Next M5 will be electric, Tesla faces “right to repair” lawsuit, buy Paul Newman’s Volvo

BMW’s next M5 will be all-electric

Intake: BMW’s next-generation 5 Series is ready for launch in October and, alongside mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, there is to be a fully-electric Five for the first time. What’s more, BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse has confirmed that there’ll be an M version powered only by volts. “A fully electric Performance model from BMW M GmbH will also be included in the new BMW 5 Series lineup,” he said. The 5 Series celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and more than ten million have been sold worldwide since. The eighth will be the most advanced iteration ever and a major part of the “systemic expansion” of BMW’s electric-vehicle range.

Exhaust: Building another all-electric M car is an absolute no-brainer after the battery-powered, M-badged 4 Series proved to be a huge hit. “The all-electric BMW i4 M50 shows how BMW blends dynamic performance and electric mobility to perfection. It was the best-selling BMW M model worldwide in 2022,” said Zipse. —Nik Berg 

VW’s next Golf GTI will probably look like this

Intake: VW just showed the world this cute little concept, called the ID.2all. ID, in VW speak, means “all-electric.” The smaller the number that follows ID, the smaller the vehicle. This front-wheel-drive concept previews a sort of people’s EV—if those people live in Europe, that is—which VW will reveal in production form in 2025, hopefully with a roughly €25,000 price tag. The relevant bit for the U.S.? This tidy hatch previews VW’s new design language, and given that it’s “as spacious as a Golf,” it’s a pretty fair bet that the next GTI will look similar. The ID.2all was designed in what had to be a serious rush by Andreas Mindt, who stepped in as Head of Volkswagen Design only February 1 of this year, after VW CEO Thomas Schaefer decided he’d had enough of the previous design head’s retro schtick. That said, ID.2all is quite sympathetic to the traditional silhouette of the Golf: a happy, humanoid face, a dominant C-pillar, and an arrow-straight beltline.

Exhaust: The exterior may be quite handsome, but peek inside. Looks like Mindt got the memo about customers’ clamoring for real buttons, rather than haptic sensors. A real, push-it-and-it-clicks button to adjust cabin temperature? Don’t tell Schaefer, but it almost feels retro. —Grace Houghton

“Confuse onlookers” with Audi special edition

Intake: Audi of America is offering 75 copies of what’s referred to as the 2023 Audi RS e-tron GT project_513/2. “Customers now have the opportunity to drive a version of the e-tron GT that most closely resembles the prototype car. This limited edition leverages the original design used for global prototype testing with ‘e-tron’ camouflage script on both the exterior and interior, and is exclusive to the U.S. market,” says the automaker. It’s the first Audi to offer an exterior skinned and wrapped in camo from the factory. “Camouflage graphics are often used by Audi for initial testing, and are designed to create confusion for onlookers that may be looking to capture the latest glimpse into automotive exterior design and technology before it is made public.”

Exhaust: As special editions go, this one is pretty mild—and a little confusing, alright, consisting mostly of graphics inside and outside the car. Of course the EV already has 637 total horsepower, so you really don’t need a lot more performance. Price of the GT project_513/2 is $179,900, plus shipping and a $595 metallic paint charge. —Steven Cole Smith

Honda’s big seatbelt buckle recall

Intake: Honda is recalling 448,613 vehicles in the U.S. over front seatbelt buckles that may not latch properly. A manufacturing issue can cause the surface coating on the buckle to deteriorate and lead to the belt-release button to shrink at lower temperatures. The recall covers the 2017–20 Honda CR-V, 2018–9 Accord, 2018–9 Accord Hybrid, 2018–20 Odyssey and 2019 Insight, and the 2019–20 Acura RDX. No injuries have been reported as a result of the issue, but there have been 301 warranty claims.

Exhaust: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seatbelt release buttons or buckle assemblies. Owners who paid for repairs related to the issue will be eligible for reimbursement. Letters will begin going out April 17. —SCS

Automotive News proclaims EV startup boom “is over…”

Intake: “…and companies now are trying to avoid a bust.” The publication found that, “Of the 10 EV startups reviewed by Automotive News, only four have enough cash on hand to cover a year or more of operating expenses, and only a couple can cover more than two years of their cash burn, according to their most recently available Securities and Exchange Commission filings.” Several, including Nikola, Faraday Future, and Arrival have identified doubt about their “abilities to continue as a going concern.”

Exhaust: It’s a tough world out there for EV startups, now that major OEMs have fully embraced the electric market. “There’s definitely a sense of fatigue,” said Jeff Osborne, a senior analyst focused on the sustainability and mobility technology sectors at TD Cowen, an American investment bank owned by Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank. “These stocks, putting it bluntly, are dramatically out of favor. It’s very unclear who’s going to win.” —SCS

“Right to repair” lawsuits filed against Tesla

Intake: Reuters is reporting that Tesla has been sued in a pair of proposed antitrust class actions accusing the company of “unlawfully curbing competition for maintenance and replacement parts for its electric vehicles, forcing owners to pay more and wait longer for repair services.” The lawsuits, filed on Tuesday and Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, “allege that Tesla designed its electric vehicles, warranties and repair policies to discourage owners and lessees from using independent shops outside of Tesla’s control.”

Exhaust: Tesla joins other manufacturers facing “right to repair” antitrust litigation over alleged exclusionary conduct. Cases have also been filed against Harley-Davidson and John Deere. Both those companies have denied claims, but Deere has already lost one case. Reuters reached out to Tesla for comment, and none has been forthcoming. —SCS

You can buy Paul Newman’s Volvo

Intake: Bring a Trailer is offering a 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon that was acquired new by actor Paul Newman and subsequently modified with a Buick Grand National–sourced turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6, a Borg-Warner five-speed manual gearbox, and an Aero-style body kit. The car is finished in gray and features 16-inch Gemini wheels, lowering springs, a limited-slip differential, an HKS turbo timer, a power-operated sunroof, heated front seats, third-row seating, and air conditioning.

Exhaust: Connecticut dwellers like Newman and David Letterman preferred hot-rodded Volvos to help confound state troopers who might doubt their radar readings when a Volvo sped by. The auction ends Friday, and bidding, at this writing, is up to $26,000. Watch this space; we’ll be analyzing the final result in a separate article. —SCS

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