BMW has kicked off production of the i3, its first-ever electric car, in Leipzig, Germany. �

The i3 is tougher to assemble than other BMWs because it is the first car equipped with a passenger cell crafted entirely out of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).  The cells are shipped to Germany from Moses Lake, Washington, and put on a bespoke assembly line where production begins.

BMW invested about €400 million ($543 million) and added 800 jobs to make sure its Leipzig factory is up to the task of mass-producing the i3.  A portion of investment went towards making the plant more sustainable and cleaner.

 

“With the changes we made, we require 50 percent less energy and 70 percent less water, and source the electric energy for production of the BMW i models CO2-free from the wind turbines at the plant,” explained BMW AG Board Member for Production Harald Krüger.

The first regular-production i3 built will be the lead car of the International Berlin Marathon that kicks off on September 29th.   The i3 will arrive in showrooms in select European markets in November and debut in the United States late next year as a 2015 model with a base price of $41,350 before destination and federal tax incentives towards the purchase of a clean car are factored in.  <![CDATA[
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Alfa Romeo has published a full set of details about the 2015 4C ahead of its European market launch next month.  Inspired by the larger 8C, the 4C will spearhead Alfa’s return to the United States after about two decades of absence.

Stretching 157 inches long, 46 inches high and 78 inches wide, the 4C is nearly identical to the award-winning concept that bowed at the Geneva Motor Show two years ago.  Outside, the differences between the show car and the production model are very minor and include the headlights, the door handles, the exterior mirrors and the tail lamps.  The rest of the car stays roughly unchanged, a daring move on Alfa’s part.

To save weight, the 4C is built out of aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and fiberglass-reinforced composites.  40 percent of the car’s 1,973-pound mass lies on the front axle and 60 percent rests on the rear.  The car’s low weight makes it possible for Alfa to eliminate the power steering system.

Inside, the car offers a driver-focused cockpit with two bucket seats.  Behind the two-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel lies a thin-film transistor (TFT) screen that replaces the traditional instrument cluster, and unpainted carbon fiber on the center console and below the doors helps create a sporty ambiance.  There is no infotainment or touch screen to speak of, but the 4C is available with Bluetooth audio streaming.

Mopar-Tuned

Thanks to the tie-up between Fiat and Chrysler, buyers will be able to deck out their 4C with a full catalog of Mopar-designed accessories including a rear spoiler, large wheels finished in black or gray, painted brake calipers all around, chrome-plated mirror skins, a sporty tail pipe for the exhaust and a colored engine cover.  Race tires developed by Pirelli specifically for the 4C are also available. 

Under the Hood

Under the 4C’s rear decklid lies a turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine with a displacement of precisely 1750 cubic centimeters, a number chose for its historic resonance.  An evolution of the mill that powers the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, the four-banger features several model-specific parts including the intake manifold and the entirely exhaust system and Alfa’s “scavenging” technology, which maximizes low-end torque and reduces turbo lag.

The mid-mounted engine sends 240 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed TCT dual-clutch transmission equipped with launch control​.  The sprint from zero to 62 mph takes 4.5 seconds and top speed is reached at over 155 mph.  Rumors indicate a more powerful 270-horsepower variant will arrive later in the production run but Alfa has not commented on the matter.

Brembo brakes all around help keep the engine’s power in check and slow the 4C from 62 mph to a full stop in 118 feet. 

The 4C comes with a thoroughly revised version of the DNA switch introduced several years ago on the MiTo hatchback.  It allows the driver to choose one of four distinctinly driving modes: Dynamic, Natural, All-Weather and Race.  Each setting automatically adjusts the car’s throttle response, steering feedback and suspension.

With production capped at 3,500 units annually, Alfa’s latest sports car will be assembled in a purpose-built area of Maserati’s Modena, Italy, plant.  While a few examples might start trickling into the United States later this year, look for the 4C to arrive in showrooms early next year.  Pricing information will be revealed closer to its launch.  <![CDATA[
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Dacia, the budget brand owned by the Renault-Nissan alliance, will eventually offer a pure electric vehicle, the Romanian automaker’s chief executive has revealed.

Thanks to the high costs of batteries and electronic components, the terms “budget” and “electric” haven’t met in the automotive world. However, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn believes the time will come when Dacia will have a pure electric in its lineup.

“When demand is ready for this, we will be there,” Ghosn told Auto Express at the Frankfurt Motor Show. “Obviously we are helping with demand by lowering the cost of electric cars and by signing agreements with cities across the world for electric cars.”

He added: “As cities get charging stations more people are going to come, and of course the cost of the cars will come down too. So there is nothing that forbids an electric Dacia car in the future. The day there is demand, of course, we will be able to produce it.”

Nissan was one of the first automakers to market with a modern EV with its Leaf hatchback, but automakers like VW and BMW are now joining the electric fray. Although that means added competition for the Leaf, Ghosn is confident that all automakers will benefit from the proliferation of plug-in technology.

