1937-52 Buick Seal Rear Wheel Bearing Oil (inner) on 2040-parts.com

BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

Renault F1 – Briatore & Symonds resign

The Piquet accident at Singapore which probably wasn't an accident at all Oh, dear. But it was hard to get your head round the allegations being false, particularly as they were backed up by three-times world champion Piquet Snr. It’s one thing to indulge your offspring, but it’s hard to believe that Dad would back son unless he was convinced.

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class (2014)

As previewed in excellent concept form at the Shanghai motor show, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class has been revealed in its production guise. Built on the same platform as the A-, B- and CLA-Classes, the GLA further expands Mercedes' portfolio of C-segment models into the semi-SUV market to take on the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Proportionally it appears far happier than the A and CLA from these initial images, particularly around the scuttle area.