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Kitten rides 300 miles in Royal Navy pilot's BMW

The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, has a new recruit–a tiny kitten named Tigger. According to the Royal Navy Online, Lieutenant Nick Grimmer flew in to Birmingham Airport after a vacation refreshed and ready to return to duty. Grimmer, who flies sub hunting Merlin Mk2 helicopters for the Fleet Air Arm's 814 Squadron, then hopped in his BMW and drove 300 miles to his post at Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall. The next day, he heard a quiet, feeble meowing coming from somewhere in his car and began to investigate. "I looked in the boot, under the bonnet, and climbed all over and under it and still couldn't find what was making the noise," Grimmer told Royal Navy Online. "I called up some of our air engineers who came and helped me to start dismantling my pride and joy. On taking off the rear bumper we were greeted with a tiny tiger-striped kitten." Since he was already dangerously close to being late for duty, Lt. Grimmer had no choice but to take his new friend with him to work. His squadronmates, delighted by their newest recruit, named him Tigger in honor of the squadron's nickname–the Flying Tigers. After his harrowing journey in the BMW, Tigger has been a little anxious and unwilling to leave his savior's side. "The place he has felt most comfortable is in my flying helmet, which is the only place he is able to sleep," said Grimmer. "We are more than happy to adopt Tigger as a mascot," Commander Brendan Spoors, CO of the squadron, told Royal Navy. "After all, it's a tradition for Royal Navy units to have a ship's cat!" The 814 has launched a campaign to locate Tigger's owners called "Operation Tiger Kitten". If the 814 can't find Tigger's owners, the kitten may end up serving aboard HMS Ocean along with the rest of the squadron, as they are due to deploy for training exercises in the Baltic and Mediterranean. Tigger's story isn't unusual. We've seen a few stories of kittens surviving rides after crawling into cars to keep warm during the night. Sometimes they drop out of cars at inconvenient times, like when this kitten fell into the middle of a busy intersection. Sometimes rescuing the kitten can cause costly damage, as this man found out after he cut his truck's body to save a trapped kitten. Many more, however, go undiscovered and can die after getting trapped in a wheel well or engine compartment. To prevent unwanted stowaways, give you horn a quick honk to send them running.

BMW 5 Series future: 3-cyl engines and 600-hp M5

What if we told you the next BMW M5 would crest 600 horsepower? You probably wouldn't be too surprised, considering the steady increase in output that's accompanied each preceding generation. Now, what if we told you that the next BMW 5 Series would be available with a three-cylinder engine? Yeah, that'd be a surprise. But it may be a reality, according to a new report from Car. In its roundup of information on the next-gen BMW 5, code-named G30, the Brit mag predicts the new sedan will arrive in the summer of next year riding on an all-new platform that trims nearly 180 pounds of body fat through the use of high-strength steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. That platform, called the CLAR, which is short for Cluster Architecutre will give birth to not only a new 6 Series, but (for some reason) a 5 Series Gran Turismo and a Touring model, which won't likely be sold in the US. It will also underpin the 7 Series, eventually. Under hood, the lighter 5er will be paired with a new 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbodiesel for the entry level 518d. This is the same three-pot oil-burner found in the 2 Series Active Tourer and Mini Cooper D. Of course, considering how little of BMW's actual engine range is sold in the US, we very much doubt the 518d will make it across the pond. More likely candidates for the US market include a range of a 2.0-liter, four-cylinders, such as the 272-horsepower 528i, and potentially a four-cylinder diesel. Naturally, there will be six-cylinder mills, found on the 530i, 530d, 540i and M550d. At the very top of the range, of course, will be a 600-hp M5. There will even be a range of hybrids and plug-in hybrids that are sure to further annihilate the formerly logical BMW nomenclature. Car expects the new 5er to arrive next summer, which we'd wager would lead to a debut at either the 2016 Geneva Motor Show or perhaps next year's Auto China, in Beijing. Featured Gallery BMW 5 Series Next Generation Spy Shots News Source: CarImage Credit: CarPix Rumormill BMW Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Sedan

Apple Car's latest EV secret? Magna could be its new Foxconn

There have been rumors and noises and noisey rumors about a potential EV from Apple. We certainly don't know what's true and what's not, but a new whisper says that the California computer company might be secretly working on an upcoming electric car in Berlin. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), which cited "sources with knowledge," there are about 15-20 "progressive thinkers" working on the car in Berlin. FAZ comes up with a few more details for this potential EV, including that the first-gen might not be autonomous. The small car might be available by like 2019 or 2020 and that it might be available through car sharing as well as purchase. The most concrete new detail that FAZ offers up is that Apple will build the car in Germany with automotive supplier Magna. That sure does mesh well with a statement from Magna CEO Don Walker from last year, when he said: We are, in my opinion, the best contract manufacturer in the world. [With] our ability to do small-volume niche vehicle production and help with the engineering and the launch and the procurement ... we'd be a logical person for anybody if they have small volume or [are] a new entrant coming out. Plus, it's not like Apple CEO Tim Cook understands auto manufacturing and already uses outside help like Foxconn to build its computer products. Lyle Dennis, who now runs Apple Car Fans, told AutoblogGreen that he thinks this rumor about the Germany connection is true. "I suspect this is real," he said. "There have been discussions between Apple and BMW. It wouldn't surprise me if they did build the Apple car there." Well, maybe those discussions happened and maybe they didn't.Related Video: News Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung via Apple Car Fans Green Rumormill BMW Electric Magna project titan