As a tribute to the wit and wisdom of David E. , we’ve selected a number of his best columns and stories. It’s a brief look back at his life in his own words. David E.’s seminal BMW 2002 review brought the brand to the attention of American enthusiasts. His Driver’s Seat columns reflect his love of good cars and lasting friendships, with topics including his emotional connection to the Chrysler Town & Country, a cross-country trip in a Chevrolet Camaro Z-28, a meeting with President Carter’s secretary of transportation, the racing accident that shaped his career in journalism, and the passing of his own father. And the 1980 Enthusiast’s Diary from our 25th anniversary issue provides a snapshot of his life in 1955, the year of the magazine’s founding. Keep Reading: David E. Davis, Jr., A Retrospective See the original post here: David E. Davis, Jr., A Retrospective More: David E. Davis, Jr., A Retrospective

BMW i website for North America just went live at www.bmw-i-usa.com. The dedicated web content will focus on the upcoming BMW i sub-brand and the first electric vehicles to emerge from under the Project i umbrella: BMW i3 and i8. The new BMW sub-brand focused on developing sustainable mobility solutions and it represents a significant investment by BMW in premium mobility. In a first move, two models will be launched under the new sub-brand from 2013 – the BMW i3 and BMW i8. The BMW Group will also significantly expand its range of mobility services over the years ahead. To achieve this, a Venture Capital company was founded in New York City, BMW i Ventures, with an investment totalling up to 100 million US dollars. The BMW i website will also pick up on public debates around the latest developments in urbanisation, sustainability and mobility. Its activities will feature on social media websites, including the Facebook fan site  www.facebook.com/bmw.i , the Twitter channel  www.twitter.com/BMWi and the YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/bmwi . BMW aims to sell at least 30,000 units of its i3 electric vehicle a year beginning in 2014. The price of the i3 is not yet decided, but BMW sources told AutoNews the i3 will be above 40,000 euros in Europe. Initial pricing for the i8 is unclear, but the rumor in the past put the car at a price point of $200,000 . The i3 and i8 are just the first two Project i vehicles to hit the road, but a whole range of electric and hybrid products will follow. More here: BMW i USA Website Now Live!

At the Geneva auto show earlier this month, Kia introduced the 2012 Rio hatchback—a fancily re-skinned version of the same old Rio the company has been selling for several years. Today, the company announced that it will debut the sedan version of the restyled subcompact at the New York auto show in April, where Americans will also get their first glimpse of the five-door. You can read our full rundown of the 2012 Rio here , but in truth there’s not much to say. The Rio hatch uses the same underpinnings as the last-gen car, and we expect the same to be true for the sedan. The best we can hope is that Kia updates the Rio’s present powertrain, a 110-hp engine that’s paired with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-cog auto. The current Rio is inoffensive, but with every other automaker pouring money into developing and delivering refined, fun, high-content subcompacts to the American market, Kia’s move of dressing up the same ol’ car isn’t going to cut it. There’s a reason the Soul outsells its aquatically-named sibling four to one. See more here: Kia Bringing Re-Dressed Rio Sedan and Hatch to New York Auto Show Original post:  Kia Bringing Re-Dressed Rio Sedan and Hatch to New York Auto Show

