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In order to reduce the quantity of debris from the spacecraft’s trunk portion that touches down, NASA and SpaceX are investigating ways to modify the Dragon spacecraft’s reentry procedure.

Debris from Dragon spacecraft trunk parts, which are removed from the capsule prior to the capsule performing a deorbit burn, has been discovered on land on multiple occasions. These consist of the Ax-3 Crew Dragon, which crashed in Saskatchewan in February; the Crew-7 trunk, pieces of which were discovered in North Carolina in May; and wreckage from the Crew-1 Crew Dragon trunk, which was discovered in Australia in 2022.

A SpaceX representative minimized the occurrence as a single incident in August 2022, not long after the Crew-1 wreckage was discovered in Australia. At a NASA briefing, SpaceX’s senior director of human spaceflight projects, Benji Reed, stated, “This was all within the expected analyzed space of what can happen.” “Nonetheless, just like we do for launches and any return, we look very closely at the data, we learn everything that we can and we always look for ways we can improve things.”

Now that more debris has been seen, NASA and SpaceX agree that changes are required. According to recent agency statements, preliminary studies predicted that the trunk would burn completely upon return. According to NASA, “NASA and SpaceX will continue exploring additional solutions as we learn from the discovered debris,”

Following a Starliner briefing prior to the mission’s flight on June 6, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich stated in an interview, “We did analysis back before Demo-2 and clearly the models don’t deal with the trunk very well,” According to him, the trunk’s composite components are probably to blame. “It’s almost like a thermal protection system.”

As a solution, he said NASA and SpaceX are considering altering the deorbiting protocols. As of right now, the orbit burn of the capsule occurs before the trunk is released. Accordingly, the trunk may stay in orbit for several months before reentering the atmosphere without permission.

Rather than that, Stich stated that engineers are looking on releasing the trunk after the deorbit burn. This would allow for greater control over the trunk’s reentry point, guaranteeing that any debris that makes it through will land in an area free of people.

He stated, “We’re in the process of doing that work right now,” “I would love to have something in place next year if we can, but we’ve got to do all the right analysis. We’ve got make sure that it’s safe for the crew.”.

The difficulties with the alternate strategy are finding the optimum way to separate the trunk after the fire and using more propellant to complete the deorbit burn with the trunk still attached. According to Stich, engineers are considering a few strategies that would cause the trunk to detach from the capsule upon reentry, allowing any debris to fall into the ocean.

Not only have the Dragon trunks raised concerns about the possibility of falling debris, but a portion of the ISS battery rack made an uncontrolled reentry on March 8 has also raised concerns. A roughly three-quarters-kilogram chunk of that rack made it through reentry and struck a Naples, Florida, home. There were no injuries when the rubble crashed through the house’s roof.

The legal company Cranfill Sumner LLP declared on June 21st that it has submitted a claim to NASA for an approximate amount of $80,000 in damages resulting from the debris. The petition, which several media outlets mistakenly characterized as a lawsuit, is actually a claim made under the Federal Torts Claim Act, and NASA has six months to respond to the claim.

The family’s attorney, Mica Nguyen Worthy, filed the claim on their behalf. He pointed out that although the United States would have been “absolutely liable” for damages had the debris struck another nation, this liability does not apply in this case because the damage occurred within the country.

The statement read, “Here, the U.S. government, through NASA, has an opportunity to set the standard or ‘set a precedent’ as to what responsible, safe, and sustainable space operations ought to look like,” In her words, paying the claim “would send a strong signal to both other governments and private industries that such victims should be compensated regardless of fault.”

Some perceive a chance among the falling pieces. The Glamping Collective, an upscale camping destination, posted images of the wreckage of the Crew-7 trunk on their website. On its website, it said, “We invite you to come experience this yourself!” and mentioned that the wreckage will be visible at the beginning of a hiking trail.

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Science

China has successfully recovered over two kilograms of lunar material from the moon’s far side, preparing it for upcoming deep space missions.

