WEATHER ALERT
BMW recalls 1.3 million vehicles in China that may have Takata airbag inflators
Read full article: BMW recalls 1.3 million vehicles in China that may have Takata airbag inflatorsOfficials in China say BMW is recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles that may have Takata airbag inflators following a similar recall in the U.S. last month.
25-year-old sentenced to 8 years behind bars for fatal wrong-way crash
Read full article: 25-year-old sentenced to 8 years behind bars for fatal wrong-way crashA 25-year-old woman was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 295 near Beach Boulevard.
Most automated driving systems aren’t good at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group says
Read full article: Most automated driving systems aren’t good at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group saysMost electronic systems that take on some driving tasks for humans don’t adequately make sure drivers are paying attention, and they don’t issue strong enough warnings to make drivers behave.
US agency to watch unrecalled Takata inflators after one blows apart, injuring a driver in Chicago
Read full article: US agency to watch unrecalled Takata inflators after one blows apart, injuring a driver in ChicagoU.S. auto safety regulators say they are monitoring data from a group of mostly unrecalled Takata air bag inflators after one of them exploded in a BMW and hurled metal fragments that seriously injured a driver in Chicago.
BMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driver
Read full article: BMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driverBMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the U.S. because the driver’s air bag inflators can blow apart in a crash, hurling metal shrapnel and possibly injuring or killing people.
Driver in Malibu crash that killed 4 college students pleads not guilty to murder, held on $4M bail
Read full article: Driver in Malibu crash that killed 4 college students pleads not guilty to murder, held on $4M bailAuthorities say the 22-year-old driver of a BMW that struck and killed four Pepperdine University students in Malibu has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder.
4 killed when car crashes into utility pole near Firehouse Subs on University Boulevard, catches fire
Read full article: 4 killed when car crashes into utility pole near Firehouse Subs on University Boulevard, catches fireFour people are dead, and one person is in the hospital after a car crashed into a utility pole on University Boulevard South, to the left of Firehouse Subs, before bursting into flames early Saturday morning, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
2 killed when BMW plows into Firehouse Subs on University Boulevard, catches fire
Read full article: 2 killed when BMW plows into Firehouse Subs on University Boulevard, catches fireTwo people died early Wednesday morning when a gray BMW lost control on University Boulevard South and slammed into a Firehouse Subs building before bursting into flames, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
German court rejects Greenpeace lawsuit against automaker VW
Read full article: German court rejects Greenpeace lawsuit against automaker VWA German court has rejected a lawsuit by environmental group Greenpeace that aimed to force automaker Volkswagen to stop selling vehicles with combustion engines by 2030.
German transport minister opposes EU combustion engine ban
Read full article: German transport minister opposes EU combustion engine banGermany’s transport minister has announced strong opposition to an European Union plan that bans the sale of new cars with combustion engines across the bloc in 2035.
Russia war could further escalate auto prices and shortages
Read full article: Russia war could further escalate auto prices and shortagesRussia’s devastating war on Ukraine is bringing a whole set of new problems to the global auto industry, just as it was starting to recover from the pandemic and computer chip shortages.
HERO ALERT: Florida Highway Patrol Trooper bravely puts herself in harm’s way to protect runners in Tampa 10K
Read full article: HERO ALERT: Florida Highway Patrol Trooper bravely puts herself in harm’s way to protect runners in Tampa 10KOfficials say a 52-year-old woman drove her BMW nearly head-on into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper after failing to stop for multiple road closure signs that were in place for a 10K race over the Sunshine Skyway bridge.
German carmakers reject environmental groups' climate demand
Read full article: German carmakers reject environmental groups' climate demandGerman automaker Daimler has dismissed a “cease and desist” demand from two environmental groups to commit to ending the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2030.
1 killed, 5 injured in Northwest Jacksonville crash
Read full article: 1 killed, 5 injured in Northwest Jacksonville crashA woman died and five other people, including a police officer, were injured after a car accident early Sunday morning in Northwest Jacksonville, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Man killed, 2 women injured in wrong-way crash on I-295 near Beach Boulevard
Read full article: Man killed, 2 women injured in wrong-way crash on I-295 near Beach BoulevardJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was killed and two women were seriously injured early Saturday morning in a wrong-way crash involving two cars and a tractor-trailer on I-295 near Beach Boulevard. Southbound lanes reopened at 8 p.m.FHP: Man dead, 2 women seriously injured in wrong-way crash on I-295 at Beach Blvd around 3 a.m. Southbound I-295 still closed. The 23-year-old man driving the BMW was not wearing a seat belt and suffered fatal injuries, troopers said. Troopers said the 22-year-old woman driving the Hyundai, who is listed as being from Corpus Christi, Texas, and a 48-year-old woman driving the semi were both wearing seat belts. A deadly crash was reported Saturday morning on I-295 near Beach Boulevard.
