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Dashcam catches oblivious car thief in the act

A car thief from North London became an overnight internet sensation when he was recorded making a phone call by a car's dashcam. According to The Guardian, an unidentified car thief stole the BMW i3 in the early hours of February 7. As he drove through the nearly deserted streets of the London borough of Enfield, he made a phone call to someone who may have been a potential buyer for the car. Unbeknownst to the thief, the car's dashcam was recording the entire time. The thief describes the car to the person on the other end of the call and tells them where he planned to park it – at his flat near North Middlesex Hospital. "Listen, I ain't never been in a car like this," the thief told his customer. "This car, will leave, anything for dust! It is off! It can move!" he shouts off-camera. He's not wrong. The little BMW i3 packs a electric motor that generates 125 kilowatts, or 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque in internal-combustion terms. The thief never got the chance to unload the car, however. The next day the car's owner located it via GPS tracking data and recovered his vehicle without incident. Dinah Rose, a friend of the BMW's owner, uploaded the dashcam footage to YouTube and tweeted about it on May 15. The video immediately went viral, garnering nearly 50,000 views in twenty-four hours. Since the vehicle was recovered without incident, London Metropolitan Police have no plans for further action or to track down the thief's identity. According to the Metropolitan Police's London crime figures, more than 71,000 motor vehicle crimes were reported in the city between March 2015 and March 2016. Of those reported crimes, 2,753 were reported in the borough of Enfield, where this incident occurred. Motor vehicle crimes are defined by the Metropolitan Police as theft of and from vehicles. Related Video:

BMW recalls 6,073 units of i3 and Minis to replace airbag

BMW is replacing the passenger's side front airbag module on 6,073 vehicles in the US because of a supplier's manufacturing issue with the part. The affected models include the: 2014-2015 i3; 2014-2016 Mini Hardtop 2 Door Cooper and Cooper S; 2015-2016 Hardtop 2 Door John Cooper Works; and 2015-2016 Hardtop 4 Door Cooper and Cooper S. Because the airbag components aren't made correctly, they might not deploy with enough restraint in a low-speed collision. BMW isn't aware of any accidents or injuries from the problem, but this is still obviously a safety concern. According to company spokesperson David Buchko to Autoblog, customers will be notified about the issue by mail in November. As always, dealers will perform the replacements at no cost to owners. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Passenger Frontal Air Bag May not Deploy Properly Report Receipt Date: OCT 07, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V628000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,073 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) BMW I3 2014-2015 MINI COOPER 2014-2016 MINI COOPER S 2014-2016 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS 2015-2016 Details Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." CONSEQUENCE: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger. REMEDY: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on November 20, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. BMW Statement: BMW has informed NHTSA of its intention to voluntarily recall approximately 923 BMW i3 vehicles to replace the passenger-side front airbag module.

BMW X5 eDrive Concept is utilitarian plug-in hybrid

Bridging the gap between internal combustion engine-powered vehicles and electric vehicles are plug-in hybrids, and BMW has made one out of its biggest sports utility vehicle, even if it's just a concept car at this point. The plug-in hybrid X5 eDrive Concept debuted today at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it sits attached to a charge port on the show floor.
As we reported in August, the X5 eDrive Concept combines a turbocharged four-cylinder engine of unknown output with a 95-horsepower electric motor, to achieve longer range and lower emissions. The X5 eDrive can drive up to 75 miles per hour and 19 miles on electric power alone, manage about 62 miles per gallon (3.8 liters per 100 kilometers) and accelerate from 0-62 mph in under seven seconds, according to BMW.
Three drive modes are offered: one that automatically operates the hybrid system, an all-electric mode and a Save Battery mode that operates the vehicle using the engine only.