First BMW i8 Hybrids delivered to customers – complete with Laser Lights

The first BMW i8s delivered in Germany The new BMW i8 hybrid supercar was finally revealed in production guise at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and by the time it went in to production the whole of the 2014 run of i8s was sold out. Apart from its innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain, the i8 offers many new technologies, one of which is a set of laser lights which deliver a much brighter main beam than LED and looked set to be the first time such lights have appeared on a production car. But Audi tried to upset BMW’s applecart by revealing the R8 LMX last month, which also came with laser lights, and looked set to arrive with customers before the i8.

Chris Bock tapped as new chief judge for Pebble Beach concours

At the conclusion of the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Aug. 19, Ed Gilbertson will retire as chief judge. Chris Bock, celebrating his 50th year at the event, will step into that role.

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.