American Racing 124200s Center Cap Emblem Used As Shown on 2040-parts.com

BMW M5 manual mess-up

By Chris chilton Motor Industry 27 January 2007 01:34 North American customers were delighted when BMW bowed to their demands for a full three-pedal manual version of the current V10 M5 super saloon, but aren’t quiet so enamoured with the finished product. The issue is not with the gearbox itself – BMW successfully replaced the European model’s seven-speed SMG box with the old-shape M5’s six-speed manual – but with the compromises that were needed to get there. Without the benefit of computer control for the opening and closing of the clutch plates, M division’s engineers couldn’t eliminate axle tramp under hard take-offs.

Audi A7 Sportback Launched: Price & Models

The Audi A7 Sportback Launches Finally, after much teasing and a little tormenting, Audi did the decent thing and put us out of our misery with the launch of yet another niche filler – the Audi A7 Sportback – at the Museum of Modern Art in Munich last night. Displayed in all its brown-ness, the Audi A7 looks like an oversized A5 Sportback with the nose of the new A8. In the flesh at launch it somehow seems less impressive than the concept A7; more corporate.

July 15: Bars and potholes

Last night I wound up leaving the office around midnight. With traffic finally cleared off the Santa Monica Freeway I flew down the road at between 105 and 115 km/hr. That's 65 to 71 mph.