On June 25, the Chang’e-6 reentry capsule made a successful return to Earth, capping out a 53-day mission. The anticipated recovery of the capsule took place in the plains of Inner Mongolia’s Siziwang Banner.

After being transported to Beijing, the capsule was opened on June 26 in order to extract the sample canister. On Friday, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) declared that 1,935.3 grams of material were included.

The mission’s goal was to gather up to two thousand grams. 1,731 grams were gathered by the Chang’e-5 near-side mission in 2020. Drilling problems that were encountered during that mission affected the quantity collected.

The sample container will then be opened by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ National Astronomical Observatories. After that, NAOC will pack and prepare the samples it has collected through drilling and surface retrieval for storage.

After six months, applications for samples are anticipated to be accepted from domestic scientific research institutions. Two years later, samples will be made available for use in other countries in accordance with CNSA guidelines for managing lunar samples.

Spokesman for the CNSA Ge Ping said that compared to earlier lunar samples, these ones are stickier and more compressed.

Mysteries of the South Pole-Aitken

The samples are expected to “address questions about the multiple lunar nearside–far side dichotomies and to provide new insights into both the early impact history of the Solar System and the geological evolution of the moon,” according to a 2023 paper on the potential landing spot.

Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, stated at a press conference in Beijing on June 27 that “the samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken Basin may be very different from the samples collected from the front side, which is conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the geological evolution history of the moon.”

It remains to be seen how revealing the samples will be. “There is no question that new insights into the nature of the moon’s evolution will be provided by the return of the far side samples. And the fact that they have just successfully touched down on Earth is a tremendous accomplishment for China,” University of Notre Dame professor and lunar scientist Clive Neal told.

Nonetheless, Neal points out that the landing spot is among the moon’s oldest terranes. Therefore, it is expected that later geologic processing may dilute, obfuscate, and disperse debris from the South Pole-Aitken basin impact—a large basin formed by a massive, ancient impact that is of significant scientific importance.

“Whether they will unequivocally demonstrate the age of the South Pole Aitken basin or define the first mantle sample returned from the moon remains to be seen, but these samples will reveal secrets in the coming decades, just as the Apollo samples have done.”

Upcoming Deep Space Missions

The second Tianwen mission, according to CNSA officials, is scheduled to launch in 2025. Tianwen-2 is a combined comet rendezvous and asteroid sample return mission. As of right now, May 2025, a Long March 3B rocket is supposed to launch it.

After launching, the mission will return to Earth around 2.5 years later with samples taken from the near-Earth asteroid 469219 KamoŻoalewa. After delivering samples, the spacecraft will target comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the main belt.

The fact that the third and fourth Tianwen missions will launch around 2030 was also reaffirmed. These are the Tianwen-4 Jupiter mission and the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return. Currently, the latter will consist of a smaller spacecraft that will fly by Uranus and a solar-powered Jupiter orbiter.

China will also carry out significant national scientific and technology initiatives and programs in the aerospace industry, according to Bian Zhigang, the deputy administrator of the CNSA. Heavy-lift launchers and reusable spacecraft are two examples of these. Furthermore, China wants to boost fundamental research, quicken the development of important core technologies, and encourage creative advancements in space science, space technology, and space applications.

Upcoming Lunar Missions, Collaboration

China is now gearing up for the Chang’e-7 lunar south pole mission, which is anticipated to focus on Shackleton crater. The Queqiao-2 relay satellite, which made the Chang’e-6 mission possible, will support it.

In late 2023, CNSA released a call for applications for the Chang’e-8 lunar south pole mission scheduled for 2028. The payload capacity for international collaboration is 200 kg. On Thursday, CNSA said that it had received over thirty letters of intent to work together on the mission.

When asked about collaboration with the US, Bian stated that the US should eliminate obstacles. In particular, he brought up the so-called Wolf Amendment.

“If the U.S. side sincerely hopes to carry out normal space exchanges with China, it must take practical measures to remove the obstacles. As for China’s future space plans, they will be carried out at China’s own pace for peaceful use. We’re always eager to develop equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in an open and inclusive attitude,”  Bian stated.

