebrate its 100th birthday by introducing a limited-edition range-topping supercar.

“We’re not going to build a super sports car powered by a heavy V8 or V10 engine,” affirmed Klaus Fröhlich, BMW’s chief of development, in an interview with German magazine Auto, Motor, Und Sport.

His comments crush reports of a retro-inspired mid-engined coupe billed as a successor to the iconic M1, and of a V8-powered version of the eco-friendly i8 hybrid with up to 600 ponies under the hood. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean BMW has completely ruled out launching a model positioned a notch above the i8.

Fröhlich hinted the Munich-based car maker is open to the idea of building a high-performance flagship coupe powered by an all-electric drivetrain. The car won’t arrive in time for BMW’s centennial celebration, which is scheduled for next year, because battery technology hasn’t reached a point where introducing an electric supercar is feasible. Today, high performance is synonymous with a big battery pack, and Fröhlich bluntly points out he doesn’t want to drive a coupe that’s as heavy as a truck.

We’ll hear more about the EV over the coming years if it gets the proverbial green light for production.

Note: BMW M1 Homage concept pictured.

A new report coming out of England finds PSA Peugeot-Citroën’s newly-emancipated DS division is in the early stages of developing its very first compact crossover.

Set to compete in the same segment as the next MINI Countryman, the yet-unnamed crossover will be one of the first PSA Peugeot-Citroën models built on a new modular platform called CMP. It will be offered with gasoline-burning three- and four-cylinder engines, and front-wheel drive will be the only configuration available because DS believes the crossover’s target audience isn’t interested in all-wheel drive.

Visually, the crossover will look markedly more rugged than the rather bland 4 Crossback (pictured), and its front end will fall in line with DS’ new design language thanks to styling cues such as a hexagonal grille with a thick chrome frame and swept-back LED headlights. The MINI-fighting DS 3‘s signature shark fin-shaped door pillar will carry over to the high-riding model, while a two-tone paint job will be offered at an extra cost.

If the rumor turns out to be true, DS’ smallest crossover will be introduced at a major auto show in 2018. What remains to be seen is whether the soft-roader will exclusively be sold on the Chinese market, or if it will also be offered in Europe. Currently, DS sells more models in China — including an Audi Q3-fighting crossover called 6WR — than it does in its home country

The average vehicle age in the United States currently stands at 11.5 years. To give that figure a little perspective, that means that the average person is driving around a car, truck or SUV that pre-dates the first iPhone by a solid three years.

Needless to say, a lot has changed since 2003 model year vehicles populated dealer lots. Once-exotic features like Bluetooth, navigation and backup cameras are now commonplace in virtually every segment of the automotive industry. That’s all well and good for new car shoppers, but what about John Q. Public and his 11.5 year old car?

Aftermarket solutions intended to bring a car’s infotainment features up to date are nothing new but, if we’re being honest, none of them have been a viable alternative to factory-installed systems. However, Pioneer is hoping to change that with the advent of Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay.

The battle for your dash
For those unfamiliar with Android Auto and CarPlay, a little background first.

Tech giants Google and Apple have been expanding their reach in recent years, with the car dashboard representing the latest battleground. In a nutshell, Android Auto and CarPlay turn your car’s infotainment screen into an extension of your Android or iOS device. Simply plug in your smartphone of choice and the system populates your mobile apps and features on the car’s center screen.

New car makers are increasingly jumping on the Android Auto/CarPlay bandwagon to satisfy today’s tech-hungry buyers, but the technology could potentially have just as big of an impact on the nation’s fleet of older autos. Suddenly that eleven-and-a-half year old car could have some of the same tech features as a brand new 2016 model.

Pioneer is one of the first companies trying to tap into the Android Auto/CarPlay aftermarket with its latest NEX line of receivers. Curious to see if Pioneer had really developed a solution for aftermarket infotainment, we decided to give the NEX a try.

The test subjects
For our evaluation we used the Pioneer AVH-4100NEX, which is the entry point into Pioneer’s 7-inch touchscreen NEX line. Although it’s technically the baby of the NEX line, the 4100 still packs plenty of features and a somewhat steep $700 price tag. For those that want a few more bells and whistles, the 7100NEX adds a built in navigation system for $1,200 while the top-spec 8100NEX includes GPS and a capacitive touchscreen for $1,400. Luckily, most units can be found at prices below MSRP.

