Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

What VW should do next

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 23 November 2006 09:59 A new boss takes the reins of VW in January, and Martin Winterkorn has some big decisions to make about VW's plans. VW's future model policy lacks variety. But it's been like that for years, with the people's car maker slow to pick up on booming niches like mid-size MPVs and SUVs, or folding tin-top cabrios.

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.

What's New - January 2005

BMW 7 Series update Three years after its debut BMW has announced the mid-life revision of the 7 Series, due for launch in spring 2005. The update includes exterior styling enhancements, interior fine-tuning, dynamic developments and a range of new engines. From the front, there is a new headlamp and bumper design, changes to the kidney grilles and enhancement of the power dome on the hood to give the car a more powerful face.