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Technology

The newest smart glasses from Solos have independent eyes. The first smart glasses with GPT-4o and generative artificial intelligence (AI) that can interpret visual input have been introduced by the business as AirGo Vision.

So why is ChatGPT necessary for glasses? Solos claims that the AirGo Vision will offer real-time information based on visual input, such as identifying people, things, or landmarks; providing walking instructions; determining the price of something; and more, in place of requiring users to use a service like Google Lens on their phones to search for anything.

Users can take pictures with their hands free to request information. Examples can be inquiring where to buy a certain item or looking up the next step in a recipe.

The glasses will respond to several inquiries simultaneously. In Solos’ press release, a sample search query is as follows: “What am I looking at, and how much does it cost? Is there another place where the pricing is lower?”

Because the AirGo Vision’s frames are interchangeable, you may choose whether you want smart glasses with or without a front-facing camera.

You will be alerted to an alert by a subtle flash from an integrated LED notification light. According to Solos, visual alerts could be helpful for users who could have hearing loss, in calm settings where someone has turned off notifications, and in busy environments where notifications could be overlooked.

There are more smart glasses made by Solos that use AI besides the AirGo Vision. At CES 2024, the business debuted the Solos AirGo3 smart glasses with ChatGPT. AirGo Vision glasses allow you to search for information using visual input, while the Solos AirGo3 uses voice to enable communication using ChatGPT.

The AirGo Vision will go on sale later this year. Three different kinds of LED-only frames with an MSRP of $249.99 each are scheduled for release in July.

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Technology

Google revealed on Wednesday that it is adding five new features to the Chrome browser for mobile devices, all of which are intended to improve the search experience. Google is seeing more competition from startups like Arc. These include trending search ideas, live sports cards for fans, updated address bars for simpler navigation, new shortcuts for local search results, and more customized search recommendations based on users’ browsing preferences. The features will be available soon for iOS and Android smartphones.

One of the new features is Chrome Actions, which makes it easier for users to complete various actions without having to navigate to the settings. Users will now be able to search for a local business and instantly access shortcut buttons like “Call,” “Directions,” and “Reviews” when the feature makes its way to local search results.

Google is planning to release an iOS version of this later this fall, but it is currently available in Chrome for Android smartphones.

Trending searches, which were formerly exclusive to Android smartphones, is another helpful tool. At last, Google is adding trending search recommendations to the iOS Chrome address bar, enabling users to view the most popular queries throughout Google Search.

In order to notify users when their preferred sports team is playing and to automatically update users with the most recent scores and highlights from previous games, Google also included live sports cards to Chrome’s Discover Feed on mobile devices. By choosing the three-dot menu in the Chrome mobile app, users can alter the feature.

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Business

Over 550,000 F-150 trucks are being recalled by Ford in the US due to a problem that might cause the transmission to abruptly and unexpectedly change into first gear at any speed.

The gearboxes on these vehicles have six speeds. First gear is normally only engaged at very low speeds, thus putting the truck in first gear abruptly when moving quickly could cause it to slow down quickly or perhaps lead the driver to lose control.

The trucks in question are 2014 model year older models. However, Ford became aware of the issue with these specific trucks in February of this year after receiving several reports of 2014 F-150s abruptly downshifting at the incorrect moment.

According to Ford spokeswoman Maria Buczkowski, a malfunction alert light in the truck’s gauge cluster may turn on before that. In certain instances, the issue could be resolved quickly and the truck would keep operating regularly. In other situations, the transmission could not function normally again until the truck is turned off and back on.

Ford recalled another 1.2 million F-150s from model years 2011 through 2013 in 2019 due to the same problem. A signal loss between a speed sensor and the control module that manages the automatic transmission is the cause of the issue.

Ford dealers will update the trucks’ control module software at no cost to the owner in order to resolve the issue. In a few days, Ford will begin sending letters to the owners of the implicated trucks.

Within the next three months, a new software update to address the 2014 vehicles will be available, according to Buczkowski.

