Buy Dad a piece of the famed Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway

You might never get the chance to dominate the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., the way Nicky Hayden and Alex Zanardi did, but you can still make your mark on the famous stretch. A spectator terrace is being constructed atop the turn, and racing fans can buy a brick etched with a name or personal message to sit on the walk of fame. It sure beats a tie for Dad on Father's Day, and all of the money raised will go to improving the raceway.

Audi hardwood bicycle

Following on from its collaboration with Head for carbon fiber skis, Audi has teamed up with Renovo Hardwood Bicycles to create yet another performance-oriented product. Audi is launching the Duo range of cycles as ‘an embodiment of its core principles of progressive innovation' that aim to blend craftsmanship and styling with performance and technology. As a result, each Duo is built around a monocoque frame that is made from hardwood, which not only increases ride comfort – thanks to the material's ability to absorb shock and vibration – but also serves to reduce weight.

Art Center BMW/Exa project

There's a new sponsored project that is just getting under way at Art Center College of Design, the likes of which hasn't been seen in a very long time - if at all. The school's Transportation Design department has helped bring together BMW with Exa Corporation, a Boston-based virtual aerodynamic simulation company, and has tasked the students to re-design the current BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle with the hope of dramatically increasing its aerodynamic efficiency while still retaining the BMW flagship SAV design language. This brief is quite timely in the context of the industry's ongoing focus with sustainability and strikes at the core of the BMW Group's long term energy strategy known as the concept of Efficient Dynamics.