BMW must be allergic to vinyl because the psychedelic vinyl wrapping in these spy shots does little to hide what’s supposed to be a disguised developmental vehicle. In fact, from certain angles, the test mule tells you you’re looking at a “Hybrid Test Vehicle” – the plug-in hybrid version of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, to be exact.
If it goes into production using the powertrain it had as a concept, it will be propelled by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine sitting over the front wheels, and an electric motor at the rear. You read that right: this little number will have all-wheel drive, which will better distribute the expected total of around 200 horsepower. One-hundred thirty six of the 200 ponies will come from the inline three-cylinder motor, and approximately 60 horsepower will come from its kilowatt counterpart.
Check out the automaker equivalent of the big-fake-nose-and-glasses combo in the gallery below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
