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2016 BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid First Drive

Piecing together the i8 eco sports car taught BMW some valuable lessons, some of which you'll see in the next generation or two of the company's electrified mainstream cars. You won't have to wait that long for BMW to deliver on the key lesson, which can be seen right here in the 330e: make hybrids fun to drive and don't make people compromise on what they like. The 330e neatly sidesteps the traditional character-blanching entry ticket you get with hybrids by delivering almost as much torque as the 340i and a sprint time to 62 miles per hour of 6.1 seconds. For most people eco-conscious enough (especially in a time of cheap gas) to bother with plug-in hybrids, that's going to be quick enough. And so is the 140-mph top speed. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far away. This 330e is (theoretically) capable of delivering 25 miles of electric-car range or ridiculous amount of range as a gasoline-electric hybrid. It will post a 44-gram CO2 emissions figure and officially deliver 1.9 liters/100km on the NEDC test cycle in Europe, which translates to 124 miles per gallon equivalent in the US, though it's unclear what the EPA-certified number would actually be. While punching in a straight line is always good, and sipping fuel like it's being rationed is nice, the key part to the 330e is that still handles like a 3 Series should every time you arrive at that one fun corner. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far off. BMW has buried the 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack beneath the cargo floor, while the electric motor resides up front, so the weight distribution moves from 50:50 to 49:51, leaving it a touch heavier in the back. Effectively, it's a 3 Series with the 320i's 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline powertrain, the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor sandwiched in between to create a hybrid. The electric motor adds 87 hp to the gas engine's 181 horsepower to offer 248 hp of total power (yes, we know they don't directly add up, but that's the total output). While it has 74 pound-feet of continuous torque, the electric motor can overboost to 184 lb-ft when it needs to. Add that to the gas engine's 214 lb-ft and the car has a maximum of 310 lb-ft – 22 lb-ft shy of the 340i, without pumping out as many emissions.

Ruby celebrates 90 years of BMW Motorrad with special helmet collection

BMW isn't the only one celebrating its own 90th anniversary building motorbikes. So is Atelier Ruby, that French manufacturer of jewel-like motorcycle helmets.
Ruby has just released a capsule collection of helmets marking BMW Motorrad's 90th anniversary, and we want them almost as much as a Bimmer bike itself. The Munich 90 collection includes three new designs available in three helmet styles, including the signature blue and red stripes on a white background worn by BMWs of two wheels or four on the racing circuit.
Of course, these helmets, being made by Ruby as they are, won't come cheap, with jaw-dropping prices ranging from $980 to $1,450. Of course there are more cost-effective ways to protect your noggin, but few more stylish.

BMW begins restoring Elvis Presley's 507 [w/video]

Imagine the King of Rock n' Roll driving a car and you'll likely picture a pink Cadillac or a yellow De Tomaso shot full of holes. But Elvis also owned a 1957 BMW 507 roadster, and now that roadster is returning home to BMW headquarters.
The 507 was a rare bird, of which only 254 examples were ever made. They were sold mostly to celebrities and royalty, but Elvis Presley was a GI when he bought it while stationed in Germany. The example that he bought had been displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, used as a press car and raced by Hans Stuck (which is how Elvis came to see it in the first place), so when he took delivery of it second-hand, the dealership had a new engine installed. It was originally white, but legend has it that Elvis got tired of women writing their phone numbers on the side of it in lipstick that he had it repainted in red.
Stories differ on what exactly happened to it next, with some saying that he returned it once the lease was up and other saying that the army shipped it back to him in the States after his tour was over. But what we do know is that the car sat for many years, neglected but sheltered from the elements. Now it's heading to the the BMW Museum in Munich, where it will be on display until August 10, after which the BMW Group Classic department will undertake a comprehensive restoration of the star-studded roadster that's expected to take two years of work.