BMW i: the new electric car sub-brand launched

I spy something... beginning with i. That'll be the name for BMW's new sub-brand for its forthcoming electric vehicles (both pure EV and hybrid), announced today. Think of i as BMW M - a sub brand for the internet-savvy, eco-conscious, city-dwelling new premium car buyer. BMW's new sub-brand was launched with a live-streaming web conference from the BMW Welt complex in Munich on 21 February 2011.

Local Motors 'Design Our Car' competition opens

Local Motors has opened its first-ever ‘Design Our Car' competition, which encourages collaboration within the manufacturing community. The open-source automaker is providing two of its Rally Fighter cars, one of which will be built at the company's micro-factory in Arizona while the other will be built live in the Emerging Technology Center at September's International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. Ideas from the design and engineering community are being sought to help design and select a skin for the Rally Fighter that will be built by the Local Motors team this spring.

Subaru's new supermini

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 05 January 2007 02:52 Subaru is preparing a rebadged Daihatsu Sirion to slot beneath the Impreza in its range - and the new 'mini could be on sale as early as the end of this year. Toyota, Daihatsu's parent company, bought a 9% shareholding in Subaru's parent company in 2005. So the Daihatsu Sirion 1.0 is an obvious donor car; its £7500 starting price and 57mpg stretch the Subaru range down to a whole new budget marketplace.