🕷️ Crawler Inspector

[](https://timstevens.substack.com/) # [Around the Next Bend](https://timstevens.substack.com/) Subscribe Sign in # Driving BMW’s Next EV And Audi’s Rebooted RS5 ### Plus a fun story on a couple of world-class arcades. [](https://substack.com/@timstevens) [Tim Stevens](https://substack.com/@timstevens) Mar 08, 2026 3 1 Share [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LUMi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F307fc6a5-36db-46f8-ba00-4ed56b15a73e_4961x3721.jpeg) No, sadly, we don’t get the Avant. Credit: Audi It’s hard to imagine terrain more different than the snowy middle wilds of Sweden and the desert expanses of Morocco. It’s those dizzying extremes that I’ve covered over the past few weeks, zipping from one to the next with a quick stopover at home to repack the suitcase and see the ones I love to remind myself why I’m doing all this to myself. It’s been a lot the past few weeks, let me tell you. Here are some of the highlights. [Share](https://timstevens.substack.com/p/driving-bmws-next-ev-and-audis-rebooted?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share) ## Worth the Weight? Meet Audi’s new RS5, which has followed BMW’s M5 bravely into the land of the performance PHEV. Yes, it’s got a plug and a big battery, which, as we’ve seen, causes two things to happen. First: The car’s weight increases dramatically (over 1,000 pounds here). Second: The masses on these great internets commence their whining about how Audi has ruined a car that few of them have ever driven or ever even aspired to own. Here’s what I can tell you: I had zero interest in the previous RS5, but I really, really want one of the new ones. Audi’s last attempt at an RS just felt tame. It looked like an S5 from a distance, wasn’t much better differentiated from up close, and simply wasn’t aggressive enough from behind the wheel. Literally within seconds of getting behind the wheel of the new RS5, I was drifting it through a tight slalom and giggling like a little boy. Much of the new drama is thanks to a curious electrified rear differential setup, which pairs with the car’s mechanical Torsen center diff to do some wonderful things. Wrap it all in a car that finally has the fenders an RS deserves, and you have a desirable package. The only real bummer? That we’re not getting the long-roof Avant version pictured above. Maybe if more of you salty keyboard warriors had bought RS6 Avants, we wouldn’t be left pining. I’d do my part, but, well, sadly, neither of these things is exactly compatible with my budget. - [2027 Audi RS 5 First Drive Review: Return to Form](https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-audi-rs-5-first-drive-review.html) - Edmunds - [2027 Audi RS5 first drive: Big thrills with a big battery](https://www.engadget.com/transportation/2027-audi-rs5-first-drive-big-thrills-with-a-big-battery-152057907.html) - Engadget - [2027 Audi RS5 First Drive: 630-HP Plug-In Hybrid Transforms the RS Formula](https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/first-drive-2027-audi-rs5-plug-in-hybrid) - MotorTrend [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0R2N!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46788f43-7df7-4ba7-8739-5508115c8706_8256x5504.jpeg) Extra arctics camo. Credit: BMW ## i3 on Ice From Morocco’s dry desolation to Sweden’s icy expanses, we also make the mental trip from Ingolstadt to Munich to sample BMW’s next great sedan, the i3. While the i4 is pretty great in many respects, the i3 gives us a first taste of how good an electric 3 Series can be when it’s designed from the ground up to be battery powered. I drove it on ice and snow, my two favorite surfaces, got it well and truly sideways, and loved every minute of it. That’s despite this not being a particularly performance-oriented variant. I drove what will be the i3 50 xDrive, with no high-performance drivetrain or suspension upgrades. If all goes according to plan and the bottom doesn’t completely drop out of the EV market, we’ll see a variety of amped up variants to come, including ones with three and even four motors. I’m excited, and you should be too. Oh, and make sure you pour one out for the humble i3 hatchback, which never got the love it deserved and is now, thanks to this badge reshuffle, has been properly relegated to history. - [2027 BMW i3: Prototype Drive](https://bimmerlife.com/2026/03/05/2027-bmw-i3-prototype-drive/) - BimmerLife - [2027 BMW i3 Prototype First Drive Review: Neue Klasse on Ice](https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-bmw-i3-ev-prototype-first-drive-review.html) - Edmunds - [BMW’s i3 prototype conquers the ice with power and technology](https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/bmws-i3-prototype-conquers-the-ice-with-power-and-technology-130000610.html) - Engadget [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Eswn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F416438f0-3efc-4cdc-b4a9-9bce9ac985f9_3000x2000.jpeg) Studs on ice. Credit: Tim Stevens ## Intro to Ice Racing It wasn’t all that long ago (May, to be exact) that I wrote an [Ode to Ice Racing for Hagerty](https://www.hagerty.com/media/motorsports/an-ode-to-ice-racing/). My ice racing club hadn’t held an event in years, thanks to thin ice. Talk was that everything was going to be shut down… and then we got a wild cold snap and everything changed. My club managed five events on three lakes this season, a fair number for even the glory days when I started racing two decades ago. One of my editors at Ars Technica was kind enough to express interest in a how-to piece of sorts, and I was more than happy to oblige with this explainer on my favorite form of racing. - [Zero grip, maximum fun: A practical guide to getting into amateur ice racing](https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/02/zero-grip-maximum-fun-a-practical-guide-to-getting-into-amateur-ice-racing/) - Ars Technica [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mn8z!