Cars keep getting safer, with the help of technologies such as air bags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control. Also, with increasingly sophisticated structures, technology has focused on protecting people inside of cars. However, now pedestrian safety is being looked at like never before. New research shows that there are significant numbers of pedestrian deaths that may be avoidable via high-tech safety systems, such as forward collision warning, which are making their way to showrooms. In 2009, over 4,000 pedestrians were killed, which makes up 12 percent of the total fatal crashes. While that number is down, there is still more work to be done. A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) looked at crash avoidance technologies and how they can help reduce pedestrian crashes. Most pedestrian accidents involve a person crossing a roadway and a vehicle traveling straight with no obstructions. Typically, no braking is reported. And while most accidents occur during the daytime, the fatal ones often happen at night. Crash avoidance technology, such as forward collision warning, alerts the driver with a sound before a potential crash with another vehicle can occur. If the driver doesn’t respond, the vehicle automatically applies the brakes. This type of technology is available on 19 models currently on the market, but a new type of system called “pedestrian detection” goes one step further. Using radar, it can help detect people, as well as cars. The new Volvo S60 is the first model to offer such a system. (When shopping for an S60 to test, we found the option hard to find.) IIHS estimates about 1.2 million crashes including 879 deaths could be prevented if all vehicles had forward collision warning per year. Pedestrian detection systems could prevent an additional 39,000 crashes and nearly 3,000 fatal ones. To help guide automakers in their development of these systems, the Institute looked at crash data from 2005-2009 and found that most pedestrian crashes involved a single vehicle and were front crashes. Three-quarters of deaths were from people crossing traffic. In these cases, drivers hit the brakes only 13 percent of the time in fatal and non-fatal crashes. Pedestrian detection systems can help to be an extra...

A Perfect Match is a short film made by BMW Classic. The film is all about Jack and his weird search for a suitable replacement for the BMW 1602. The first advance laurels were already awarded at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards towards the end of 2010. A Perfect Match was awarded the Golden Dolphin in the Corporate Films category. The film is available now if you go to www.bimmerstories.la and www.bmw-classic.com Originally posted here:  Video: A Perfect Match. BMW Classic

Dirk Müller and his BMW Team RLL team-mates got their American Le Mans Series campaign off to a start with a win. In an interview, the German talks about his 2011 program. Mr. Müller, how significant was the victory in the GT class at the Sebring 12-hour race? Dirk Müller: “This race is simply fantastic and, apart from the Indy500, is possibly the most important motorsport event in North America. Sebring is also a very important fixture on the ALMS calendar, as more points are on offer there than at the other races. It was great to start the season with a win there. That was my second victory in Sebring, but this year’s success was very special.” Is that because the opposition was so strong? Müller: “Yes, definitely. 20 cars lined up in the GT class alone, and there were almost 60 cars out on the track. That is a ridiculously tight field. For this reason the one-two there has given the entire team, and us drivers, a huge boost.” And that was just the start of the season – one that could have a few more highlights in store for you… Müller: “I am lucky to be able to race at some of the very best circuits in the American Le Mans Series. My personal favourite in America is Road America. Outside of the ALMS, it is well known that the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is my very favourite circuit. The calendar is packed and I am really looking forward to the season with BMW Team RLL and the outings at the 24-hour classics in Europe.” You have been driving at the top level of GT racing for many years. Are you still learning? Müller: “As a driver, you improve with every weekend, every lap you drive, and every minute you spend with the engineers. Motorsport has become far more demanding and complex in recent years. The races themselves have also changed. Earlier, endurance racing was all about keeping the car going for the entire duration of the race. That is a thing of the past. Today it is basically one sprint race after another. As a result, the drivers also face new challenges accordingly.” As well as works drivers, countless privateers are also active in motorsport with BMW cars. Do you like the Customer Racing program? Müller: “Yes, very much so. It is important that a company like BMW commits to customer...

Next generation F30 BMW 3 Series has been spied once again, but this time, the test mule makes an interesting appearance in Holland. Due to be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the next generation 2012 BMW 3 Series will feature square-shaped angel eyes lights. Back in 2009, the Vision Concept was the first BMW to sport the new headlights design, followed shortly by the Gran Coupe and late last year, the 6 Series Coupe Concept. The 2012 BMW 3 Series will be the first car entering production with the new Angel Eyes and most likely other models will follow. Our own Hugo Becker shared with us some his thoughts on the new F30 3 Series. “What BMWBLOG expects the new F30 2012 BMW 3 Series to be is based on what we can discern from press releases, our understanding of BMW’s ‘platform matrix’, and the continuing march forward of EfficientDynamics. As we previously wrote, the latest X3 is a good place to look for insights into the new 3er”, said Becker in recent editorial. We learned in the past that the new 3 Series returns with a “slimmer look”, dynamic lines with squat proportions and short rear overhangs. The typical proportions of a 3 Series remain, but the exterior design is more toned and muscular, bringing some the aggressiveness and design lines seen in the recent models, including the F10 5 Series. An expected move seen across the new BMW design language. BMW is getting back to basics with clean uncluttered shapes, plus lower and wider kidney grille openings. The sedan model has a longer wheelbase, at least 1.5″ longer than the current generation. The F30 will sport a “pushing nose”, somewhat similar to the E89 Z4 front-end. Next generation 3-series engine options will include a full range of turbo and naturally aspirated 6-cylinder motors, 4-cylinder motors, and possibly even a new 3-cylinder motor. The all-star BMW M3 will continue to sport the aggressive and super sporty bodystyle we have seen in the past. The new M3 will also feature a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine producing somewhere around 450 horsepower. Official unveiling will take place later this summer, followed by a public debut in Frankfurt. [Photos courtesy of Laurens ] View original post here:  Spy Shots: 2012 F30 BMW 3 Series spied again

