BMW is giving its home turf a big, heaping pile of BMW-osity. The carmaker plans to debut no less than four production models at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September: the M5, the M3 GTS’s sedan version, a redesigned 1-Series, and the i3 electric city car.

The M5 and the M3 GTS, of course, will cause enthusiasts to salivate at an unhealthy, fluid-draining rate. But while the 1-Series will be redesigned for the first time since its debut in 2004—no insignificant debut at any other show—it’s the i3 electric car that will make the biggest impact at the show.
The i3, as leaked before, is BMW’s mass-produced electric car with a 160-mile range and a passenger cell made from carbon fiber. If anything, it’s BMW’s firing shot into the electric propulsion game, with much of the company’s reputation behind it.

[Source: AMS]

Zipcar’s interesting business model has inspired others to think outside the box when it comes to car rentals and now Getaround is looking to add technology to the mix in coming up with a very interesting solution.

Essentially Getaround is looking to unleash a viable way of peer-to-peer car rentals, where those offering the rental cars would be everyday people like yourself and those looking to rent the cars would be the same everyday person. Getaround would provide the infrastructure and marketing/advertising while you provide the vehicle for rental and the result is a 60/40 split, in Getaround’s favor of course.

Essentially the success of this program lies on how many people are willing to let anyone and everyone access to their vehicle. But as Getaround co-founder states, the average vehicle in the United States sits for 22 hours – that’s a lot of hours you’re paying to not use the vehicle. So why not rent it out?

Cautious ones can be reassured that Getaround has full coverage and an insurance backer, though they didn’t disclose who is underwriting them. The rates seem reasonable per hour, with a Mini Cooper running around $5.50, a BMW Z4 for $15.00, and a Tesla Roadster for a nice $50. Whether or not your share of the profit really covers the depreciation that’s going on with your vehicle as its being driven for those hours can still be debated, but those that really don’t sit there and put mathematical sense to everything could easily have their lease payment covered if they just watch the mileage.

Getaround is currently offering beta testing of the program in San Francisco and San Diego, California. The network of available vehicles is obtained through an iPhone app and those wishing to rent out their vehicles will receive a car kit that sits on the dash. Once someone has decided which car they wish to rent, the app will let them know the location and they’ll be able to unlock the vehicle at which point they’ll have to find the key that’s hidden somewhere in the inside.

GALLERY: Getaround Car Rental System

[Source: Autoblog]

GM, Toyota, Ford, and Chrysler previously endorsed EDRs but concern is growing regarding the proposed regulations. The boxes are designed to record pre and post-crash data. The more sophisticated these systems become, the more they cause an increase in vehicle price.

Rules have already been finalized to standardize EDRs by 2013 to make data collection easier.

[Source: The Detroit News]

The Romanian racing company Dacia famous for winter racing has joined Renaultsport, and a number of independent firms to build the Dacia Duster. The “No Limit” race car driven by Jean-Phillipe Dayraut was built for the Unlimited class at Pikes Peak.

In this class, there are essentially no restrictions placed on a car’s specifications. In this case, the Dacia Duster features a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 from a Nissan GT-R. The engine is tuned to 850-hp, and is mounted behind the cabin, connected to a 6-speed sequential gearbox.

The car will be raced at Pikes Peak on June 26,2011.

Greek/Italian businessman Nicola Bulgari owns a lot of companies. He has hotel chains and perfumes, but most notably he is known for his watches.

With his vast wealth, he can afford to buy any kind of car he wishes to have. So some might be surprised to learn that he is an avid American car fan. To be more precise, he prefers Cadillacs.

Bulgari owns quite a few Cadillacs, and most of them are classic models from the 1930′s to the 1970′s. He also owns some of their newer models like the CTS wagon and the CTS-V sedan. He also owns an XLR-V with a custom Bulgari speedometer designed by the same people who does his watches.

Now Mr. Bulgari will be adding another new Cadillac to his stable, the very last DTS to roll off the production line. Commenting on his latest purchase, Bulgari said; “It’s the quality. I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan. It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in a DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed, reliable and a performer.”

This is not the first time he bought a last off the line product from General Motors, he also owns the last Buick Riviera coupe ever made.

Vorsteiner has made quite a splash with its GTRS3 carbon fiber wide body conversion for the current generation BMW E92 M3. And for Bimmerfest 2011 (which just passed), Vorsteiner decided to debut another widebody M3 project; this time sporting a red and white theme that won itself the nickname of Candy Cane.

The car started its life as your typical M3, sporting 414-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque from its 4.0L V8 powerplant. Vorsteiner opted to take the vehicle over to Auto Talent to have an AA M3 supercharger fitted on bringing its performance level to a daunting 620-hp. Every bit of that power is put to good use, spinning the 20×10.5-inch wheels up front and the 20×12-inch wheels in the rear. There’s plenty of rubber protecting the Vorsteiner V-309 Forged Concave wheels with 285/25/20 Michelin PS2 rubber in the front and a massively wide 325/25/20 in the rear.