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c623c6-c184-4d3d-b861-cb0b40c805f9_4000x2667.jpeg) It’s bigger, yes, but the tech upgrade is the big story. Credit: Tim Stevens ## The CX-5’s Most-Needed Upgrade No, it’s not all drifting priceless prototypes and overpowered hybrids. I drive regular cars too, people, cars like Mazda’s new CX-5. It’s bigger and better throughout, but the big update is in the dashboard. The company’s dated infotainment experience finally gets a big reboot, and it’s genuinely good, but I confess I will miss the rotary controller. - [2026 Mazda CX-5 Review](https://www.capitalone.com/cars/learn/finding-the-right-car/2026-mazda-cx5-review/4029) - Capital One - [2026 Mazda CX-5 Review](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/expert-reviews/2026-mazda-cx-5-review) - JD Power [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KmiP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4342df23-8a2f-4ad2-b51e-fbe2cdb6d7a1_4000x2667.jpeg) One of the most fun two-player games of all time. Credit: Tim Stevens ## The World’s Largest Arcade -- Both of Them Some stories are more fun than others to tell, but few are going to ever top this. Last year, I visited two amazing arcades, both of which proudly proclaim to be the World’s Largest. My mission: to find the truth. Is there a bitter rivalry here? Creative bookkeeping? Guinness recordkeepers paid off in shiny tokens? Nah, it’s just a case of a couple of stellar places that are both well worth your business. - [Which of these two arcades is the “world largest”—and does it matter?](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/03/which-of-these-two-arcades-is-the-world-largest-and-does-it-matter/) - Ars Technica That’s all from me this week, this entry written from 39,208 feet above northern Quebec. I’m headed home for one whole solitary day but, by the time this newsletter flies, I’ll already be back in the air myself, this time headed west to drive a few more special things. I’ll have details on that soon, plus full impressions of the other things I was driving up in Sweden, which in many ways were even more special than those priceless prototypes from BMW. Around the Next Bend is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 3 1 Share #### Discussion about this post Comments Restacks Top Latest Discussions No posts ### Ready for more? © 2026 Tim Stevens · [Privacy](https://substack.com/privacy) ∙ [Terms](https://substack.com/tos) ∙ [Collection notice](https://substack.com/ccpa#personal-data-collected) [Start your Substack](https://substack.com/signup?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_content=footer) [Get the app](https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&utm_content=web-footer-button) [Substack](https://substack.com/) is the home for great culture This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please [turn on JavaScript](https://enable-javascript.com/) or unblock scripts

[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LUMi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F307fc6a5-36db-46f8-ba00-4ed56b15a73e_4961x3721.jpeg) No, sadly, we don’t get the Avant. Credit: Audi It’s hard to imagine terrain more different than the snowy middle wilds of Sweden and the desert expanses of Morocco. It’s those dizzying extremes that I’ve covered over the past few weeks, zipping from one to the next with a quick stopover at home to repack the suitcase and see the ones I love to remind myself why I’m doing all this to myself. It’s been a lot the past few weeks, let me tell you. Here are some of the highlights. [Share](https://timstevens.substack.com/p/driving-bmws-next-ev-and-audis-rebooted?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share) Meet Audi’s new RS5, which has followed BMW’s M5 bravely into the land of the performance PHEV. Yes, it’s got a plug and a big battery, which, as we’ve seen, causes two things to happen. First: The car’s weight increases dramatically (over 1,000 pounds here). Second: The masses on these great internets commence their whining about how Audi has ruined a car that few of them have ever driven or ever even aspired to own. Here’s what I can tell you: I had zero interest in the previous RS5, but I really, really want one of the new ones. Audi’s last attempt at an RS just felt tame. It looked like an S5 from a distance, wasn’t much better differentiated from up close, and simply wasn’t aggressive enough from behind the wheel. Literally within seconds of getting behind the wheel of the new RS5, I was drifting it through a tight slalom and giggling like a little boy. Much of the new drama is thanks to a curious electrified rear differential setup, which pairs with the car’s mechanical Torsen center diff to do some wonderful things. Wrap it all in a car that finally has the fenders an RS deserves, and you have a desirable package. The only real bummer? That we’re not getting the long-roof Avant version pictured above. Maybe if more of you salty keyboard warriors had bought RS6 Avants, we wouldn’t be left pining. I’d do my part, but, well, sadly, neither of these things is exactly compatible with my budget. - [2027 Audi RS 5 First Drive Review: Return to Form](https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-audi-rs-5-first-drive-review.html) - Edmunds - [2027 Audi RS5 first drive: Big thrills with a big battery](https://www.engadget.com/transportation/2027-audi-rs5-first-drive-big-thrills-with-a-big-battery-152057907.html) - Engadget - [2027 Audi RS5 First Drive: 630-HP Plug-In Hybrid Transforms the RS Formula](https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/first-drive-2027-audi-rs5-plug-in-hybrid) - MotorTrend [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0R2N!