Meet the Mi-ray hybrid concept, a comely wasp of a roadster/speedster concept that debuted today at the Seoul auto show. Why Seoul? It’s Chevy’s newest market; you may recall that the bowtie recently replaced the domestic Daewoo nameplate in Korea . (You also may not remember this event, which we completely understand.) The car’s name means “future” in Korean, and its powertrain fits that bill (more on that in a minute), but GM says the Mi-ray pays tribute to the past 100 years of Chevrolet design, and specifically the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder and 1963 Corvair Monza SS concepts. We confess to not seeing much more than the slimmest of ties to the older show cars, but all three are speedsters, so there’s that. Inspiration also came from jets, so apparently there were a few Saab brochures still kicking around the design studio. 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza SS Concept The Mi-ray’s chunky front end combines an aggressive splitter, a bulging take on the Chevy grille, and Opel Ampera –esque slits that we imagine feed air to the front brakes. The rear fascia is blunt and pretty boring, but there is still plenty of visual interest back there, with fairings that flow back from the cockpit, the panels that rise from the rear haunches like insect wings, and a snazzy light-up Chevy emblem. The body is constructed from carbon-fiber, including the scissor doors, which take slices out of the wraparound windscreen when raised. The wheels—20s up front, 21s at the rear—are made from carbon-fiber and aluminum, and yet more carbon was used to construct the passenger cell. Like every recent concept, cameras function as side mirrors, although these perform a new trick by retracting into the side glass. Like, Mercury or Molten? 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Super Spyder Concept Inside, both seats are mounted to an aluminum rail that is then fixed to the passenger cell, and a Mercedes-Benz-style air scarf warms cold necks. The press release says that the cabin “contains a mélange of brushed aluminum, natural leather, white fabric, and liquid metal surfaces, for an overall effect of sculptural velocity”, to which we say, “okay,” “cool,” “won’t that get dirty?,” “seriously, don’t touch that,” and “we like turtles.” The instrument...

A good hybrid for $4.00+ gas? Oil prices almost $107 today Oil prices are skyrocketing today, pushing towards $107 per barrel, and yesterday, gas prices topped $4.15 per gallon regular in my neighborhood. While I’d bet there will be a pull back in oil prices tomorrow, as traders take some profits, $100+ oil and today’s gasoline prices are beginning to appear normal. Libya is now almost certainly going to be a protracted affair. That alone will probably keep oil above $100. Yet there are far more wild cards that could easily push oil prices much higher. Additionally, Japan alone is going to have to increase natural gas, coal and oil consumption – regardless of price – due to the loss of nuclear power. Eventually, of course, any number of factors could push oil prices lower, but without a huge embrace of natural gas or some kind of alternative form of energy, I’d bet today’s gas prices are typical of the future. Even more scary, today’s gas prices might be cheap compared to where we heading in the next few years. Read more from the original source:  Today’s gas prices starting to look normal