Call Ford customer support at 866-436-7332 if you have any questions or concerns regarding recall number 24S37.

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Technology

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg stated that Apple was not aiming to integrate Meta’s AI models, despite the Wall Street Journal reporting days earlier that the two companies were in negotiations about doing so.

There were reportedly brief discussions between Apple and Meta back in March over the potential for a partnership. At this time, Apple was in discussions with several businesses to investigate the possibility of integrating their models with their products.

But due to privacy concerns, the business abandoned the plan to install Meta’s AI models on iPhones, according to the article. The source also pointed out that Apple’s reputation will not benefit much from a partnership with the social networking giant, because the Cupertino-based business has consistently chastised Meta’s privacy policies.

Apple unveiled its own AI feature set earlier this month under the Apple Intelligence moniker. Additionally, it disclosed a collaboration with OpenAI to enable iPhone users to utilize ChatGPT for specific inquiries.

Apple has stated that it is open to integrating various AI models with its devices, thus this agreement is not exclusive. The corporation announced at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) that it will collaborate with Google to roll out Gemini.

Even while Meta may not have the luxury of directly integrating with millions of devices, the business will rely on its own apps, which collectively have billions of users across platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. India is the company’s largest global market, and on Monday it made its Meta AI chatbot available to consumers there.

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Sports

Angel Reese defeated Caitlin Clark to win for the first time in their professional careers.

In spite of 17 points and a franchise-high 13 assists from Clark, Reese delivered one of his greatest games to date, leading the Chicago Sky to an exhilarating 88-87 comeback victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday. Reese scored a career-high 25 points and pulled down 16 rebounds.

Reese extended her WNBA rookie record by recording a double-double for the eighth straight game, helping Chicago overcome a 15-point deficit in the second half to win her first-ever game against the Fever and Clark as a professional. This season, the Fever had triumphed in their prior two meetings, both held in Indianapolis.

“I come out and perform,” Reese declared following the match. “I do what it takes to win every single day.”

Reese led Chicago to a 31–15 run in the last 11:25 of the game, scoring as many points (15) and making as many field goals (5) as Indiana did in that time.

With three minutes left, Reese pulled down an offensive rebound and was fouled while making the putback to tie the score at 82. With 53 seconds left, the Sky found Reese once more for a driving layup that put Chicago ahead for good.

Regarding Reese, Clark remarked, “She ran really well in transition.” “She got a couple and-1s in transition, obviously, she played a really great game. I think they definitely knew to be physical with us. I think they probably watched [our last game] and saw that we fouled them nonstop … 35 [free throws] … a team like this you are not going to get away with that.”

In the meantime, Clark tied the record for the most assists by a rookie in a double-double performance in the history of the league, although she only took three shots in the fourth quarter and failed to score after 7:12.

“I’m sure there was an opportunity or two for me to probably attempt another shot there at the end, but I trust my teammates,” Clark stated. “Obviously, 13 assists, that means my teammates scored off of 13 of my passes. It’s a really great number, so I’m going to give them the ball every time and give them an opportunity to score.”

Due to their shared college experience, Reese and Clark—two of the best rookies in this year’s WNBA class—have become entwined. In the 2023 national championship game, Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes were defeated by Reese and LSU; however, they exacted revenge in the 2024 national semifinals before falling to South Carolina in the final.

Before Sunday’s much-anticipated game, both Clark and Reese played down the antagonism between their respective clubs. Nevertheless, the match lived up to the hype as one of the most popular tickets in WNBA history.

The average cost of tickets for Sunday’s game at Wintrust Arena was $351, per Vivid Seats. A number of celebrities were present, including rappers Chance the Rapper and Lil Durk from the Chicago area, comedian and actor Jason Sudeikis, Knicks player Jalen Brunson, and Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, who gave Reese a long hug following the game and said, “She told me she’s proud of me.”

Regarding the crowd, Reese stated, “It’s good for the game, good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports.” NBA players, rappers, and legendary players who were part of the league for an extended period of time are seen showing support. You’re aware that everyone is currently watching.

