Oem Borg Warner Velvet Drive 1:1 Ratio 10-18-002 Used on 2040-parts.com

BMW takes the Active Tourer Outdoor outdoors this weekend

This weekend BMW will be taking its BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor to the annual OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany. We first saw the concept last September, noting that it was a departure for BMW in more ways than one -- with the German automaker stretching itself into segments in which it previously had no foothold. The BMW Active Tourer is meant to preview a whole new generation of small cars from BMW, but one of the biggest changes underneath is a transverse layout of the engine -- a setup that BMW has traditionally shunned in favor of a longitudinal layout.

Videos: Chris Bangle shares his views on design and the future of car design

Chris Bangle is a man that needs no introduction on these pages. Both revered and castigated, Bangle's work has undoubtedly been influential for a generation of designers. His unconventional practices – employed at a time when design was still largely segregated from other departments during the development process – yielded many avantgarde and contentious designs, but Bangle's fundamental understanding of the design process, creative vision and desire for change can never be cast in doubt. While Bangle shares his views on the future of the car in the video to the right, the video to the left provides an insight into the former BMW design chief's thought processes and gives us a glimpse into his home and studio in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.

Japan freeway clogged by supercar pileup

Nearly $2 million worth of vehicles were wrecked in a 14-car crash in Japan on Sunday. The pileup involved eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, three Mercedes-Benzes and two Toyotas. The fancy car convoy was headed from Kyushu to Hiroshima when the driver of a red Ferrari skidded while switching from the right lane to the left on the rain-soaked expressway.