Car industry needs to agree on an app standard

Application developers who want their programs to run in cars are flush with options -- too many options. They can choose to target Toyota Entune standard, Ford Smart Device Link, BMW Connect, and many more. All, by the way, completely incompatible with each other, meaning that any programmer who wants their app in multiple cars has a long road ahead of them.

Volkswagen plans return of Microbus

An expanded lineup of Beetle-themed cars are in Volkswagen's future, including a Microbus model that we have seen in various concept forms over the past decade, according to Auto Express. When Volkswagen renews the Beetle in 2019, it will also debut a crossover, coupe and a mini-MPV, all based on the MQB architecture that underpins the new Golf. Even though plans of an MPV rebirth date back to the introduction of a number of concepts in the early 2000s, Volkswagen hadn't pulled the trigger on putting an homage to the Bus (known as the Kombi in most of the world, or Camper in the U.K.) intro production for a number of reasons.

BMW Concept 5-series ActiveHybrid (2010)

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 28 February 2010 06:30 BMW's new 5-series will quickly spawn a petrol-electric hybrid – as this Geneva motor show 2010 concept car proves. It'll be the third BMW hybrid car in production, after the ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7. Like the part-electrified 7-series, the Concept 5-series ActiveHybrid uses a straight six petrol engine with twin turbos and an eight-speed auto with a hybrid module built in.How clean is the new BMW Concept 5-series ActiveHybrid?Munich says both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are improved by 10% and a zero-emissions EV mode is available, as the hybrid 5 is a full hybrid.