Toyota Allion 2007 Audio [8-61050] on 2040-parts.com

BMW looks to patent seven-speed lockout manual transmission

The intrepid Bimmerphiles over at www.e90post.com have uncovered a few drawings from BMW's latest patent request. The drawing shows a new transmission linkage and what looks to be a seven-speed manual transmission. Like the new Porsche 911, the BMW gear shifter has six gears in standard H pattern, with a seventh gear out to the right.

BMW Alpina D3 BiTurbo – a great diesel

The BMW Alpina D3 BiTurbo - a brilliant, quick and economical everyday drive Alpina has turned out some stunning versions of the BMW range over the years (and some not so stunning – their 8 Series springs to mind) and they fill a gap that is either not profitable in small volume for BMW or, in some cases, a hole that BMW hasn’t plugged. And this one is a good hole to fill with the BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo, a 3 Series diesel with the heart of a hot hatch. Alpina has taken the engine out of the 1 Series 123d and given it a boost to 240bhp, in the process dropping the 0-60 time to a very creditable 6.9 seconds But it’s not the sprint that count,  but the way this peppy diesel unit delivers it.

Jaguar XF and Range Rover Evoque to be built in India

Jaguar XF Range & Rover Evoque to be assembled in India The news that Jaguar Land Rover are planning to assemble the Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar XF in India isn’t exactly a huge surprise. If anything, the surprise is it’s taken this long for them to get round to it. Of course, this isn’t JLR’s first foray in to assembling cars in India, as the Freelander 2 is now being bolted together in Pune now the CKD facility at Halewood is up and running.