BMW remained profitable in 2020 with strong second half
Read full article: BMW remained profitable in 2020 with strong second halfFILE - In this Sept. 27, 2020 file photo, visitors gather near a BMW M8 model on display at the Auto China 2020 show in Beijing, China. In figures released Thursday March 11, 2021, BMW saw profits fall by 23% last year as the pandemic shuttered factories in the early part of the year, but the company said Thursday that earnings bounced back strongly in the second half of 2020. The maker of the X5 sport utility and 3-Series sedan said a strong second half meant it started 2021 with “a favorable tailwind.”Operating profits for the second half of last year were 9.8% higher than the second half of 2019. The Munich-based company's sales were boosted by the early and strong economic recovery in China, where 2020 sales topped the year before by 7.4%. The company said the order book for the Ghost is now full well into the second half of 2021.
Edmunds: Whatever happened to car subscription services?
Read full article: Edmunds: Whatever happened to car subscription services?The brand is the among many that have shut down their subscription services. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)Just a few years ago, car subscriptions looked like the next sure thing. There’s not currently much investment in educating consumers either ― these subscription services aren’t widely advertised on dealership or manufacturer websites. But a major appeal of subscription services is ease of use, which includes avoiding the dealership outright. How subscription services will operate within the confines of dealer networks is an open question, but as things stand these services can’t operate without dealers.
JSO: Parties identified in possible abduction in downtown Jacksonville
Read full article: JSO: Parties identified in possible abduction in downtown JacksonvilleJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After witnesses told police they saw a man physically put a woman into a gray BMW on West State Street just after 9 p.m. Friday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that investigators had “identified the parties involved.”The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was told a man was battering the woman before putting her in the car, then seen driving west on State Street and turning south on Laura Street. The witness followed and attempted to confront the subjects before the BMW made another left turn; this time onto East Union Street. The man sped off, running multiple traffic lights. After announcing they had identified the parties, police said they are “continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.”No further information was provided.
Car overturns multiple times in fatal crash on Butler Blvd.
Read full article: Car overturns multiple times in fatal crash on Butler Blvd.JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Three cars were heading east on Butler Boulevard when one of them was hit and lost control. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one of the cars, a red Lexus coupe, hit a gray Ford pickup while trying to pass it. The Lexus lost control and overturned multiple times. The BMW also lost control causing it to drive across three lanes of traffic before hitting a concrete barrier. Luckily, the driver of the Ford pickup managed to pull over into the emergency lane safely.
Luxury vehicles, recovering auto markets boost BMW profits
Read full article: Luxury vehicles, recovering auto markets boost BMW profitsFILE - In this Feb.13, 2020 file photo, a wheel on a BMW car is on display at the 2020 Pittsburgh International Auto Show. The profit figure improved on the 1.55 billion euros recorded in the same July-September quarter a year earlier. BMW sales in China, its largest market, rose 6.4% for the year through September. Group revenues fell 1.4% to 26.28 billion euros. Munich-based BMW said it planned to spend more than 30 billion euros on research and development by 2025.
SUV crashes into Ponte Vedra Beach liquor store
Read full article: SUV crashes into Ponte Vedra Beach liquor storePONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A liquor store in Ponte Vedra Beach was left to pick up the pieces after an SUV crashed into the business on Thursday. Rolando Padrigan, an employee at AAW Wines & Liquor employee, told News4Jax a man driving a white BMW SUV rammed into the front door on Thursday afternoon. I screamed some profanities because I thought lightning hit the store -- that’s how loud it was,” Padrigan said. “I turn away for a second and I look again and he’s running into the store, so I’m, like, ‘Oh, God. Despite the damage, the liquor store stayed open until closing time and will be back open again on Friday.
FHP: Canadian man killed when BMW strikes bull on Interstate 95
Read full article: FHP: Canadian man killed when BMW strikes bull on Interstate 95A Canadian man has died after his BMW struck a bull Saturday night on Interstate 95 in Flagler County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Six other vehicles were involved in the crash following the initial collision, but troopers continue to piece together the sequence of events. Del Mastro died of his injuries, according to the crash report. A female passenger with the same last name was taken to Halifax Hospital with serious injuries. Troopers said the rest of the people involved in the crash had minor injuries.