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Remember the Shuanghuan CEO ? (That’s the Chinese automaker’s SUV, not its head executive.) One of the most talked-about vehicles at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, the old-fashioned off-roader combined styling elements of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with a rear end that looked suspiciously like that of a first-generation BMW X5. BMW went ballistic and took the importer to a Munich court, which eventually ordered the cars to be destroyed. BMW sued for damages to an extent that forced China Automobile Deutschland, which also imported other cars from China, out of business. The amusing CEO, more of a robust workhorse than an upscale SUV, certainly is less of a copy of the old X5 than the Brilliance A3—of which official pictures have now surfaced on the web—is a carbon copy of the spanking-new BMW X1 . Brilliance, deliciously, is BMW’s cooperation partner in China, where the 3- and 5-series models are built in a jointly operated plant in Shenyang. When I visited the plant a few years ago, the paint shop was shared by BMW and Brilliance vehicles. Perhaps that’s why the brown paint of the Brilliance A3 looks so genuinely BMW. Let’s see whether the vehicle actually turns up in Shanghai. Brilliance would be wise to modify the styling to resemble a Toyota model’s instead, as the Japanese generally don’t make such a fuss about this kind of “competition.” Speaking of BMW’s business partners, almost exactly one year ago BMW marketing chief Ian Robertson and Connersville, Indiana–based startup Carbon Motors announced a contract to deliver 240,000 diesel engines and transmissions for the tough-looking cop car that was supposed to be launched in 2012. Meanwhile, Carbon Motors is still waiting for the $310 million loan it requested from the Department of Energy. At present, only one demo car exists, and the company submits that it will take 36 months from closing the DOE loan to actually commercializing the car. But will the money materialize? There is not exactly a pressing need, as cops can choose...

Due to a tough economy and elevated gas prices, small car popularity is on the rise. Chevrolet finally has a competitive entry with its Cruze sedan, the welcomed replacement to the low-scoring Cobalt. To see how far Chevrolet has progressed, we purchased two Cruzes for testing–a base 1.8-liter, four-cylinder and an up-level 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. They are featured in the May issue of CR. It turns out that both versions offer similar fuel economy at 26 mpg overall, which is on the lower end for the class. (Advertisements tout over 40 mpg on the highway, but that’s for a unique Eco model with a manual transmission.) The pricier LT trim proved to be more refined and responsive, plus it has some more features not available on the base LS, such as power mirrors and cruise control. The Cruze has a controlled and quiet ride, but it is relatively heavy, an undesirable trait that hurts fuel economy and acceleration. The cabin is well finished and spacious upfront with comfortable seats, but the rear seat is cramped. Crash test results are impressive. The Cruze earned the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a five star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the Cruze is a huge improvement over the Cobalt, it ranks midpack overall and still falls short of class leaders such as the Hyundai Elantra . We’ll see how the redesigned 2012 Ford Focus stacks up when we buy one soon to test. See more of our evaluation of the two Cruzes we tested in our test complete video below. Also check out our full road test, Ratings, and pricing on our Chevrolet Cruze model overview page . Here is the original post: Test complete video: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, there are a couple of guys who’ve done well for themselves in the business world. One owns a brewery that specializes in German-style beer; the other made his bones in the mining industry. Sometimes, they like to use eagles to hunt for wolves in the Altai mountains. Now, after a long day of raptor-vs.-lupine action, your average Mongolian businessman might be content to retire to a lean-to by the side of his Land Rover, settling down with his companions and birds of prey for the night. These two, however, have decided to wet-sand the bejeezus out of the concept of roughing it. They bring the indoors with them, bolted to the chassis of Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6×6 trucks. Equipped with a 7.2-liter diesel inline-six that thwacks out 959 lb-ft of torque, the Zetros has three locking differentials and routes the power to all six wheels through a transfer case with a 1.69:1 low ratio. The interior’s where things really get nutty. Far more opulent than our beloved GMC MotorHome, these custom-built living stations were designed and constructed by Hartmann in Alsfeld, Germany and outfitted by RV-interior specialist Huenerkopf. They feature fully insulated walls, furniture designed to withstand the harsh realm of the Gobi desert, a fully equipped galley, and perhaps most important, heated marble floors and a combo bidet/toilet in the head. One of the trucks also features a parking bay for a quad. Tech amenities include two TV monitors (in 40- and 46-inch diagonals)—ironically seen in these pics showing a documentary about the wonders of the wild world—satellite communications and a Mac-mini based media hub plugged into a Bose sound system. It’s all run off four 220-Ah batteries charged automatically by a diesel generator and two 80-watt solar panel units mounted on the roof. In the 1982 cinema classic  Conan the Barbarian , the eponymous hero spends some time bunking with a Mongol horde. After a day of battle, a general asks his jubilant charges a simple question, “What is best in life?” A proud Mongol warrior immediately replies “The open steppe! Fleet horse! Falcons at your wrist and the wind in your hair!” “Wrong!” interjects the General. “Conan! What is best in life?” “To crush your enemies, see them driven...

