BMW

In a move with major ramifications for the global automotive industry, BMW has begun a pilot scheme renting its vehicles on an hourly basis over the internet. Research shows the average car is parked more than 90% of the time, indicating a terrible waste of our personal resources to buy and maintain such an underutilized capital investment. So BMW’s decision to begin renting its entire model range of premium segment cars (e.g. M and 7 series at EUR32 - US$ 44.60 per hour including insurance, cleaning and servicing through to 1 Series cars at half that rate) could accelerate big changes in the way we access and pay for our personal mobility. The 12 month 'BMW on Demand' pilot project will begin from BMW Welt Munich, with a second phase seeing the scheme extended to other locations.  Read More

Britain held its first free eco-car show last month on London's famous royal driveway, The Mall. The event was held as part of HRH Prince Charles's latest sustainability initiative “Start”, which aims to promote positive steps to leading a sustainable lifestyle, and was opened by his “Garden Party to Make a Difference”. The Start Eco-Car Spectacular aimed to showcase the future of green transport with a variety of bicycles, cars and other environmental transport solutions.  Read More

When BMW dropped its stunning Concept 6 out of the blue last year, the intention to revive the inline six was clear… and here it is. The new K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL touring motorcycles are being offered with the company's 6-cylinder in-line engine – a 118 kW (160 bhp) unit producing maximum torque of 175 Nm which, at 102.6 kg, is billed as the lightest and most compact serial production 6-cylinder in-line engine in a motorcycle over 1000 cc to date. The new tourers also pack some top-shelf tech... check the gallery for loads of images from BMW as well as those we snapped at Intermot 2010 where the bikes are on show this week.  Read More

How do you get more mini than a MINI? Try the MINI Scooter E, a new concept to be shown at the Paris Motor Show which takes the design language of MINI's current line-up and adds a healthy dose of retro styling to create an all-electric two wheeler – a first for the brand. The Scooter E uses an in-hub motor at the rear wheel powered by a lithium-ion battery which is recharged via a conventional socket using an on-board cable. Conventional keys are discarded in favor of a smartphone, which also becomes the display panel when slotted into the integrated dock.  Read More

German tuning company G-Power is claiming to have set the record for the world’s fastest sedan with a BMW M5. G-Power’s M5 Hurricane RR achieved a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph) beating its own record of 367.4 km/h (228 mph) set earlier this year. But it’s not just the two-ton vehicle’s top speed that’s impressive – it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.35 seconds, up to 200 km/h in 9.5 seconds and up to 300 km/h in 25.8 seconds.  Read More

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service will be joined by a couple of new recruits from next month. For the first time in the UK, two specially-kitted-out firefighting motorcycles will begin attending small rubbish fires as part of a six month feasibility trial. In addition to the customized motorcycles, the Service has also commissioned new protective equipment for the riders.  Read More

With almost three quarters of the world's population predicted to live in cities by 2050, it's no surprise that the shape of urban transport is set for a radical change. BMW is looking to stake its claim on this brave new world of zero emissions personal motoring with the Megacity Vehicle (MCV). Based on a totally new vehicle architecture dubbed "LifeDrive", the concept is made up of of two independent modules - a Drive module which contains the battery and drive system, and a Life module which houses a lightweight passenger cell made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). While the development of the concept has been discussed for some time, the big news from BMW this week is that we can expect to see the MCV enter the market in 2013.  Read More

You can't accuse BMW motorcycles of lacking gadgets - with the latest and greatest Beemers packing quickshifters, traction control, integrated ABS and all sorts of other goodies, they're right at the pointy end of the pack. But as great as those features are, this one's so forehead-slappingly obvious and excellent that frankly it's a disgrace that nobody else has beaten the Bavarians to it. The Adaptive Headlight technology on the upcoming K1600GT finally solves one of the most annoying problems on pretty much every motorcycle - by tilting the headlight according to your lean angle, to light your way around a corner as you turn it, instead of having to ride into blackness. Bravo!  Read More

Volkswagen's 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger has taken out the International Engine of the Year Award for the second year running. The engine, which punches above its weight via the use of a combined turbocharger and supercharger, is only the third to take out the overall award in consecutive years (BMW in 05-06 with its 5-litre V10 and again in 07-08 with its 3-litre twin turbo). Other winners in the 2010 Awards included Fiat with its 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine (New Engine of the Year), Toyota with the 1.8-liter electric-motor-boosted hybrid from the Prius (Green Engine of the Year) and Mercedes-AMG with its 6.2-liter V8 engine (Best Performance Engine and Above 4-liter title). BMW also featured prominently picking up four gongs.  Read More