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Lil Wayne's daughter gifted Ferrari GTO, BMW X4 for 16th birthday [w/video]

It must be nice to have ludicrously rich parents. Rapper Lil' Wayne's daughter Reginae recently celebrated her 16th birthday with a huge party in Atlanta. Where many teens would be overjoyed just to get a family hand-me-down for a first car, the rapper's daughter got two brand-new vehicles – a BMW X4 and a Ferrari 599 GTO. The X4 would certainly be extravagant by itself, but it's not totally without precedent. Anyone who watched even a snippet of MTV's old show My Super Sweet 16, probably saw a few vehicles that were just as expensive. However, the concept of any newly licensed teen behind the wheel of a Ferrari is absolutely terrifying to us. This one is even crazier, with 661 horsepower and a chassis capable of lapping Ferrari's Fiorano test track quicker than an Enzo. Of course, with just 599 built, Reginae could probably just park the coupe and let it appreciate enough to finance her next big party. The BMW is reportedly going to be her daily driver, anyway. According to TMZ, Reginae's mother and stepfather bought her the Ferrari with Lil' Wayne's blessing. They believe their daughter can handle the 599 GTO, which shows some serious – if misguided – trust. Check out the video below to see the cars and her party. Related Gallery 2015 BMW X4 View 55 Photos Related Gallery Ferrari 599 GTO View 15 Photos News Source: TMZ via YouTube BMW Ferrari Car Buying Ownership Videos ferrari 599 ferrari 599 gto

When Android Automotive goes in the dash, Google wins — and automakers lose data

You've gotta hand it to Google for the way the Silicon Valley tech giant has made indelible inroads into the car on multiple fronts. The most obvious is with its pioneering self-driving car technology that's caused car companies to get their act together on autonomous vehicles — and also collaborate with Google. Google has more directly extended its influence and data-mining capabilities into the car with its Android Auto smartphone-projection platform that most major automakers have adopted along with Apple's CarPlay. And now it's preparing to dig even deeper into dashboards by deploying its open-source operating system, Android Automotive, beginning with Audi and Volvo. Volvo recently announced that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system will run Android Automotive as an OS and include Google's Play Store for cloud-based content, Maps for navigation and Google Assistant for voice recognition, which can even command a car's climate control. By embedding Google in the dash, Volvo says owners will get an improved connected experience. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Volvo senior vice president of R&D Henrik Green said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable." Having Android Automotive onboard could benefit drivers — and provide a big win for Google, since it opens a deep and lucrative new data-mining vein for the company. But it's a wave of a white flag for car companies when it comes to delivering their own cloud-based content and services. It also represents a massive data giveaway and, for Audi, a reversal of earlier reservations about letting Google get too much access to car data. Not long after Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were introduced in 2014 and most automakers eagerly embraced the technologies, several German automakers second-guessed their decision when they realized what was at stake: data. At a conference in Berlin in 2015, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said car owners "want to be in control of their data, and not subject to monitoring." A few months earlier, Stadler stated that "the data that we collect is our data and not Google's.

BMW wants world drifting record back in US

BMW just can't stand the thought of the world record for the longest drift winding up in the hands of someone else. The German automaker is set to take a crack at setting a new record by blowing the old one straight out of the water. A driver in China holds the current title after kicking a car sideways for a full 3.6 miles. Now, on May 11, BMW Performance Driving Instructor Johan Schwartz will attempt to pitch a BMW M5 sideways for some 40 miles as part of a stunt to raise funds for the BMW Pro-Am Charity.
We've had the distinct pleasure of riding with the instructors at the BMW facility in South Carolina, and we can tell you that if anyone can keep an M5 at full tilt for 40 miles, it's these guys. BMW has released a teaser video to drum up attention for the stunt. You can catch it below.