“I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams tonight did an amazing job putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time, I’m sure the other team had a great time. I’m just happy we won tonight.”

Guard Kelsey Mitchell of the Fever, who joined the league in 2018, said that the atmosphere created a unique moment in women’s basketball history even if the team lost.

The United Center was scheduled to host concerts on Friday, Saturday (Justin Timberlake), and Sunday (Russ), therefore Sunday’s game could not be held there, despite the fact that numerous Fever games this season have been shifted to larger venues due to great demand for tickets to see Clark.

Nevertheless, all 9,872 seats at Wintrust Arena were booked.

Mitchell remarked, “Today was a really good moment to be a part of,”  “The atmosphere, you guys, the media, the fans, your family, the young kids, I think this was a good atmosphere for us. I think that the women’s basketball game as a whole took a big jump today.”

The Fever’s winning run of four games was likewise ended by the Sky.

Chicago ended a four-game losing slide with back-to-back victories.

“That losing streak definitely spoke a lot for us, hard times in the locker room, hard conversations in the locker room,” Reese stated. “But being able to take that, everybody looked in the mirror and figured out what to do to get better. It doesn’t stop here, two-game win streak, we gotta keep going.”

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Science

In a Series C round, Japanese radar imaging startup Synspective has secured 7 billion yen ($44 million) to support the growth of its constellation of satellites.

The Tokyo-based business said on June 20 that it had raised money through investment limited partnerships run by JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. and Mizuho Capital Co., Ltd., as well as a Series C round led by Japan Growth Capital Investment Corporation, managed by Nomura SPARX Investment, Inc. In the round, a number of additional institutional and private investors took part.

The investment will be used by Synspective, which has already launched four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites, to increase satellite production, create satellite data solutions, and grow its customer base internationally.

The chief executive of Synspective, Motoyuki Arai, stated in a statement announcing the funding, “This financing will accelerate our global business expansion, which we aim to fully realize by the end of this year with the start of mass production at our plant and the enhancement of our satellite constellation.”

Synspective reports that it has raised 8.3 billion yen in loans and 28.1 billion yen in capital with this fresh round. During a Series B financing in March 2022, the firm raised 11.9 billion yen ($100 million at the time).

A burgeoning market for SAR images has investors saying they see Synspective as a potential business. “The supply of SAR satellite data is currently limited amidst increasing worldwide demand, and experts expect this field to grow dramatically,” said Kazumasa Watanabe, CEO and representative director of aSTART, one of the round’s investors. “Synspective has already successfully launched and operated four SAR satellites and is now entering the phase of building a large constellation.”

Shinji Naito, representative director, chairman, and co-chief executive of Nomura SPARX Investment, Inc., stated, “We consider that society’s demands for the data and solutions provided by Synspective have increased in various fields, such as social infrastructure management, disaster prevention and mitigation, and security, since our initial investment in 2022.” “We expect that Synspective will continue to efficiently allocate capital to improve the lives of people around the world through data acquisition and utilization of small SAR satellites.”

Two days after Synspective and Rocket Lab inked a deal for ten Electron launches between 2025 and 2027, the funding announcement was made. Under a prior contract, the business has launched all four of its satellites on Electron so far, and two more Electron missions are scheduled for later this year.

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Business

Similar to the previous few weeks, a few high-end and a few mid-segment cars were introduced to the automotive market. Additionally, we have something this time for bike fans. A list of all the major car releases this week, including the Ampere Nexus and the BMW Fourth-Gen X3 SUV, is provided below.

BMW Fourth-Gen X3 SUV

The brand-new fourth-generation X3 SUV has been unveiled by BMW. In addition to having revised stylistic cues and longer and wider dimensions than the previous model, the new model is housed on a new platform. It features a revamped large-format kidney grille that is reminiscent of BMW’s flagship models, as well as new headlights with L-shaped daytime running lights. Newly designed heated sports seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and BMW’s curved display with iDrive 9 infotainment—first seen in the X1—are all features of the X3 SUV. Inside is also a display of BMW’s recently created woven fabric instrument panel.

