BMW IX3 Prototype

BMW is working on plug-in hybrid and electric versions of the X3 crossover and the latter variant has just been spied by Carscoops photographers. Tthe iX3 is virtually identical to the standard model but a few subtle tweaks indicate it鈥檚 fully electric. First and foremost, there鈥檚 an electric charging port which is located on the driver鈥檚 side front fender. The crossover also eschews an exhaust system and instead has a full-width rear bumper without any cut outs. The final change isn鈥檛 very noticeable by our spy shooters say the model has a reduced ride height. This was likely changed as part of an effort to improve the X3鈥檚 aerodynamics and eke out some additional range. BMW hasn鈥檛 said much about the iX3 but the company鈥檚 e-mobility roadmap revealed the model will be introduced in 2020. It will be a fourth-generation electric vehicle like the 2019 MINI EV. Performance specifications remain unconfirmed but the model will compete with the Audi E-tron, Mercedes EQ C and Jaguar I-Pace. The latter two models will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month and have a significant head start on the iX3. While the model will be arrive after its key competitors, BMW has already announced plans to offer 25 electrified models by 2025. This figure includes 12 battery-electric models such as the iX3.

I drive. From Edmunds HQ in Santa Monica these drives range from a couple of hours to SD to up to seven hours to get to Frisco or Phoenix. Vegas is about five. Last week I had business at Google just south of San Fran and some Edmunds internal business in downtown San Diego. So I fired up our long-term 2015 Porsche Macan S and hit the road. See full article and comment. It occurred to me to see if the Macan has launch control at the perfect time. I was on a deserted road by myself. I switched Sport mode on, deactivated stability control, then stopped, wooded the brake, wooded the throttle and 鈥?lo and behold 鈥?the revs climbed unimpeded to 3,500 rpm and stopped. So I released the brake. See full article and comment. Yes, our 2015 Porsche Macan S has a heated steering wheel. You'll likely not discover it by looking for a button, however. The button to activate it is hidden behind and between the steering wheel's center spokes.

I accidentally bumped it with a finger when wheeling through a parking lot. See full article and comment. So our 2015 Porsche Macan S has been sitting in my driveway for several days now which has given me plenty of opportunities to observe the subtle merits of its design. One of my favorites is also one of the least obvious. See full article and comment. I drove our 2015 Porsche Macan S for the first time this week. The first time I tried to open the Macan's hatch I was baffled by the lack of a traditional release so I resorted to the remote release on the key fob. See full article and comment. If you're used to climbing into different sorts of cars, there's a muscle memory that develops. You expect a certain ratio of step-in height to seat height. SUV's, even smaller crossovers, have an elevated step-in height and then an elevated seat height as well. Cars have a lower step-in height and then fall into the seat. Essentially it's up and up, versus down and down.

See full article and comment. Our long-term 2015 Porsche Macan S, didn't cover many miles during the month of September. Only about 1,300. But its lifetime fuel economy continues to improve. See full article and comment. San Bernardino, California has three claims to fame. One: It is the location of the very first McDonald's. Two: It is the location of the very first Taco Bell. And three: It is my wife's hometown. San Berdoo was also my destination as I jumped in our long-term 2015 Porsche Macan S last Thursday morning. I had already punched my destination into the crossover's navigation system and had hit the freeway for what I hoped would be an uneventful 72-mile drive due east. The Porsche had other ideas. See full article and comment. I've driven plenty of Porsches with the dual clutch "PDK" transmission before. They all felt and drove great, but in the 2015 Porsche Macan S the PDK feels nearly perfect.

See full article and comment. Porsche's online configurator is one of my favorite ways to live vicariously on the Internet. Here I can happily build my perfect dream Porsche 911 with all the little options I desire (leather-upholstered air vent slats? Sure, why not!). But then I click the Summary button and see my final, real-world dollar tally. I think I've just built Larry Ellison's Porsche. But along comes the 2015 Porsche Macan. In comparison to the Porsche mainstays, it's within the realm of affordability. A bargain Porsche, you might say. See full article and comment. Finding a podcast using a car's iPod/iPhone interface is just about impossible when there isn't a dedicated podcast menu within the interface. And even if you knew exactly what those names were, it's a royal pain to rifle through hundreds of tracks or artists to find them. Sometimes podcast will be a genre, but that too is annoying. See full article and comment. Carroll is spot on in her assessment of the new 2015 Porsche Macan S. It was parked in my driveway this weekend when my neighbor walked over to check it out.