M2

Make
BMW
Segment
Coupe

Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Cold Start, where we recap five of the biggest automotive news stories from the last 24 hours. Since yesterday's roundup, Bentley has teased a new bespoke vehicle that will preview its design language for the future, Mercedes has announced that its next infotainment system will be powered by the same software used for mobile games, and Honda has given us a very, very distant look at the new Pilot TrailSport.

But this morning, our focus lies with the news that the new BMW M2 will get xDrive AWD, changes for the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning, and a closer look at the new EV tax credit system. We also touch on Lamborghini's lofty ambitions for the Urus hybrid and see how Tesla has dethroned Mercedes in luxury sales. Let's get on with it.

2023 BMW M2 Will Be Capable In All Weather Conditions

BMW was always known for sending power to the rear axle, but over the past decade, more and more Bimmers have seen their performance directed to all four wheels as the Bavarian automaker aims to remain competitive with the likes of Audi and Mercedes. The BMW M2 is now getting the same treatment thanks to an xDrive all-wheel-drive system. We suspected that this would happen, but now we have confirmation thanks to a discovery made by a Bimmerpost forum user who says that he has discovered technical documents showing that the G87 M2 could offer AWD. Thankfully, it seems that this will be an option rather than a default configuration.

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Ford F-150 Lightning Gets Pricier But More Capable

The Ford F-150 Lightning has been a smash hit since it launched, and reviewers from across the globe have hailed its excellence. Now, Ford has announced that the electric pickup truck will be getting a significant price increase from last year's MSRP of $39,974 to $46,976 (excluding delivery). Ford is not doing this to earn greater profits and has said that the cause of the increase can be traced to "material cost increases and other factors." Fortunately, it's not all doom and gloom, as the Standard Range model now promises 240 miles of range per charge, up from 230 in the 2022 model.

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New EV Tax Credits Will Be In Effect For 10 Years

The US Senate has just passed the Inflation Reduction Act, and now it will be passed to the House of Representatives for approval. The details on the new act include the news that EV tax credits will be available from now until 2032, and manufacturers will not lose access to these credits once they have sold 200,000 qualifying vehicles. In addition, these credits can now be applied at the point of sale, which means you won't have to wait for the new tax season to roll around before you can take advantage of them. Hopefully, this will help bolster domestic vehicle production, stimulating the economy.

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Lamborghini Urus Hybrid Wants To Be The Best

The Lamborghini Urus hybrid is no secret. We've known it's coming for some time now, and we know it will be unveiled at Pebble Beach later this month. What we didn't know is just how seriously Sant'Agata is taking its ambitions for the super SUV. In a recent post made to Instagram, Lamborghini has teased the updated Urus while making mention of Pikes Peak. As you may know, Bentley's Bentayga SUV currently holds the record for SUVs at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and it seems that Lamborghini wants to own that record. Considering that the Urus will have more power and better handling than the Bentayga, the rewriting of this record seems all but a foregone conclusion.

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Tesla Dethrones Mercedes As The Luxury Sales King

The Tesla Model Y has outsold the Mercedes-Benz GLC in Europe, selling 41,851 examples of the vehicle in the first half of this year. The Merc GLC, on the other hand, only managed 40,554 units, although that still represents an increase of 12%. In third place was the BMW X3, which shifted a respectable 31,138 units. The Tesla Model Y is now the best-selling midsize luxury crossover in Europe, and it could soon even become the best-selling premium car in Europe. It seems that people don't care about myriad color options when the allure of the Tesla lifestyle is so strong. How long will this momentum continue with what is essentially an old car? Time will tell.

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