The X3 lineup offers two different engine options: a 2.0-liter turbo-petrol with a mild hybrid system that provides 208 horsepower, and a 2.0-liter diesel model with a mild hybrid configuration that makes 197 horsepower. Moreover, a plug-in hybrid version combines an electric motor and a 2.0-liter turbo-petrol engine to provide 300 horsepower overall.

Citroen C3 Aircross

The limited edition C3 Aircross Dhoni-inspired model has been introduced in India by Citroen India. The C3 Aircross honours cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who serves as the company’s brand ambassador, as the name would imply. The least costly model is Rs 14.33 lakh (ex-showroom), while the base price is Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). There are three main variations of the new model available: You, Plus, and Max. It is also available in four monotone and six dual-tone hues. A 1.2-liter turbo-petrol engine paired with a 6-speed torque converter or 6-speed manual gearbox powers the C3 Aircross.

BMW 5 Series LWB

Official unveiling of the BMW 5 Series LWB has taken place in advance of its July 24 debut in India. Although the next 5 Series is larger than the outgoing generation, it retains the same exterior design and recognisable features. Consequently, the 3 Series is now classified as LWB instead of Gran Limousine. It is 5.17 metres longer and has a wheelbase of 3.09 metres, making it somewhat longer than the E-Class, which is 5.09 metres long and 3.09 metres wide. Key elements of the external appearance include a redesigned kidney grille, angular bumpers, and multi-spoke alloy wheels.

Ampere Nexus

Ampere Nexus, the newest model of electric scooter in the Greaves Cotton Ltd. family, was presented by Greaves Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd, the company’s e-mobility business. The new scooter is priced at ₹1,09,900 (ex-showroom) and comes in four colours: Steel Grey, Indian Red, Lunar White, and Zanskar Aqua. The Ampere Nexus has a strong drive mounted in the middle and provides 30% more battery life.

Kawasaki Versys-X 300

In India, the Kawasaki Versys—X 300 is available for ₹5.6 lakh. It has a tall windscreen, a step-up saddle, a side-slung exhaust, a semi-fairing, and a single-pod headlight up front. It also has a semi-digital instrument cluster and a front halogen lamp. It comes in two colour options: green and black.

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Business

Bookings for the BMW 5 Series LWB, which will launch as the largest model in its class, are now being accepted online and at dealerships throughout India.

A few days ago, BMW India unveiled the 5 Series LWB in India. It will face up against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB, which has previously been seen and is scheduled for an update later this year. Making use of the positive response to the executive luxury cars, the 5 Series long wheelbase version makes its debut on the home market.

Since the vehicle may be reserved at authorised dealerships around the nation or through the brand’s website, BMW India Online Shop, client bookings have officially launched. On July 24, 2024, the new BMW 5 Series LWB’s price will be revealed. China already has the sedan available, and India is the first RHD market to receive it as well.

The dimensions of the BMW 5 Series LWB are 5,175 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width, 1,520 mm in height, and 3,105 mm in wheelbase length. It is the largest in its class, being 145 mm longer and having a longer wheelbase of 110 mm than the standard 5 Series. After the 3 Series Grand Limousine, it will be BMW’s second LWB offering in India.

With its illuminated front grille design, similar headlamps and tail lamps, an illuminated 5 emblem on the Hofmeister kink, a set of 18-inch Y-shaped alloy wheels, wraparound LED tail lamps, a sculpted rear bumper with integrated reflectors, and other features, the New BMW 5 Series maintains the same visual appeal as the standard model.

A 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline and diesel engine with mild hybrid technology will be used under the hood. There will be a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. The list of features includes automatic climate control, a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital instrument dashboard, a 14.9-inch curved display with BMW iDrive 8.5, and more.

The iDrive rotary controller, drive modes, ventilated front seats, matrix LED headlights, 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, six USB-C charging connections, an optional dual-screen back entertainment system, an ADAS suite of safety and driver-assistance technologies, and six USB-C charging ports are additional highlights.

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