1955 Ford Car Owner's Manual / Original Guide Book! on 2040-parts.com

Ford B-Max (2012) goes into the great wide open

Ford hopes a less-is-more approach will lure punters to its new B-max MPV, unique in the supermini segment for having a big hole in the central cockpit instead of a structural pillar. The result is a flexible people mover that's a doddle to load with kids or cargo, Ford claims, thanks to its pillarless opening and sliding rear door. The novel doors landed the £12,500 people mover in the same must-see company as Bentley's grotesque SUV concept and Ferrari's beautiful F12.

BMW DesignworksUSA Intermarine 55 Yacht

Following on from their alliance with Siemens on the Metro Inspiro train, BMW DesignworksUSA have collaborated with Intermarine, Brazil's leading luxury yacht brand. Having previously designed sea-going vessels for Bavaria Yachts, a manufacturer of entry-level yachts, the Intermarine 55 is a move into the upper segment of the yacht market for the consultancy. "Intermarine is a famous connoisseur brand with a rich history, and to evolve its design forward with the Intermarine 55 is an honor," said Laurenz Schaffer, President of BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

BMW hires former General Motors EV expert Weber, sources say

BMW AG has hired former Opel product chief Frank Weber, sources at both companies told Automotive News Europe. It's a move that gives the world's leading luxury carmaker a huge boost in electric vehicle expertise as Weber was the lead engineer for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. BMW plans to launch its i3 full-electric car and its i8 plug-in hybrid in 2013.