Since the 4100NEX is obviously an aftermarket part, it requires installation. Those adept at wiring should be able to install the NEX system on their own. We can’t tell a wiring schematic from the morning news paper, so we opted to have ours put in by an authorized Pioneer dealer.

What we thought would be a quick install turned out to be a two-day marathon. The initial installation took about six hours, but even after that day-long adventure the audio for some of the Android Auto features wasn’t working, so it was back to the authorized dealer a day later for a lengthy round of troubleshooting. After several more hours the system was finally up and running.

Those results are somewhat troubling considering our test car was a 2006 Dodge Magnum R/T — a vehicle that is well documented in the aftermarket audio world and also fairly basic as far as electronics are concerned. Our experience could have been an anomaly, but we wonder how long a similar install might take on a more modern (read: complex) vehicle.

Although the installation process was time consuming, there was some good news along the way. The Pioneer head unit plays nice with aftermarket control units, meaning you can setup your brand new Android Auto/CarPlay system to work with your old school steering wheel buttons. The aftermarket unit we used even allowed for multiple controls for the same button (a tap for one function and a longer hold for a second) so we could maximize the real estate we were working with. Moreover, the entire setup is totally customizable, so you can tailor the button layout to your preferences.

In addition to the control unit, we also had a Bluetooth microphone, SirusXM Satellite radio and a backup camera installed to complete the modern update. Like a factory setup, the backup camera was wired to automatically turn on whenever the car is put into reverse.

To wrap up the aesthetics of the new head unit — which is much larger than the radio it replaced — we purchased an OEM faceplate from eBay that was originally fitted to a navigation-equipped Magnum. Since navigation has been optional on cars for quite a few years now, this could be a viable option for those looking for a touchscreen infotainment system without severely altering the factory look of their dash.

The NEX replaced a standalone Sirius radio in our Magnum, which further helped to clean things up. As you can see from our before and after shots, the NEX’s large touchscreen and lack of external cords makes a world of difference in the visual appearance of our 9-year-old car.

Nuts and bolts
Although the availability of Android Auto and CarPlay is the big selling point of the NEX line, the head unit still runs Pioneer software for many of its functions. For example, if you want to listen to terrestrial radio, satellite radio or a streaming service like Pandora, you still go through the Pioneer interface (although the latter still requires your smartphone for an internet connection). Those screens are logically laid out and easy to navigate. The screen is also fast to react to its native controls. Resolution is very good, but at 800×480, it fails to deliver high-definition images.

The NEX links to the car’s electronics, so its screen is bright during the daytime and then goes into a darker night mode whenever the headlights are switched on. The NEX also has its own Bluetooth system, so you can make and receive calls or even stream music independent of Android Auto. A remote control is include, but we never felt the need to use it. Ditto for the CD and SD card slots located behind the faceplate.

In addition to its on-screen controls, the NEX has physical buttons along its bottom edge for things like volume and navigating between screens. Although obviously not reconfigurable, you can change the backlight color of the physical buttons via an on-screen menu. Likewise, you can choose from several pre-load background screens or upload your own picture to act as a wallpaper. In the name of security, the entire 7-inch screen is detachable.

Although the 4100NEX is SiriusXM satellite compatible, you will need to purchase a Sirius radio kit separately to get the service. We opted for Sirius’s latest SXV300v1 kit, which includes niceties like Tune Mix and Tune Start. Those advanced features — which essentially act as a DVR for your satellite radio — are just now arriving in brand new cars, so again it was a nice update for our nearly decade-old wagon. Unfortunately the kit couldn’t utilize our factory-installed satellite radio antenna, so a second unit was added to the back of the vehicle.

Life with Android Auto
While the NEX unit is capable of running CarPlay, our evaluation focused exclusively on Android Auto, run by an HTC One M8 with Android 5.0.

Like all Android Auto systems to date, Pioneer’s NEX head unit requires a hardwire to the phone. We had the micro USB port — which also charges your smartphone — wired into our center console, but we also had an Apple plug installed just in case we ever make the jump to iPhone. The switch within the system is fairly straightforward for such a move, requiring just a flip in the settings menu from Android Auto to CarPlay.

Once you’ve downloaded the Android Auto app, the system will automatic jump to the Android Auto ecosystem any time your phone is plugged in. Like OEM systems, Pioneer’s NEX defaults to the Android Auto home screen, which displays things like the local weather, recent phone calls or any meetings you might have scheduled for the day.

