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Preview: 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 promises 500 hp, 300-mile range, and starting price in $80,000 bracket

If you’re looking for a battery-electric SUV that will stand out but never quite warmed up to the Tesla Model X, BMW will soon have a credible alternative in the form of the 2022 iX.

Like the Tesla, the iX fits into the mid-size category and offers buyers a combination of performance, range and polarizing looks.

The iX made its debut last November and on Tuesday BMW revealed the first U.S. specs. The striking SUV arrives at dealerships in early 2022 as a 2022 model, and you’ll be able to pre-order one from June. Pricing hasn’t been finalized but BMW said to expect a mid-$80,000 starting point.

There will be the one grade at launch, an iX xDrive50 with with dual-motor all-wheel drive and a peak output of 500 hp, or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in less than five seconds. The top speed will be capped at 124 mph. Each electric motor forms part of a modular drive unit that combines the motor, a single-speed transmission, and power control unit into a single housing. Up to two of these can be fitted on an axle so we could potentially be looking at a more powerful iX down the road.

2022 BMW iX xDrive50 (Euro spec)

The battery in the iX xDrive50 will have over 100 kilowatt-hours of capacity, or enough for 300 miles of range. When it comes to charging, high-speed charging at rates up to 200 kilowatts will enable the battery to be charged from 10-80% capacity in less than 40 minutes. And for people in a real hurry, just 10 minutes of charging is all that’s needed to add about 75 miles of range. Since development is ongoing some of these figures are subject to change, BMW said.

Brake energy regeneration can help to boost range, and the driver will be able to choose how severe the regeneration is. The most severe setting will enable one-pedal driving, as the regeneration will be enough to slow the vehicle to a complete stop. Adjusting this is via the iDrive interface which in the iX will be the new eighth-generation system.

2022 BMW iX xDrive50 (Euro spec)

The iDrive interface integrates most of the non-driving functions and can be controlled via a 14.9-inch infotainment screen or using natural-speak voice activation. There’s also the traditional iDrive controller found in the center console, though the other buttons you normally find here have been replaced by a control surface with active haptic inputs. Also located here is a rocker switch to replace the traditional gear lever. A digital key feature will allow drivers to use their smartphones in place of a key fob.

The iX is similar in size to the X5, though the two vehicles use separate platforms. The iX is based on a unique aluminum space-frame platform and has an inch of extra wheelbase over the X5. There are two rows of seats, and greeting the driver is a floating instrument cluster and a hexagonal steering wheel. The new shape is in preparation for the arrival of self-driving features. Knowing which way the wheels are pointing when retaking hold of the steering wheel once the iX exits self-driving mode will be crucial for maintaining vehicle control. BMW hasn’t said what level of self-driving capability the iX will have.

BMW iX production – Dingolfing

Production of the iX will be handled at BMW’s main plant in Dingolfing, Germany.

The iX isn’t the only electric BMW coming up shortly. We’ll also see an i4 sedan revealed this year and electric versions of the 3-Series and next-generation X1 and 7-Series should follow in 2022.

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March 16, 2021
5 classic Chrysler letter cars heading to auction

Five primo examples of Chrysler’s performance legends, the 300 series “letter cars” from the 1950s and ‘60s, will be offered from a single collection when Mecum Auctions returns to Glendale, Arizona, for its third annual collector car auction March 18-20 at State Farm Stadium.

The super-sized Chrysler 300s are called letter cars because each model year received an ascending letter designation, with the cars in this group including a 1957 300C convertible, a 1958 300D hardtop, a 1959 300E hardtop, a 1960 300F convertible and a 1962 300H hardtop.

1957 Chrysler 300C convertible

A 1963 300 Pacesetter convertible rounds out the collection, although it is not a factory letter car but an official pace car used in the 1963 Indianapolis 500.

Chrysler chief designer Virgil Exner’s Forward Look styling was in full bloom in the gaping grilles and, on the earlier models, prodigious tail fins. The 1957 model was the first to break out with that extravagant look under Exner, and a whole new design direction for Chrysler and its divisions.

1958 Chrysler 300D hardtop

What set the letter cars apart were their high-performance V8 engines, which produced impressive acceleration despite the massive size and weight of the full-size cars. There was a full-on horsepower war going on in Detroit starting with 1955, as Chrysler rolled out its first 300C to compete with GM and Ford powerhouses that also arrived that model year.

For the 1957 300C and 1958 300D models, the engine was a FirePower Hemi V8 displacing 392cid and generating 375 or 390 horsepower, depending on the setup, for the ’57 car, and 380 horsepower for the ’58.

1960 Chrysler 300F wedge-head 413cid V8 with cross-flow intake

For 1959, the Hemi was replaced by the Golden Lion wedge-head V8 with 413cid (6.8 liters) and 380 horsepower, and a resounding 525 pound-feet of torque. A new 413cid wedge design was produced for 1960, initiating a unique “cross-ram intake,” with 375 horsepower and similar torque.

For the 1962 300H, the tail fins had gone away but the letter-car power remained, with a slightly smaller profile and lighter weight. For this year, the 413cid V8 was called the Max Wedge, fed by a pair of 4-barrel carbs on a normal intake and boasting 380 horsepower and that same muscular 525 pound-feet of torque.

For whatever reason, Chrysler did not use a 300J for its 1963 300 Pacesetter featured at Indy but a standard non-letter model, which was still a powerful car with its factory 383cid V8.

1963 Chrysler 300 Pacesetter

Mecum says it expects 1,200 collector cars, trucks and motorcycles to cross the block during the 3-day Glendale auction, held in the NFL stadium where the Arizona Cardinals play their home games. The collection of Chrysler 300s is set for bidding on March 19.

1962 Chrysler 300H hardtop

For more information, visit the Mecum Auctions website.

This article, written by Bob Golfen, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.

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March 15, 2021
The Alpha Wolf EV pickup is the electric truck we want

Shortly after electric-vehicle startup Canoo unveiled a pickup truck, a rival startup in the space, Alpha Motors, revealed renderings of its own electric truck.

Just as the Canoo pickup is based on the same “skateboard” platform used by the company’s minivan and delivery van, the Alpha Wolf is based on the startup’s other two proposed models—the Ace coupe and Jax crossover coupe. That means the Wolf gets retro styling which, in this case, is vaguely reminiscent of old Japanese compact pickups.

However, the Wolf is about two feet longer than the Ace. That still makes it fairly compact by modern pickup standards, though. It’s about two feet shorter than a Ford Ranger SuperCrew, for example.

The bed measures 65 inches long, 59 wide, and 16 deep. Alpha doesn’t quote payload capacity, although it does mention a 3,000-pound towing capacity. The Wolf also features a “frunk,” and images from Alpha’s website show an available solar bed cover.

Alpha Motors Wolf

As with the Jax, Alpha plans to offer the Wolf in single-motor, front-wheel-drive and dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configurations. Alpha estimates 250-275 miles of range, and 0-60 mph acceleration in 6.2 seconds.

While several other companies are planning electric trucks, Alpha and Canoo stand out by going with truly compact models, potentially reviving a market segment that disappeared from the United States years ago. Canoo is quoting similar range for its truck, but with 600 hp from its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain.

Canoo has also shown working prototypes of its skateboard chassis and its first production EV, a minivan the company plans to offer exclusively through a subscription service. Alpha has only shown static images so far.

Nonetheless, Alpha is taking reservations for the Wolf. Full pricing is expected to run between $36,000 and $46,000. Deliveries are promised to start in 2023.

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March 14, 2021