Honda Insight 2009 Rear Bumper Face [0615110] on 2040-parts.com

BMW i3 EV: More than 8,000 ordered already

The BMW i3 EV already has 8k orders BMW has invested heavily in their new ‘i’ range of electric cars – as much as £2 billion it’s estimated – with the ‘i’ cars being developed from scratch rather than based on an existing BMW model. The first BMW i to be launched is the compact city car BMW i3, revealed in production form in July, which costs from around £30k for the regular EV and an extra 10 per cent for the i3 with a range extender engine. Despite being revealed in July BMW has not yet officially put the i3 on sale, but that hasn’t stopped potential buyers lining up to palce a reservation, with more than 8,000 already signed-up for an i3.

LaFerrari commanding £1 MILLION premium – and the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder attracting premiums too

LaFerrari commanding £1 MILLION premium Being at the top of the new owners list for a very desirable, and scarce, car can yield big benefits, and none more so recently than for Ferrari’s hypercar – the LaFerrari. Oracle Finance has been busy looking at the premiums being charged for desirable cars (and, presumably, willing to finance to premium too) and have discovered that those not on Ferrari’s VIP list – and therefore not invited to buy a LaFerrari from Maranello – are willing to pay a premium of £1 million to get their hands on Ferrari’s replacement for the Enzo. But it’s not just LaFerrari that’s commanding hefty premiums.

First Sight: Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222

It was one of the more memorable automotive events this year, and the massive thunderstorm only added to the drama. Last night Mercedes-Benz launched its new S-Class sedan in the delivery hall of Airbus in Hamburg and Car Design News was there to get the low-down on this eagerly-awaited limo. Context was fittingly provided by an A380 lounging in the background as the current lineup of Mercedes-Benz escorted Benz's big boy onto the stage, amidst artificial fireworks and real thunder and lightning.