From the home screen you can navigate to Google Maps, phone, Google Play Music and the settings menu. A round button located in the center of the lower screen is available to bring you back to the home screen at any time. You can also jump back to the Pioneer system (which runs media in the background if you’re not using Google Play Music) via on on-screen button or a physical button located on the faceplate.

Perhaps the biggest perk of Android Auto is the availability of Google Now. The Siri-like voice assistant can be activated at any time by either touching the microphone button at the top right corner of the screen or by pushing a programmed button on your steering wheel. As with your handheld device, you can ask Google Now for things like the weather forecast or directions to the nearest coffee shop. Google Now can also read and send voice-to-text messages, which goes a long way in the fight against distracted driving. Unfortunately, Google Now can’t read or send emails (CarPlay does offer that functionality).

Overall we found the addition of Android Auto to be very useful, particularly for its Google Maps and Google Now features.

Although GPS isn’t embedded within the system, the NEX will quiet whatever music is playing — not just tunes from Google Play Music — for turn-by-turn directions being dictated by Google Maps. That’s a nice upgrade over just using your phone, which can sometime be drowned out if you’re rocking out too hard.

Our favorite feature of Google Now was its ability to read and send text messages, but it has many other handy perks, including the ability to make hands-free calls or enter a navigation destination on the fly. The Android Auto version of Google Now seems a little more limited than its smartphone counterpart, but the breadth of its searching abilities is certainly vast enough for over-the-road use.

Android Auto and the Pioneer NEX aren’t without their flaws, however. On the Android Auto front, it is somewhat annoying that you have to plug your phone in to activate the system, mostly because you end up forgetting your phone in the car. On countless occasions we arrived at our destination only to have to trudge back to the parking lot to retrieve our phone from the umbilical cord of Android Auto. It’s too bad you can’t get your car to ding whenever you leave your phone plugged in, like when you accidentally leave the headlights on.

The Android Auto screens are also slower to react than the native Pioneer interfaces. We’re not sure if this is an Android, Pioneer or HTC issue, but it is something to be aware of. Sometime the touchscreen lagged by several seconds, making us wonder if we pushed the button in the first place.

But the biggest annoyance we experienced, by far, was a hiccup that prevented the system from automatically launching Android Auto. Instead of loading Android Auto as soon as we plugged in our phone, the NEX often threw an error message or simply displayed a blank screen in place of the Android home screen. Moreover, we typically had to unplug and then plug our phone back in three to four times before Android Auto loaded properly.

Again, we’re not exactly sure what was causing the breakdown, but it’s certainly cause for concern. We talked to Pioneer about the issue and couldn’t find any technical issues that might be causing the glitch. However, there are a few different versions of Android and even Android Auto out there, so it’s possible that something got out of sync somewhere along the line. We haven’t spent enough time with factory-installed Android Auto systems to definitively say if our problem is universal or limited to the aftermarket.

Leftlane’s bottom line
The Pioneer NEX4100 might represent the future of aftermarket infotainment, but it’s hard to recommend it as the solution for today.

When it works properly, the NEX4100 and its Android Auto functionality is nothing short of stellar, bringing the latest in-vehicle technology to even the oldest jalopy. However, with an as-installed price that can breach four-digits, it’s simply unacceptable that the NEX sometimes refuses to launch Android Auto on the first try. Hopefully as Android Auto improves, so does Pioneer’s NEX4100.

Photos by Drew Johnson. Follow Drew on Twitter.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has detailed plans to convert many of its parts-hauling trucks to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

The company expects to spend $40 million on the project, covering the costs of retrofitting 179 trucks that help transport components from suppliers to assembly plants in the Detroit area. The investment includes $1.8 million for upgrades to the FCA Transport maintenance facility, along with $5 million for an on-site CNG refueling station.

The fleet is said to typically burn through nearly 2.6 million gallons of diesel fuel per year, keeping the trucks running for a collective driving distance of 16 million miles.

Switching to CNG is expected to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by more than 16,000 tons each year. FCA claims the number is equivalent to the CO2 output from burning 17 million pounds of coal, or energy production for 1,500 homes.

