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First BMW i8 Hybrids delivered to customers – complete with Laser Lights

The first BMW i8s delivered in Germany The new BMW i8 hybrid supercar was finally revealed in production guise at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and by the time it went in to production the whole of the 2014 run of i8s was sold out. Apart from its innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain, the i8 offers many new technologies, one of which is a set of laser lights which deliver a much brighter main beam than LED and looked set to be the first time such lights have appeared on a production car. But Audi tried to upset BMW’s applecart by revealing the R8 LMX last month, which also came with laser lights, and looked set to arrive with customers before the i8.

Mercedes at 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed – includes SLS AMG Black Series debut

The Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series (pictured) debuts at 2013 Goodwood FoS In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend and car makers are out in force with their fastest supercars and classics. Mercedes always offer a decent show at Goodwood and this year is no different, with the UK dynamic debut for the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series, which will be strutting its stuff all weekend up the hillclimb. At the other end of the performance range, the Mercedes A45 AMG is also in action showing the crowds just what 360bhp in a compact hatch can do with its runs up the hillclimb.

New car sales accelerate again

NEW CAR SALES could be back to pre-recession levels by the end of this year after a good start to 2014. Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show there were 176,820 new vehicles registered in April - an 8.2% rise on the same month last year. Last month's figure took the total for the year so far to 864,942 - a 12.5% increase on the first four months of 2013.