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The importance of Angel Eyes, Ventiports and four round taillights

Just the other day, we told you about how Lincoln isn't really a luxury brand, according to Ford's head design man, J Mays. His argument was that Lincoln lacked the unique DNA to differentiate it from the rest of the market, although the arrival of the MKZ is beginning to change that. Now, we have this video from Autoline Detroit, where Jim Hall, an analyst for 2953 Analytics who was quoted in yesterday's Lincoln story, explains the influence of certain styling cues and how they impact the brands.
Using BMW (Angel Eyes) and Buick (Ventiports) as examples for small, simple touches that serve to distinguish the brand's vehicles on the road, Hall then points out how changing trademark styling features, as Chevrolet has done on the new Corvette Stingray, can hurt the vehicle's public perception. Take a look at the full video below for an interesting dive into what these styling features mean to their individual brands.

BMW recalling 1 Series ActiveE over bad drivetrain housing

There are always growing pains when automakers introduce new technologies. BMW is learning this with the electric powetrain used on the 2011 BMW ActiveE. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about half of the all-electric 1 Series coupes currently in the hands of the public are being recalled for a potential problem that could leave the cars stranded.
With 700 ActiveE models running around the US, 360 of these cars have insufficient sealing between the electric motor and transmission, which could lead to premature wear to the connection between the two, which in turn could result in a loss of propulsion. BMW started notifying affected owners by phone earlier this month.
While no automaker wants a recall on its hands, it's much better for BMW to learn such a lesson now on the low-production, lease-only ActiveE ahead of the car's successor, the BMW i3, which is expected to be a much higher-volume EV. Scroll down for the official recall notification.

BMW M4 spied in coupe and convertible form

From the sound of it, we'll have to wait until the Detroit Auto Show to see the production version of the BMW M4, but spy shots show the new hi-po BMW testing recently in both coupe and convertible form. Showing a lot more skin than recent spy shots, these M4 prototypes look very similar to the M4 Concept we saw at Pebble Beach.
Carryovers from the concept car include the funky mirrors, bulging hood and the slotted front fascia vents, but the rear fascia seems to be missing the added flair of the concept and, as expected, the carbon fiber front splitter and exhaust tips are also missing from these M4s. Like the current M3 Convertible, the drop-top version of the M4 will utilize a retractable hard top.