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Porsche buys Nardo for high-speed tests

Porsche has announced it is to take ownership of the famous Nardo Proving Ground in southern Italy. The company's engineering consultancy wing, the Porsche Engineering Group, will assume ownership as of May 2012. Nardo is currently owned by Italian firm Prototipo SpA.  No fee has been disclosed by either party.

BMW i and Wallpaper* Megacity project

BMW i and Wallpaper* magazine have joined forces for ‘Sustainable Neighborhoods', a global project exploring how design and technology will serve in keeping megacities of the future moving. Students teams from each of the six chosen neighborhoods – from Los Angeles, Paris, London, Hangzhou, Berlin and Tokyo – have been tasked by the two companies, and their school course, to research their nearest megacity for a suitable case study to act as a catalyst for creative thinking about how short term cultural and technological evolution will have an impact on the way we live tomorrow. A series of workshops and in-depth discussions took place with students, tutors and members of BMW's global design team to examine the evolution of cities and research six different city zones, with the aim of defining a new infrastructural, cultural or social project that will scale seamlessly into the future.

Mercedes Electric Drive B-Class at Paris 2012

Mercedes has revealed an electric version of the new B-Class – the B-Class Electric Drive Concept – which will debut at Paris 2012. Mercedes has revealed the electric B-Class in the guise of the B-Class Electric Drive Concept – a name Mercedes say will find its way on to the boot of all electric Mercedes, Smart and Tesla cars – which previews a production version by 2014. Powering the B-Class Electric Drive is the Smart electric Drive powerplant, located in the space normally taken up by the ICE, which offers 134bhp and a healthy 228lb/ft of torque with the batteries to power the electric motor housed in what Mercedes are calling the B-Class’s Energy space ahead of the rear axle.