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Giles Taylor succeeds Ian Cameron as head of Rolls-Royce design

Back in the day, a Rolls-Royce looked pretty much the same as a Bentley, but with a different grille. Once BMW took over Rolls-Royce, however, it was faced with the challenge of visually separating itself from its former sister brand. And most would agree that it did so pretty well. But its cars have looked pretty much the same ever since. What Rolls-Royce needs, then, is a bit of a design shake-up. And that's just what this latest appointment could bring.
After a baker's dozen years as design director at Rolls-Royce (and twenty years designing for the BMW Group altogether), Ian Cameron is retiring from his post. In his place, Rolls-Royce has named Giles Taylor as its new director of design. In his new capacity, Taylor will report directly to BMW Group chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk, and be responsible for all design matters related to the Rolls-Royce brand and its products.
Taylor was promoted to the role from his previous position as head of exterior design for the marque, a position he's held for barely more than a year. We'll be eagerly watching to see what the veteran British car designer has in store for the future of Rolls-Royce. In the meantime you can read the full announcement below.

Daimler, BMW, Audi consortium nabs Nokia maps for $2.72B

A consortium of German automakers made up of Daimler, BMW, and Audi has reportedly banded together to buy Nokia's Here mapping division for the equivalent of about $2.7 billion. The particulars of the deal aren't yet official but could be announced at the end of July. Reuters claims that this info comes from anonymous insiders speaking to Manager Magazin in Germany. It might be too soon, however, to declare a buyer. Reuters also spoke to two other insiders, and they said that no deal has been completed yet. None of the firms involved has officially spoken about the negotiations. Some of the other bidders for the division have reportedly bowed out. Here is a high-definition digital mapping company that controls about 70 percent of the auto market. The company has a fleet of vehicles with cameras and LIDAR (pictured above) to generate all of the necessary information. It also partners with trucking companies to use their GPS data. Nokia started looking for potential buyers for Here earlier this year. Tech giants that reportedly included Uber and Apple were rumored to be interested, while German automakers also teamed up to submit a joint bid in part to protect their access to the maps. On paper, Here is only valued at around $785 million, but a sale in the billions now seems assured. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Nokia Here Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Technology here nokia here

Wunderlich creates two-wheel-drive hybrid BMW motorcycle

Two wheel-drive motorcycles aren\\\\\\'t new, but more mainstream and niche companies are now dabbling in the technology. German aftermarket shop Wunderlich is the latest, creating the two-wheel drive BMW R1200GS LC by placing a 7.6-kilowatt hub motor on the front wheel. Wunderlich worked with Italian company Evolt on the innovation, good for 12 miles per hour by itself without the help of the boxer-powered rear wheel. Regenerative braking energy is stored in a small battery pack under the motorcycle\\\\\\'s front beak. Powered action works in forward, as well as in reverse up to three miles per hour. The rider is able to choose direction with a toggle switch in the cockpit. Wunderlich hasn\\\\\\'t said yet how power to the front wheel is controlled or if it is simply always fully on or off. It weighs 525 pounds, and has an allowable payload of another 467 pounds. Powering the front wheel, even with just 7.6 kW, would help move all that weight around in good conditions and could be a godsend in tough stuff out on the trail. Wunderlich showed off its creation at this year\\\\\\'s EICMA motorcycle show in Italy, we have a feeling some BMW owners will be waiting for word on production possibilities once the show is over. Related Video: Featured Gallery Wunderlich BMW R1200 GS LC News Source: EICMA via Asphalt and Rubber Green Misc. Auto Shows BMW Motorcycle Hybrid Off-Road Vehicles eicma bmw r1200gs