Kreiga R-25 Motorcycle Backpack on 2040-parts.com

BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé revealed ahead of debut at 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

The BMW Gran Lusso Coupe by Pininfarina revealed ahead of Villa d’Este Or at least it still does if you expect the new 8 Series to look like a two-door version of the next generation 7 Series, rather than a completely individual model like the old 8 Series. Underpinning the Gran Lusso Coupe is the same platform the 7 Series uses and the same V12 from the 760i, which makes it both easier to bolt the Gran Lusso together and imagine it as future production model. The exterior of the Gran Lusso looks a bit like a coachbuilt version of a big BMW coupe, with most of the BMW design cues intact – if sharpened somewhat – with short overhangs and a long wheelbase.

One Lap of the Web: A wiseguy in a Cadillac

-- Not many car reviews feature a shot-for-shot remake of "Goodfellas." (We're still banking on Ford's re-introduction of the Crown Victoria for a shot-for-shot remake of Beastie Boys' "Sabotage.") Matt Farah of the Smoking Tire did for its review of the Cadillac CTS V-Sport, which took four days to shoot and six to edit, and probably three more to steal the dolly cam from Scorsese's basement. -- You might not remember the Saturn Pioneer, but back in 1979, "the new marque Saturn was developed to play on the increased attention to astronomy NASA's deep space probes were generating," writes automotive historian/inveterate liar Jason Torchinsky. One of GM's many H-Body cars, the Pioneer -- named after the probe, not the Probe -- carried an innovative version of GM's venerable "Iron Duke": it had both a carburetor and throttle-body fuel injection, which undoubtedly added needless complexity that could have better served the real Rocket Division, Oldsmobile.

Nissan Leaf gets battery warranty boost

Nissan Motor Co. plans to bolster the warranty of the battery module in its electric Leaf to reassure consumers of its durability. The company intends to notify current owners and dealers early next year that it will make the warranty retroactive to cover all existing Leafs, offering to repair or replace the car’s lithium-ion battery if it loses more than 30 percent of its ability to hold a charge after five years or 60,000 miles.