Suspicious men caught on camera in Miramar & Spring Park
Read full article: Suspicious men caught on camera in Miramar & Spring ParkJACKSONVILE, Fla. - Video appearing to show men targeting cars for break-ins in the Spring Park and Miramar neighborhoods has prompted a neighborhood crime alert. Surveillance images in video shared with News4Jax appear to show a man attempting to break into a car in a parking lot along Spring Park Road. A separate home security video recorded in the Miramar area over the weekend appears to show two men rummaging through a woman's BMW. She pulled video from her camera that showed the two men going into her car. In the Spring Park video, the man appears to have some type of cloth covering his hand as he attempts to open car doors.
Suspicious men caught on camera in Miramar & Spring Park
Read full article: Suspicious men caught on camera in Miramar & Spring ParkSurveillance images shown in the video above appear to show men attempting to break into a car in Spring Park. A woman says a separate video also shows two men rummaging through her BMW.
BMW unveils X6 in world's 'blackest black'
Read full article: BMW unveils X6 in world's 'blackest black'MUNICH, Germany - Vantablack, the world's "blackest black," has had a controversial start to life, and now it's coming to a special edition BMW X6. Hussein al-Attar, who designed the new X6, says Vantablack VBx2 opens new possibilities for designers. "The Vantablack VBx2 coating foregrounds these fundamental aspects of automotive design, without any distraction from light and reflections." "I think it worked really well on the BMW X6, because of the size of the car, its distinctive shape, and how imposing it is," Jensen said in a statement. The BMW Vantablack X6 will be on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show September 12-22, and the third-generation X6 will arrive in showrooms in November.
Clown with prop chain saw leads police on Calif. chase
Read full article: Clown with prop chain saw leads police on Calif. chaseThe agency described him as 40 years old, while L.A. County booking records listed his age as 36. "(Disdier) was reportedly sitting on top of the vehicle holding a chain saw," according to the statement. Officers quickly caught up with the BMW and tried to pull it over, but the driver fled, officials said. The driver led officers on a chase at speeds of more than 70 mph before transitioning to the 90 Freeway, then headed toward Venice Beach on surface streets. "A search of the BMW revealed the chainsaw was a toy prop," the statement said.
Mini Cooper goes electric
Read full article: Mini Cooper goes electric(CNN) - After years of experimental models and concept cars, BMW unveiled a fully electric Mini Cooper that you will be able to buy. Powered by a 181-horsepower electric motor that's located under the hood, the front-wheel-drive Mini Cooper SE will deliver the sort of "go-kart handling" Mini promises in its other models, the company said. Mini has previously offered electric versions of its Mini Cooper, but only as an experiment in limited numbers. The company has also said it might build the electric Mini in China as well, but now says the cars will be produced solely in England. This way the company can easily adjust its production of internal combustion, plug-in hybrid and electric cars to match consumer demand.
BMW chief executive Harald Krueger is stepping down
Read full article: BMW chief executive Harald Krueger is stepping down(CNN) - BMW is seeking a new leader as it works to find its place in a global auto sector disrupted by the rapid rise of electric vehicles. The luxury car company announced Friday that Harald Krueger is standing down after four years as CEO. He thanked employees for their efforts in a statement but said he was leaving to "pursue new professional endeavors." The pace of change has presented new huge challenges for global carmakers, and BMW is no exception. BMW and Daimler, which compete hard in the luxury market, announced earlier this year that they would form a strategic partnership focused on highly-automated and autonomous driving.
Teen accused of stealing BMW, crashing in hit-and-run
Read full article: Teen accused of stealing BMW, crashing in hit-and-runBAKER COUNTY, Fla. - A teenager was arrested after a BMW was stolen from a church parking lot and later involved in a hit-and-run crash, according to the Baker County Sheriff's Office. Brenton Davis, 18, was arrested for grand theft, burglary and petit theft, the Sheriff's Office said. On Sunday afternoon, Davis, who was driving the BMW, was involved in a hit-and-run crash near the intersection of State Road 121 South and Mud Lake Road, the Sheriff's Office said. They were able to track the BMW using GPS, and it was later found abandoned in Sanderson. Footprints were seen outside the BMW, according to the Sheriff's Office, and police K-9s were used to track Davis.