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Is the BMW i8 actually already sold out?

The other day we brought you a report from Reuters, which quoted BMW's global sales chief Ian Robertson as saying that the Bavarian automaker had already sold out the entire year's production run of its new i8. Impressive, sure, but perhaps not all that unusual for a groundbreaking new sportscar from a major automaker, of which only limited quantities are typically built. But is the i8 really sold out?
Our compatriots at Car and Driver chased down the story and report that Robertson's claims aren't exactly accurate. According to C/D, the numbers are based on sales projections, not actual orders taken. So while BMW may build upwards of 1,900 i8 coupes next year and over 5,000 in 2015, and while they're all expected to sell, that doesn't mean that it's too late to get your order in. That is, assuming you have the $135k on hand and don't mind getting just three cylinders back in return.

X4 launch to spearhead BMW crossover onslaught at NY Auto Show

It's no secret that crossovers are one of the key vehicle types driving today's auto industry profits, and nowhere is that more true than among the world's luxury brands. BMW became one of the first players in the luxury CUV segment when it launched its original X5 in 1999, and buoyed by that model's runaway success, it followed up with the X3 in 2003, the X6 in 2008 and the X1 in 2009 (though the latter didn't make it to the US until late 2012). It's replaced the X5 twice since then and the X3 once, but the Bavarian automaker isn't about to let matters rest there.
First off, a production version of a new X4 model is expected at the New York Auto Show in April. The model was previously rumored to be earmarked for reveal a month earlier, but a new report from Autocar suggests that the previously mooted reveal date and location were inaccurate. The X4 is expected to apply the same controversial slant-back formula to the X3 that transformed the X5 into the X6, which will in turn lead to an update for the X3 as well.
But that's not all. Autocar also reports that before 2014 is out, BMW will unveil a revised X6 at the Moscow Motor Show in August, which will in turn be followed by upgraded versions of both the X6 M and X5 M. These high-performance crossovers are tipped to pack the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the outgoing versions, albeit with higher outputs than the current models' 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. All this, and they're still expected to simultaneously improve fuel consumption and emissions figures.

BMW reacquires original factory as classic center

BMW was barely two years old when it started manufacturing airplane engines in a factory on Moosacher Strasse in Munich. Two years after that, it sold the factory to Knorr-Bremse AG, a leading manufacturer of brakes for trains and commercial vehicles, and BMW moved into a new facility on Lerchenauer Strasse. There it expanded into the industrial giant we know today, building engines for cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and planes. It's taken the better part of a century to get that original factory back, but that's exactly what BMW has done, reacquiring the expanded facility from Knorr-Bremse this month.
The factory on Moonsacher Strasse will now serve as the headquarters for BMW Group Classic, the division that handles archives and historical vehicles for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce. From there, just a stone's throw from corporate headquarters and its main plant (as well as BMW Welt and the BMW Museum), the classic division's operations will include a restoration workshop, vintage parts store, the company's archives, administration as well as a place to hold events. In addition, there will be an exhibition space for historical vehicles from the company's considerable collection.
At the heart of the new/old campus is the gatehouse, which is a protected heritage site and will serve as a gateway into the company's history. Read the full details in the press release below.