“Mark my words, in time they are all going to come to it. You cannot continue to prosper in this industry without electric cars and plug-in hybrids,” he said.

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While most of the attention at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show was focused on the shiny new models strewn across the show floor, one unhappy BMW customer managed to garner a fair bit of publicity just outside the show’s main entrance.

After dealing with years of unidentified squeaks and rattles and a transmission that clunked into gear, a fed up BMW M6 owner named Pourmohseni Hadi drove his six-figure lemon from his home in Italy to the front entrance of the Frankfurt show and began beating it with a sledge hammer. His friend Thomas Brunner also helped the cause, smashing the V10-powered supercar with an ax.

Hadi has apparently been pleading with BMW since he bought the M6 in 2008 to fix the problems, but the German automaker – for whatever reasons – never saw it fit to remedy the issues or offer the owner a refund.

“BMW Italia and the Munich headquarters have pushed the responsibility back and forth,” a dealer in Italy told Germany’s Bild.

For those wondering, lemon laws don’t offer the same kind of consumer protection in Europe as they do in the United States. Still, there was probably a better solution than simply smashing the M6 to death.

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Our spy photographers have just sent us the first images of Ford’s Shelby GT500-replacing performance Mustang. Ford’s flagship Mustang is expected to launch for the 2016 model year.

We’ve already seen prototypes of Ford’s next-generation Mustang running around the streets of Michigan, but today our spy photographers spotted something a little different – a high-performance variant of Ford’s next-generation Mustang.

Easily identified by its beefy wheels and tires, large disc brakes, quad exhaust outlets and extra air inlets, this prototype is likely an early test bed for Ford’s next performance pony car – the GT350. Rumors have been circling the internet rumor mill for weeks that Ford will replace its over-the-top GT500 with a back-to-basics GT350 model for the next-generation of the Mustang.

This prototype was also seen pulling into Ford’s SVT compound, giving further evidence that it’s something more special than a standard Mustang GT.

We don’t know for sure what engine will power the GT350, but Ford’s 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 appears to be the leading candidate. Although the 5.0L V8 won’t be able to match the 662 horsepower provided by the current Shelby GT500′s supercharged 5.8L, a significant weight reduction (possibly to the tune of 600 pounds) will ensure the GT350 is no slouch in the performance department.

The standard version of Ford’s next-generation Mustang is expected to bow in 2014, with the GT350 performance model likely to follow a year later.

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Fiat – Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed Chrysler will file initial public offering (IPO) documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before the end of the month.  Just 16.6 percent of the company will initially be listed on the stock market. �

“All the work, all the preparation, the drafts have gone through,” explained Marchionne in an interview with The Financial Times. “We should be ready to file within the third week of this month.” 

The IPO is a last resort in the negotiations between Fiat, which currently holds a 58.5-percent stake in Chrysler, and VEBA, the UAW trust that owns the rest of the automaker.  Marchionne has been trying to unify the company for four years but the two parties have not managed to agree on a fair price.  Fiat is willing to pay up to $4.2 billion for the rest of Chrysler while VEBA maintains its shares are worth a lofty $10.3 billion.  Generally outspoken, Marchionne recently joked VEBA should buy a lottery ticket if it wants to get over $5 billion for its shares.

Listing of Chrysler on the stock market will enable Fiat and VEBA to determine the true value of Chrysler, but the IPO presents risks for both parties.  If shares soar, Fiat will end up spending considerably more than planned; If shares drop, VEBA stands to lose a lot of money.  

Marchionne indicated Chrysler could return to the stock market before the end of the year but he prefers to wait until after the holiday season.  Analysts believe the automaker will be listed in New York in the first quarter of 2014.

Photo by Ronan Glon.

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Rolls-Royce’s CEO has changed gears and now says the ultra-luxury automaker is still considering the launch of a new SUV model. Rolls’ CEO previous denied that such plans were in the works.

“We are intensively thinking about entering the SUV segment,” Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes told Bloomberg in an interview at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Rolls-Royce’s utility vehicle would compete with Bentley’s upcoming SUV as well as Land Rover’s all-new Range Rover line, which will soon include a long-wheelbase model. However, while those competitors are expected to sell between $100,000-$180,000, Rolls-Royce’s SUV will likely command north of $200,000.

“The SUV segment is very interesting,” Mueller-Oetvoes said. “It has been incredibly stable during the crisis, and I think a luxury niche will develop.”

Rolls-Royce isn’t the only luxury automaker jumping into the SUV segment. Maserati will launch its Jeep Grand Cherokee-based Levante in 2015 and Jaguar previewed an upcoming utility vehicle with the C-X17 concept in Frankfurt. Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW (which owns Rolls-Royce) are also said to be in the midst of a widespread SUV/CUV expansion.

The Rolls-Royce SUV is still in the early stages of planning, meaning it will be at least four years before we see the vehicle in showrooms.

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