2005 Bmw 645ci Automatic 2-door Convertible on 2040-cars

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BMW to finally put i8 Spyder into production

The BMW i8 Spyder might finally see production. The vehicle debuted in concept form over three years ago, but despite the coupe version having long since arrived in showrooms, the convertible has been nowhere to be seen. According to the latest reports from Germany, however, that's about to change. According to Automotive News, the company's new chief executive Harald Krueger told German publication Handelsblatt that we'll soon see the BMW i8 Spyder in production form. The prospect of open-air motoring under prodigious amounts of electric power sounds enticing, however we'll have to wait and see just what sort of roof mechanism the production model incorporates. The concept had removable roof panels, however the manufacturer tends to favor automatic roof setups – hardtops in the Z4 and 4 Series, or soft tops in the 2 Series and 6 Series. Around the same time, BMW could introduce a power upgrade in the form of a larger internal combustion engine and a higher-capacity battery to go with it. A 2.0-liter turbo four is tipped to slot in where the current three-pot sits, bringing output up to a solid 450 hp – and with a longer range to boot. If those upgrades to arrive – with or independent of the open-roof version – expect them to be implemented on the coupe as well as the roadster.

The Homer to contest 24 Hours of LeMons

It's finally happened. A 24 Hours of LeMons team has built the definitive interpretation of The Homer from The Simpsons for competition in an upcoming race. As you may recollect, The Homer is the fictional car designed by Homer Simpson for his brother's car company. Designed with a separate compartment for screaming children and other Homer-centric goodies, the animated machine bankrupted its parent company and put Homer's brother out of a job. Now we get to watch it race other crap cans as it tackles Southern California's Buttonwillow Raceway on June 29. Scott Chamberlain, Kris Linquist, Reid Conti, Ben Reilly and Mike Yepes will helm the machine, and Jeff Herman serves as the team's creative director.
The racer is the latest incarnation of a well-abused BMW 3 Series. The team campaigned the same E30 under the "Prickstine" banner as a Chrysler Imperial tribute and "Porcubimmer," the latter being a riff on the ever-popular joke about the difference between porcupines and BMW models. Never gets old. You can check out a video of the finished Homer below, and be sure to like the team on Facebook to see updates from the race. Now, about that Canyonero...

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.