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46788f43-7df7-4ba7-8739-5508115c8706_8256x5504.jpeg) Extra arctics camo. Credit: BMW From Morocco’s dry desolation to Sweden’s icy expanses, we also make the mental trip from Ingolstadt to Munich to sample BMW’s next great sedan, the i3. While the i4 is pretty great in many respects, the i3 gives us a first taste of how good an electric 3 Series can be when it’s designed from the ground up to be battery powered. I drove it on ice and snow, my two favorite surfaces, got it well and truly sideways, and loved every minute of it. That’s despite this not being a particularly performance-oriented variant. I drove what will be the i3 50 xDrive, with no high-performance drivetrain or suspension upgrades. If all goes according to plan and the bottom doesn’t completely drop out of the EV market, we’ll see a variety of amped up variants to come, including ones with three and even four motors. I’m excited, and you should be too. Oh, and make sure you pour one out for the humble i3 hatchback, which never got the love it deserved and is now, thanks to this badge reshuffle, has been properly relegated to history. - [2027 BMW i3: Prototype Drive](https://bimmerlife.com/2026/03/05/2027-bmw-i3-prototype-drive/) - BimmerLife - [2027 BMW i3 Prototype First Drive Review: Neue Klasse on Ice](https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-bmw-i3-ev-prototype-first-drive-review.html) - Edmunds - [BMW’s i3 prototype conquers the ice with power and technology](https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/bmws-i3-prototype-conquers-the-ice-with-power-and-technology-130000610.html) - Engadget [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Eswn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F416438f0-3efc-4cdc-b4a9-9bce9ac985f9_3000x2000.jpeg) Studs on ice. Credit: Tim Stevens It wasn’t all that long ago (May, to be exact) that I wrote an [Ode to Ice Racing for Hagerty](https://www.hagerty.com/media/motorsports/an-ode-to-ice-racing/). My ice racing club hadn’t held an event in years, thanks to thin ice. Talk was that everything was going to be shut down… and then we got a wild cold snap and everything changed. My club managed five events on three lakes this season, a fair number for even the glory days when I started racing two decades ago. One of my editors at Ars Technica was kind enough to express interest in a how-to piece of sorts, and I was more than happy to oblige with this explainer on my favorite form of racing. - [Zero grip, maximum fun: A practical guide to getting into amateur ice racing](https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/02/zero-grip-maximum-fun-a-practical-guide-to-getting-into-amateur-ice-racing/) - Ars Technica [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Mn8z!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c623c6-c184-4d3d-b861-cb0b40c805f9_4000x2667.jpeg) It’s bigger, yes, but the tech upgrade is the big story. Credit: Tim Stevens No, it’s not all drifting priceless prototypes and overpowered hybrids. I drive regular cars too, people, cars like Mazda’s new CX-5. It’s bigger and better throughout, but the big update is in the dashboard. The company’s dated infotainment experience finally gets a big reboot, and it’s genuinely good, but I confess I will miss the rotary controller. - [2026 Mazda CX-5 Review](https://www.capitalone.com/cars/learn/finding-the-right-car/2026-mazda-cx5-review/4029) - Capital One - [2026 Mazda CX-5 Review](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/expert-reviews/2026-mazda-cx-5-review) - JD Power [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KmiP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4342df23-8a2f-4ad2-b51e-fbe2cdb6d7a1_4000x2667.jpeg) One of the most fun two-player games of all time. Credit: Tim Stevens Some stories are more fun than others to tell, but few are going to ever top this. Last year, I visited two amazing arcades, both of which proudly proclaim to be the World’s Largest. My mission: to find the truth. Is there a bitter rivalry here? Creative bookkeeping? Guinness recordkeepers paid off in shiny tokens? Nah, it’s just a case of a couple of stellar places that are both well worth your business. - [Which of these two arcades is the “world largest”—and does it matter?](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/03/which-of-these-two-arcades-is-the-world-largest-and-does-it-matter/) - Ars Technica That’s all from me this week, this entry written from 39,208 feet above northern Quebec. I’m headed home for one whole solitary day but, by the time this newsletter flies, I’ll already be back in the air myself, this time headed west to drive a few more special things. I’ll have details on that soon, plus full impressions of the other things I was driving up in Sweden, which in many ways were even more special than those priceless prototypes from BMW. No posts