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BMW Motorad reveals Concept Stunt G 310 in Brazil

BMW has been on a bit of a concept motorcycle bent lately, and each has taken a decidedly different approach from one another. The Motorad division did the Path 22 scrambler concept in June, the Concept 101 custom bagger in May, the Concept Roadster last year, and the Concept 90 retro racer the year before. Now it's at it again with the Concept Stunt G 310. As you might have guessed, the G 310 is a stunt bike. Its compact form is built around a single-cylinder engine canted rearwards with a rotated cylinder head to help optimize the weight balance. The intake was moved forward and the exhaust towards the rear, mounted under the seat, to enable the rider's freedom of movement. It has long travel in the suspension, but still rides on a short wheelbase – perfect for impressing the crowds. To that end, it was designed with collaboration from four-time stunt riding champion Chris Pfeiffer. It's also got a lockable throttle so the rider can take his hands off the controls (not advisable for the rest of us). The beefed-up secondary rear brake can be actuated by a squeeze of the finger. Axle pegs allow for additional foot-placement options, red crash bars protect the mechanical elements, and a specially designed "stunt tail" is milled from solid aluminum and provides an additional foot-hold. The shape is adorned with an eye-catching neon livery designed to give the impression of movement, even when it's sitting still. The bike will be unveiled in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at South America's preeminent motorcycle show. BMW Concept Stunt G 310 – Street. Style. Stunt. 06.10.2015 Munich/Sao Paulo. With the world premiere of the BMW Concept Stunt G 310 at South America's largest motorcycle show, BMW Motorrad is presenting a completely new side: the uncompromising interpretation of an aggressive and agile stunt bike based on a single cylinder study. Thanks to his experience as a four-times World and European stunt riding champion, Chris Pfeiffer, contributed to the realisation of the BMW Concept Stunt 310. "Stunt riding is a demanding and multi-faceted sport. Ideally you need a compact, agile bike which is also stable and robust at the same time. You have to achieve the ideal balance between aggressiveness and control", explains Chris Pfeiffer. Compact proportions, highest-level agility.

2016 BMW X1 will be second model on company's front-drive platform

BMW is putting a lot of its chips on the success of its forthcoming front-wheel drive models, and it's making a big bet on the company's future in hoping that customers will accept them. Its front-driving UKL platform is underpinning not just the current crop of Minis but a host of BMW vehicles too. The rollout starts with the 2 Series Active Tourer in Europe later this year. But the Bavarian brand confirms to Automotive News Europe that the next one is the X1 crossover, slated to come to Europe next June. It will also be joined by the X2 next summer, confirming earlier rumors about the fashionable CUV's existence.
As the previous spy photos suggest, the X1 is even smaller than the current model, and it supposedly uses the same crop of turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines as Mini. But according to Automotive News Europe, the little guy is getting an extended, three-row version for the US, Russia and China. Like with the X4 or X6, the X2 shares most of the mechanical parts with its more conventional-looking sibling but features sleeker styling.
To make all of these UKL-based models possible, BMW is sharing development among them as much as is practical. According to Automotive News Europe, the next generations of the Mini Countryman, Clubman, X1 and X2 share the same electrical systems, drivetrains and more. Adding in the Active Tourer and still mysterious Family Active Sports Tourer to the mix, and the result is a big gamble that needs to go Bimmer's way.

The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.