Mustang Eleanor Kit 1967 1968 on 2040-parts.com

BMW M6 Gran Coupe leaks out ahead of debut

The BMW M6 Gran Coupe – the four-door, swoopy-coupe version of the 6 Series – has leaked out ahead of a debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. We already think the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is probably the best car BMW make, so the arrival of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe offers lots of promise. The 640d Gran Coupe is a joy to drive with sublime handling that belies its size – and stunning performance from the diesel engine in the 640d – and if BMW has managed to endow the M6 Gran Coupe with the same levels of refinement and even more performance and power then the queue for an M6 Gran Coupe is going to be a long one.

Tour de France improve cycle safety

THE TOUR DE FRANCE, which starts in Yorkshire for the 2014 race, has helped increase cycle safety awareness by 90%. Cyclists report car drivers are being more patient and giving them more space on the road in the build-up to the biggest cycling race in the world. A survey by ColinAppleyard.com found 90% of drivers say they are more of cyclist because of Le Tour, while 73% of drivers said they are now more careful around cyclists.The arrival of the Tour de France has also made 10% of drivers consider buying a bike.

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.