FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Amazon, GM, Rivian. Reuters is reporting that Amazon and GM are in discussions to to invest in Rivian Automotive LLC in a deal that would value the U.S. electric pickup truck manufacturer at between $1 billion and $2 billion. The deal would give Amazon and General Motors minority stakes in Rivian, the sources said. It would be a major boost for the Plymouth, Michigan-based startup, which aspires to be the first car maker to the U.S. consumer market with an electric pickup. If the negotiations conclude successfully, a deal could be announced as early as this month. "We admire Rivian's contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future," GM said in an emailed statement, declining to specifically comment on the talks with Rivian. Editor-in-Chief's Note: This just in, this is huge news for all three parties if it comes to fruition. -PMD

(BMW images)
BMW has introduced two new M machines: the 2020 BMW X3 M Sports Activity Vehicle and the 2020 BMW X4 M Sports Activity Coupe. Powered by a 473HP S58 3.0 liter in-line 6-cylinder M TwinPower Turbo engine, both the X3 M and X4 M will also be available in 503HP Competition versions. Peak torque of 442 lb.-ft. arrives between 2,600 and 5,600 rpm and between 2,600 and 5,950 rpm in the BMW X3 M Competition and BMW X4 M Competition models. It generates maximum horsepower output at 6,250 rpm and sustains its power delivery until the 7,200 rpm red line. The BMW X3 M and BMW X4 M accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, while the Competition models hit the 60 mph mark in 4.0 seconds. The top speed of all models is electronically limited to 155 mph, although if the optional M Driver’s Package is specified, the limit rises to 174 mph for the X3 M and X4 M and up to 177 mph for the Competition models. The new M models will be built at Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, the largest BMW production plant in the world, employing 11,000 people and supported by 300 suppliers across the U.S. Seventy percent of the vehicles produced at Plant Spartanburg are exported overseas, making BMW the largest exporter of vehicles from the U.S. by value. Editor-in-Chief's Note: I suppose BMW should be lauded for still believing in high-performance vehicles, but I have to wonder why "competition" versions of these SUVs exist in the first place. I guess at the extremely limted volumes that these vehicles will be produced buyers will emerge from the haze to step up and pay the sure-to-be-exhorbitant prices that BMW will ask for them. But the whole high-performance SUV thing has moved into "The Answer to the Question That No One is Asking" territory for me. -PMD