BMW recently showed off their new i8 and i3 concept cars here in New York City so I got a chance to take a look at them up close. You can peruse the gallery below for some images. What I will say is that when these vehicles are for sale, they will be highly desirable. Other car makers are jumping on the electric band wagon of course but BMW seems to have bode its time for a while. Good move it seems as company’s like Fisker, and Ford have been forced to make some recalls on their electric vehicle offerings.
I definitely don’t mean to say that BMW has the best electric vehicle as that remains to be seen, but I will say that BMW seems to have the most stylish electric vehicle in the i8. Even the Tesla Roadster, as sexy as that vehicle is, just doesn’t seem to be the paragon of affluence and technology that the i8 exudes. Looking at this car, one really feels like they have arrived in a sci-fi future.
The vehicle has unique offerings like laser lights which are more efficient that LEDs, and, of course, have a more focused wavelength that other light sources. The sports car boasts around 100mpg as well as a 3 cylinder
r combustion engine that powers the rear axle. The two engines work together for improved overall performance.
The only gripe I had is when I order mine, i don’t want the colors so loud. That blue can get old fast I think. Otherwise, you will sure turn heads if your the first person to own one of these puppies!
I got a chance to test drive Lincoln’s all new MKZ Hybrid Luxury Vehicle all around New York City. To be honest, I’ve never driven a Lincoln before and I always thought the brand was for, how do I say it, the generation ahead of mine. I will say, the style and perks with the all new MKZ were a pleasant surprise. See my thoughts below.
Likes:
Body
I was very intrigued by the style of the MKZ. It is slightly aggressive, yet refined. It also has “the car next door” look to it which means it is slightly unassuming. I think the style fits quite nicely because you don’t reek of pretentiousness after you open the car door to step out. One is also pleasantly surprised when he takes a peek inside to find leather seats and a smartly laid out dash. “Smart Gauge”
This really came in handy as I drove around. It’s almost like an app for making sure you are being as fuel efficient as possible at all times. It literally delivers real time information on how much electricity vs fuel you are using. I could take a quick glance at the dashboard and make certain decisions based on that information to help ease the pain the next time I went to the gas station. Fuel Efficiency
41 MPG! I didn’t try my luck and drive all the gas out – but I believe that number. After driving for a while I never felt anxious about how much fuel was left. If anything, I started to get maniacal about checking how much energy I was saving over on the battery meter on the Smart Gauge. This is a huge factor and can’t be understated especially with gas hitting around 4 bucks a gallon.
Sync
Not a huge amount to say here other than the fact that I really liked how simple it was to sync my mobile device to the car. I also synced my music and contacts to the car’s onboard memory and I could immediately call the last person who called me or who I had called. I could dial anyone I needed to or command my playlists – all via voice control.
Dislikes:
Lack of Opulence
So you remember earlier on in this post how I said “you don’t reek of pretentiousness when you open the car door?” Well, I kinda wish I did – just a little. Inside was very nice, don’t get me wrong, but I felt almost guilty about how down to earth the car was. I really would have liked some over the top items like TVs in the back or something. Everything was so useful. The rear parking camera, the blinky-lite every time there was oncoming traffic. It’s just so practical it made me a little nuts! Where was the Champagne dispenser? Navigation:
I did have a little issue here. I tried on several occasions to get directions to certain areas around the city and found myself trying over, and over, and over again to make the computer understand what I was saying. Then I had to confirm my selections with the number associated with the place I had described on the dashboard which I found quite a bit more distracting than I would have liked. In the end, I just gave up and used my mobile phone’s map for directions.
Summary:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to drive this vehicle. Saving money at the pump always puts a smile on face! It’s a car no one will make fun of you for driving, but it is a little unassuming. The sync interface is really good and I can’t wait for it to be updated so that it’s even better. You really get the feel that most cars will have some system like it standard in the next few years.
Its not everyday you hear news of a jet-engine powered supercar, let alone one that is a hybrid. Don’t believe us? Check the specs:
0-60 in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph.
Now here is the clincher…500 miles on a single tank of gas!!! This puppy runs on diesel or bio-diesel fuel which also helps lower the vehicles overall emission footprint. Its so clean in fact that the car doesn’t even come with an exhaust! The car can also operate solely on its lithium-polymer battery for about 80 miles. Once the battery has been drained to a specific point, the engine starts up quietly and recharges the sucker. This continues over and over again for a range of about 500 miles.
The battery can be recharged at designated outlet stations, or from the comfort of your own home. All-in-all, this beauty is about all one could want in a sports car without feeling bad about it. Price point is a bit steep with the rumored price around $200k. Its not for the faint of heart…or pocket, but if someone out there has a test vehicle could I PLEASE ride!!! I promise not to dirty the leather!!!
As you all know, Bugatti is currently the manufacturer of the worlds fastest street-legal production car, the “Veyron”. However, according to some news I found on Wikipedia and The German Car Blog, Porsche doesn’t seem to be slacking one bit. Check out the Porsche GT1 slated for production the end of this year. It’s got a whopping 950 hp. They are shooting for 254 mph – which would be 2 mp faster than the Veyron.
