The next big event on the international auto show circuit is the Mondial de l’Automobile Paris or as we provincials call it, the Paris Motor Show. Kicking off on the 1st of October and running through October 16th, the Paris show will feature a few world premieres for BMW.
We were hoping that some of those world premieres might be the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series Sedan, or perhaps the brand new X2 Sports Activity Coupe. It appears that we will probably have to shift our hope to a show in the new world, because neither the new 5 or the X2 was included in BMW’s preview press release for the Paris show. The next opportunity to introduce a BMW to the world press on a grand scale will be the Los Angeles Auto Show in December and after that, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2017.
That doesn’t mean that BMW won’t be bringing cool stuff to Paris. Making its press debut will be the new BMW 3 Series Gran Tourismo, the improved and longer-range BMW i3 electric vehicle, and the BMW C evolution e scooter, which, like the newest i3, boasts a higher capacity battery and longer range.
Also being presented is BMW Connected, BMW’s latest personal mobility assistant. It’s perhaps not as sexy as a brand new car or motorcycle, and BMW did announce it last month already, but BMW Connected can do some nifty things. For example, you can tell it where you want to go and it will, in turn gather route and traffic information and tell you when you need to depart to get there on time. BMW Connected was introduced to the U.S. last March and Europe in August and eventually will be available in most international markets.
The new, updated BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo maintains its longer and higher profile than the regular 3 Series Sedan, but for that different look, the car provides more cargo space and a pretty good-sized rear seating area. Powertrain changes include the B46 two-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and the three-liter turbo inline six B58. Because of these changes, the former 328i Gran Tourismo will now be known as the 330i Gran Tourismo. Likewise, the 335i version is being upgraded with a 340i GT badge.
Both variants will have eight-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive.
The BMW i3 with a more capable battery and longer range will officially become a thing at the Paris show. It’s new 94Ah lithium-ion battery will proveide more than 50 percent more range than the original i3 had. Disregarding what the European test agencies claim as the i3’s new range—because we have no idea where they came up with those numbers—the new version’s range should increase to about 114 miles whereas the original could do around 80.
BMW will also be showing off a new and more powerful BMW i Wallbox charger for residential users.
Fans of BMW’s halo car, the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, will be introduced to its latest color on a unique version of the vehicle: the BMW i8 Protonic Dark Silver Special Edition.
BMW Motorrad is using Paris to debut its latest updated electric vehicle, the BMW C evolution e-scooter. And no, we don’t know why “evolution” doesn’t start with a capital “e.” The newest BMW C evolution claims a 60 percent increase in electric range, better performance, and a European version that meets the requirements for an A1 driver’s license. Riders of the new “C” will be able to take the long-range version up to 100 miles.
There is one other thing that might be special about the Paris motor show, although things could change between now and the 1st of October. Usually, a host of BMW senior management executives attends the show but according to reports in a number of European automotive publications, only Dr. Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board member for BMW sales and marketing, will be there. Everyone else will apparently be attending a large company meeting to determine BMW’s future when it comes to electric vehicles.
Among the issues the executives will address are whether or not to build en electric Mini and a totally electric SUV, or SAV as the case may be. Sales of the BMW i3, although they have picked up recently, have not been as strong as the company had hoped. BMW Group CEO Harald Krüger said earlier this year that the next i vehicle would not be ready until 2021. Five years is a long time to abandon the market to Tesla and electric newcomers like Volkswagen, which claims a plan eventually to produce 30 electric models.
Meanwhile, other car companies and automakers in China have been poaching some of the best and brightest from BMW’s i division. If BMW wants to keep top people in the electric vehicle business, it had better give them something more to work on than one EV and a couple of hybrids over the next five years.
So if you happen to be visiting the Mondial de l'Automobile Paris 2016 next month and don’t see many top BMW execs, now you know why.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
