08 Ford F350 Super Duty Dr Handle, Exterior 549171 on 2040-parts.com

BMW Alpina B7 gets power boost for 2013

The 2013 BMW Alpina B7, the performance version of the German automaker's 7-series sedan, gets an additional 40 hp--and a more costly sticker price--for the new model year. BMW plans to roll out the 2013 model at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August and begin sales soon thereafter. Under the hood, power from the 4.4-liter V8 has been increased from 500 to 540 hp with the addition of BMW's throttle-less Valvetronic intake system.

8th L'Argus Design Competition announced

From 1 June 2009, design students will be invited to take part in the eighth annual L'Argus European Design Competition, which this year takes as its theme 'Less is More: Traveling in the Era of Simplicity'. Questioning students on the concepts of mobility and the future of automobile design, this contest - organized by French magazine L'Argus de L'Automobile - will run until 11 December 2009 and culminate in an awards ceremony on 20 January 2010. The competition is open to students attending design colleges within the European Union and Switzerland, including non-automotive courses covering disciplines such as industrial design, fine arts and architecture.

2015 BMW M4 Convertible debuts: drop-top fun priced from $73,425

The 2015 BMW M4 Convertible made its official debut at the New York auto show yesterday. While the details of the high-octane hardtop didn't exactly catch us off-guard (see our full breakdown here), we now know how much it'll cost to feel the wind in your hair as you launch from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds: $73,425, to start. Complete pricing will be available closer to the M4 Convertible's sale date, which is “late summer” 2014, according to BMW.