2001 Bmw 325ci Base Convertible 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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BMW readying Spartanburg expansion for X7 production

Prior to the debut of the original X5 in 1999, the idea of a BMW crossover might have seemed like heresy. But here we are, fifteen years removed from the Frank Stephenson-penned design, and the Bavarian automaker has expanded its crossover lineup to include the X1, X3, X4 and X6, and it's showing no sign of slowing down.
We recently reported that BMW is planning on slotting an X2 in at the bottom of the range between the X1 and X3, but now it's being widely reported that it's got an even larger one to put in at the top of its utility line. That, of course, would be the X7, a long-rumored three-row model that would give BMW a large family hauler to challenge the Mercedes-Benz GL.
According to The Wall Street Journal, BMW is expanding its assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to accommodate production of the X7 alongside the X3, X4 and X5 that it already builds there for local consumption.

BMW's Quandt family in hot water over Merkel campaign contributions

The mysterious and elusive Quandt family is in hot water again, nearly two years after its Nazi connections during World War II were exposed. The German family's patriarch, Herbert Quandt, nearly single-handedly saved BMW from being bought out by Daimler-Benz in 1959. Now, three living family members own nearly half of the German brand, and stand accused of buying votes with donations to the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mere days ahead of a European Union vote that would cap vehicle emissions.
Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union accepted three donations, one from each shareholding member of the Quandt family.
Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union accepted three donations, one from each shareholding member of the Quandt family, totaling 690,000 euros ($935,000), on October 9. The CDU, for what it's worth, claim the donations weren't related to any political decisions and that the family have been donors for years. A Quandt family spokesperson, meanwhile, said that the family had been waiting for Germany's September 22 elections to pass before making a large contribution to the CDU.

BMW-Toyota sports car heading towards Tokyo debut

Earlier this year, BMW and Toyota confirmed a four-part joint venture mostly focusing on increasing improving vehicle efficiency using fuel cells, lightweight materials and better battery technology. Also tucked into the announcement was a "feasibility study" for a shared platform to underpin a future midsize "sports vehicle."
In terms of the latter, it seems that things have stepped up from the feasibility stage to the conceptual stage, as Motor Trend reports we could see a pair of new sports car concepts debut later this year in at the Tokyo Motor Show. There isn't much information about the new program, but the article suggests the sports cars could be all-wheel drive hybrids, with electric motors powering the front wheels and a gas engine powering the rear wheels. While a partnership between Toyota and BMW might not lend itself to a catchy portmanteau like "Toyobaru," here's hoping it will bear fruit that is as exciting as the ones produced by the Toyota/Subaru tie up.