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Jay Leno puts focus on some retro-inspired BMW bikes

Jay Leno puts eight wheels on display this week for Jay Leno's Garage from a quartet of retro-inspired BMW motorcycles. They are the creations of husband and wife team Larry and Carol Romestant, who build each one in their home garage.
Larry is a former aerospace engineer who loves BMW bikes, especially the K models. Now, he's combining his passion with a real talent for fabrication to build his own cycles with his wife. With Larry and Carol the only ones working on these projects, it takes them six to nine months to build each one. In addition to the old-school looks, the motorcycles are supposed to be a bit more user friendly than stock. For example, one of them ditches the standard five-speed gearbox in favor of a six-speed unit to be a little more comfy when cruising at high speeds.
Since there isn't enough time to take all four of them for a ride, Jay picks his favorite to test out on the open road. Scroll down to see which one he chooses.

2016 BMW M4 GTS hidden in plain view in Tokyo

We almost missed the 2016 BMW M4 GTS at the Tokyo Motor Show. As you can see in the photos, the car is sort of tucked into a little corner behind a wall, and it's way in the back of BMW's show stand. You'd never see it unless someone told you it's there. And that's a shame. This is one of the coolest cars BMW has launched in quite some time. Only 700 examples of the M4 GTS will be sold globally, with 300 earmarked for the United States. Aside from the aerodynamic and appearance upgrades, the GTS stands out by being the first production road-car to use a water injection system. We detailed this technology when the M4 GTS officially bowed, but the end result is more power. The GTS makes 493 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque – gains of 68 hp and 36 lb-ft over a stock M4. The other big news for the M4 GTS is its weight reduction – some 200 pounds have been removed, thanks to the use of carbon fiber-reinforced materials. The car's rear seats are gone, and several interior pieces have been redone in lighter materials, as well. This thing should be a monster out on the track, and we can't wait to get behind the wheel. But first, we're hoping BMW at least lets it out into the spotlight a little. See the car for yourself, live from Tokyo, in the gallery above. The new 2016 BMW M4 GTS an exclusive high-performance special edition M4 available for the first time in the US. - First production road car with a Water Injection System - World-exclusive OLED light technology - Specially designed full three-way adjustable M coilover suspension - Intelligent lightweight body design - Most agile, radical and powerful M4 ever Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: BMW today announced the new 2016 BMW M4 GTS giving BMW M GmbH a new and exclusive technological masterpiece which elevates the potential of the BMW M4 Coupe to an impressive new level. With its powerful, motorsport-inspired looks and high-performance technology, the BMW M4 GTS has its sights set squarely on the race track. Thanks to an innovative water injection system helping boost power to 493 bHP and track ready chassis, this Special Edition M vehicle recorded a lap time of 7 minutes 28 seconds around the legendary Nurburgring-Nordschleife, the world's most challenging race circuit, making a clear statement about this model's exceptional dynamic abilities. At the same time, the sharpest BMW M4 of all can also hold its own on public roads.

2015 will be the biggest year ever for cars at CES

Like the SEMA Show, major automakers are paying increasing attention to the CES, with 2015 expected to be one of the most auto focused yet. Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Hyundai, Mazda, Audi, BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will all be in attendance when CES 2015 kicks off next week, taking up a record-breaking 165,000 square feet of space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "We've come a long way from a single car on a carpet," Ford's Alan Hall told Bloomberg. Unlike SEMA, or a more traditional auto show, like the upcoming festivities in Detroit, CES doesn't necessarily focus on entire cars or the way they perform, but on the way our technology will interact with vehicles, and in how those vehicles will deliver information to drivers. "CES has become a major launch point for a lot of the big automakers," IHS tech analyst Mark Boyadjis told Bloomberg. "CES is a way for them to get on a global stage for technology." As for what kind of wares automakers will trot out in Las Vegas, we already know that BMW will show off an autonomous i3 electric car that can navigate its way through a multistory car park and can be hailed via a smartwatch app. According to Bloomberg, Hyundai will show off its own smartwatch app for the Genesis sedan, while Audi and Mercedes-Benz will show off autonomous vehicles next week. Automakers won't be the only companies looking to capitalize on CES. Tech firms, like chipmaker Nvidia, are becoming increasingly involved in the automotive game and will be in town showing their wares off to OEMs. "Two years ago, our booth would have been filled with PCs and people playing video games," Danny Shapiro, Nvidia's senior director for automotive business, told Bloomberg. "This year we made a strategic decision to shift the focus of the booth on automotive and de-prioritize some of the other things." Needless to say, you can expect to see a lot of news out of Las Vegas come next week. Stay tuned. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Julie Jacobson / AP CES Audi BMW Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Mazda Toyota Volkswagen Technology CES 2015