We just completed hydroplane testing with a truck tire group at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center. Technically speaking, we’re assessing the ability of a tire to resist skimming on standing water. So far, the results are compelling, as we’re finding that some tires do a much better than others in resisting hydroplaning. Our test is actually a very simple one: We measure the speed when a tire starts to hydroplane on a puddle of water 3/8-inch deep. A good-performing tire will hydroplane at a higher speed than a poorer model. (Read: “ Video: How to reduce the risk of hydroplaning .”) We test all truck tires for hydroplaning resistance, including the all-season, all-terrain, and winter truck tires. The tires are tested with a full tread. As a tire wears, it’s more prone to hydroplane, which is why it’s always wise to check your tires’ tread depth and consider shopping for new ones when they approach 4/32 inches of depth. (Read: “ Don’t lose your grip in wet weather .”) The chart below shows the speed range of when tires start to hydroplane within each category. For example, some tires started to hydroplane as low as 46 mph; the best ones hold off until 57 mph. (Remember that next time you’re driving on a highway in the rain!) A good-performing tire will have a favorable footprint and tread design to channel water effectively. Once a tire starts to hydroplane, you’ll lose steering control–never a good thing. If this happens, you should lift off the throttle and slow down to regain grip with the road. Other updates: As I’m writing this, extended tread-wear testing is being conducted in San Angelo, TX, on 36 all-season and all-terrain tire models. We’ll run the tires to 16,000 miles to estimate their true wear potential; look for an update in a future blog. We also just completed the second part of our winter testing –stopping on ice. In January we did snow traction testing with the good fortune of having plenty snow at our Connecticut test facility to evaluate the all-season, all-terrain, and winter tire models. (See our truck tire testing update on snow testing .) Testing brake performance on ice is done on an indoor ice skating rink, limiting our test speed to just...

On Friday, Hyundai Motor will stop offering its Assurance program which allowed customers to return newly purchased Hyundai vehicles should they lose their jobs during their first year of ownership. According to several news reports, Hyundai says it bought back roughly 350 cars from customers under the Assurance program . But fewer buy-backs have been occurring lately—and coupled with a seemingly improving consumer job market—Hyundai decided it was time to end the program. Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor told USA Today, “It had outlived its usefulness and wasn’t drawing people to showrooms.” Introduced in January 2009, Hyundai’s Assurance program was a hit with consumers, car-shopping at the height of the economic recession and consumer credit crunch. And it quickly became a trend-setter, sparking other car companies to offer similar enticements. ( Consumer Reports Cars experts evaluated the Hyundai Assurance and other programs, such as GM Total Confidence and the Ford Advantage Plan , back in 2009.) What do you think? Were you enticed by such recession-oriented car programs and bargains ? And are you still looking for job-loss protection when car-shopping? Or have such program truly “outlived” their usefulness? Weigh in below and check Consumer Reports Money section online for helpful financial advice. Hyundai ends buyer job-loss ‘Assurance’ plan Friday [USA Today] Hyundai won’t buy your car back anymore [CNN Money] Hyundai Ends Customer Job-Loss Program [Wall St. Journal] Continued here:  The Hyundai Assurance car return program will end

The campaign is called, “Big, In The City”. Its aim is to prove that smarts are not small and have enough room for two people More here: Kobe Bryant Shoots Commercial for smart China – Video