While the exterior is majority white, the widebody converted M3 sports red accents giving it the appearance of a candy cane… sort of. It’s a cute nickname at best with red accents seen on the wheel faces, mirror covers, hood vents, BMW roundels, and side vents. In addition to the carbon fiber wide body, Vorsteiner also outfitted the body with a vented carbon fiber race hood and VRS carbon fiber boot lid.

Additional performance for the BMW comes from a Vorsteiner lightweight titanium exhaust system and a set of Brembo GTR big brakes in the front and the rear. Giving the widebody M3 the stance that it needs on those 20-inch wheels is a set of KW V3 coilovers. For the inside, the red and white theme continues with embroidered floor mats featuring red accents.

GALLERY: Vorsteiner Widebody Candy Cane BMW E92 M3

[Source: Teamspeed]

Mercedes-Benz has successful shed the gas-guzzler label on two models for the 2012 model year. The 2011 U.S fuel-economy guide showed 12 Mercedes models were subject to the “gas guzzler tax”. That has now dropped to 10. Models expected to escape the tax for 2012 are the CLS550 and CLS63 AMG. Both are redesigned and boast new engines that feature improved fuel economy.

The current regulation calls for auto makers to achieve a fleet-wide goal of 35.5 mpg (6.6 L/100 km) by 2016. However, there is growing interest in a goal of 62 mpg (3.8 L/100 km) by 2025.

In addition to eliminating two models from the gas-guzzler list, Mercedes says it also has reduced the amount of tax on five 2011 models: the S600, S65 AMG, CL600, CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG.

Stephen Cannon, vice president-marketing, Mercedes-Benz U.S.A, said, The elimination or reduction of the gas-guzzler tax is not a deal-clincher in the showroom. “It becomes less of an aggravation,” he says.

“Gas-guzzler’s got a negative connotation, so even though (buyers) are not necessarily looking for a compact car to make their ‘green’ statement, they don’t want to make the opposite statement that says, ‘(Pollution) doesn’t impact me and I’m not concerned about it.’ To be able to remove that is a benefit for the brand and a benefit for the consumer.” The ’12 CLS550 and CLS63 AMG start at $71,300 and $94,900, respectively, so would-be buyers generally can afford the levy. But that doesn’t mean they are not environmentally conscious, Cannon says.

[Source: Wards Auto]

Group Lotus, the carmakers, and Team Lotus, the racing team, have been battling it out off the track over the rights to use the name “Lotus.” And in a decision awarded this weekend, Group Lotus has come out on top.

Team Lotus traces its lineage back to Colin Chapman’s original Formula 1 efforts in 1952, and along the way have racked up some of the most successful victories in the sport. But the original team folded in 1994, and after a succession of flagrantly useless owners (including F1 legend James Hunt’s surviving brother) Tony Fernandes relaunched the team in 2010.

But a year earlier, the Malaysian government—which controls a stake in Lotus’s parent company Proton—threw its own hat in the Formula 1 ring in an effort to promote Proton on the world stage. They picked an experienced team name that would garner respect among the racing community: Lotus.

Actually, Lotus Renault GP, as the team was built from the remnants of the Renault F1 team which was restructured in 2010. Neither team has a direct connection to the 1994 team, but Team Lotus is backed by Tony Fernandes, while Lotus-Renault is backed by Genii Capital and Group Lotus plc—as well as the estate of Colin Chapman, which expressed a desire for Team Lotus to die a peaceful death. The high courts have agreed to this, as well: in a decision made this weekend, judges allowed Group Lotus to use the name “Lotus” in future F1 races, as well as revoking Team Lotus’s trademarks.

There’s some good news to come out of this drama: what do the Lotus-Renault cars look like? Well, when you see them at Monaco this weekend, they’ll be sporting some familiar livery: the famous black-and-gold scheme made famous by John Player Special in the 1970s. Retro-tastic.

If American licensed drivers were required to retake the driver’s test today, one in five would not pass, according to results of the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Driver’s Test. 18 percent of the country’s total licensed motorists lack knowledge of some basic rules of the road.

Motorists were asked what to do when approaching a steady yellow traffic light, 85 percent could not identify the correct action. As well, only 25 percent of respondents understood the concept of a safe following distance.

In total, 5,130 motorists were surveyed ranging in age from 16-65. Surprisingly men performed better than women, earning an average score of 80.2 percent, while women scored 74.1 percent.

New York state no longer ranks last, moving to 45th place, while the District of Columbia has now earned last place (one out of three of all drivers in New York and Washington failed).

[Source: The New York Times]