The company’s interest is not solely focused on environmental impact, however, as the changeover will bring a net fuel-cost savings of 35 percent. The company is poised to save approximately $1.8 million each year, based on the current average price of $2/gallon for diesel in Michigan.

“This project was a win-win-win – it offered a solid business case, clear environmental benefits and an opportunity to invest in our Detroit facility and workforce,” said FCA supply chain senior vice president Steve Beahm.

The company currently offers the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty in CNG form. The pickup’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8 has been tweaked with new valves and a unique cylinder head to optimize combustion for the alternative fuel, which is stored in two tanks on the bed. If a driver runs out of CNG, the system automatically switches over to gasoline.

The technology is uncommon outside of fleet vehicles, likely due to the higher up-front costs and limited refueling infrastructure. The CNG-powered Ram 2500 commands a premium of over $10,000 compared to its traditional gasoline counterpart.

FCA Transport’s refueling site is said to be the largest private CNG station in North America, while the parts trucks will represent the biggest private fleet of heavy-duty CNG-powered vehicles in Michigan.

Bugatti owners soon will be able to experience the brand’s luxury lifestyle at sea, but only if they have a few extra million to spend on a floating vessel co-developed by the French marque and yacht builder Palmer Johnson.

The companies worked together to conceptualize exclusive motor yachts featuring Bugatti design elements and advanced materials. Naturally, the first example will be built upon a carbon-fiber hull.

The series will bear the name ‘Niniette,’ paying homage to founder Ettore Bugatti’s racing boats and yachts of the 1930s. He is said to have originally coined the term as a pet name for his daughter Lidia.

The modern yachts will be based upon Palmer Johnson’s SuperSport-series hull shape, chosen to evoke the Bugatti Type 57 C Atalante’s shoulder line and the Type 41 Royale’s proportions. A combination of carbon fiber and titanium structure is visible from the side, while the deck is clad in a combination of bubinga, maple or blue bog oak.

The series centers around the 63-foot PJ63 Niniette, featuring a 678-square-foot salon on deck and a 462-square-foot salon below. The primary cabin layout is configured for up to four guests, with a separate cabin for crew.

The namesake yacht is said to reach a top speed of approximately 38 knots (44 mph), not quite as exhilarating as Bugatti’s Veyron but not bad for a 63-foot monohull vessel.

Three different lengths will be offered, starting with a 42-foot variant that fetches $2.2 million USD. The 63-foot package commands $3.5 million, while an 88-foot model sits at the top of the lineup.

The co-branded vessels are certainly a far cry from the handbags and jackets that fill the Lifestyle Bugatti merchandise collection, however the company seems to have no trouble finding enthusiastic buyers for its exclusive supercars. More than 100 customers have already placed $200,000 deposits for the upcoming Chiron — expected to start at $2.5 million — without even taking a test drive.

Toyota is reportedly taking an active approach to the hydrogen infrastructure dilemma as the first Mirai sedans arrive in California.

Limited refueling infrastructure has persisted as a significant hurdle for any FCV launches in the US. The California Fuel Cell Partnership lists just four retail hydrogen refueling stations in the entire state. All appear to be currently operational, however fuel-cell owners earlier this year complained that some stations were down for weeks at a time or only capable of providing a partial fill.

Scant infrastructure appears to be holding back wider adoption, while low sales discourage energy companies from investing in refueling stations that may not receive many customers.

Toyota has promised to attack the problem head-on, arranging for temporary hydrogen refilling stations at eight dealers across the state, according to Bloomberg. Unfortunately, the mobile equipment is only capable of half filling a Mirai hydrogen tank. Owners would still need to travel to a permanent site for a full tank, which requires a higher pressure.

“Did we expect more stations to be available by the end of 2015? Absolutely,” said Toyota FCV marketing head Doug Coleman. “We felt like this was a sensible interim step to help supply hydrogen fuel to Mirai customers that are out there on the roads right now.”

Toyota may be nervously watching Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell, which has only reached around 100 buyers in California after 18 months of availability. Toyota hopes to sell 200 Mirai sedans in the state before the end of the year.

Several automakers are said to be working with California authorities to help build 100 stations in the state by the end of the decade, however exact details of the collaboration remain unclear. In the meantime, FCVs will soon be met with increased competition from battery-powered EVs. Tesla’s Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt are both slated to arrive in the next two years, each carrying price tags in the mid-$30,000s bracket and already compatible with widespread charging networks.