Daily News: Wednesday 2/14/18

BMW Debuts All-New 2019 X4 SUV

BMW has revealed the second generation of what they call their ‘Sports Activity Coupe’, the X4. In reality, the X4 is an SUV designed with a sloping ‘coupe-style’ rear-end, still featuring four doors. The X4 is designed as a more stylish alternative to the ‘normal’ X3.

The new X4 takes Pontiac’s modus and adapts it to the Bavarian automaker, as the new X4 is lower, longer, and wider than its predecessor. This enlarged package comes in two flavors, the ‘normal’ 4-cylinder X4 xDrive30i or the ‘sporty’ 6-cylinder X4 M40i. Both models come standard with AWD and an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The 2019 BMW X4 will arrive at BMW Sales Centers in July 2018 with pricing starting at around $50,000 for the 30i and $60,000 for the M40i.

RAM Display’s New ‘Texas Truck’ Lone Star Edition 1500

RAM has re-designed their venerable 1500 pickup truck, and no re-design would be complete without a special edition. In that spirit, RAM has announced their venerable ‘Lone Star’ edition of trucks will be coming back to the 1500, an announcement they made–fittingly–at the Dallas Auto Show.

By far the most popular RAM variant in Texas, the Lone Star edition features lots of chrome and very large special ‘LONE STAR’ badges throughout the exterior and interior of the truck. Available in 4×2 or 4×4 with a 5.7L HEMI, the Lone Star sends its power to the wheels via an 8-speed gearbox.

The Lone Star brings certain luxurious to RAM customers, while keeping the ‘work truck’ feel of the vehicle. Lone Star editions will start going om sale in the first quarter of 2018…..so….now, I suppose.

Aston Martin Continues Distracting Itself With Things That Aren’t Cars

For the most part, ‘car people’ like cars, and we like our car companies to focus on making cars. Unfortunately, car enthusiasts are not the only customers an automaker has to cater to. Aston Martin, presumably catering to the people who purchase cars as fashion accessories, has launched a new website shop.astonmartin.com, which, funnily enough, doesn’t sell cars.

No, Aston’s new site instead focuses on clothing, luggage, toys, and even such banal items as ‘a mini race suit for younger fans of the team’.

Blarf.

While I don’t get it, I suppose I can respect where Aston is coming from: make a shop like this, and the ‘Car People’ get things like the insane track-only Valkyrie.

That’s a trade I can live with.