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See the BMW 3 Series morph through history in this animation

The BMW 3 Series is now over 40 years old, and the folks over at Donut Media have put together a very cool animation to commemorate its four decades on the road. The minute-and-a-half-long video shows some of the highlights of the 3er's career, with the side view morphing from the super-basic 1975 E21 316 to the Group 5 racecar based on the same chassis, and up to the current F80-body M3 in Austin Yellow, with stops along the way highlighting different body styles from each of the car's six generations. The color names are at least as interesting as the little info callouts scattered around the video, and the sound bites of racing commentary are a definite treat, so be sure to have your speakers on. Another plus is that you can halt the video between morphing and create some very weird looking BMWs. As a bonus, the creators offer posters of the iconic German cars. It's another clip in a series from Donut Media that brought us an earlier 911 evolution video, so be sure to watch that one as well for a quick automotive history recap. Donut Media is also asking for suggestions on what to morph next. You can leave your ideas in the YouTube comments. Related Video: News Source: Donut MediaImage Credit: Donut Media Auto News BMW Automotive History Racing Vehicles Classics Videos

BMW 1 Series prototype packs direct water injection

Just a few months ago, BMW showcased an M4 that was modified to serve as the safety car for the MotoGP racing series. The flashing lights and emergency equipment, however, weren't the only modifications BMW made to the performance coupe. It also packed an innovative new water injection system. And now it's furthering the development of that system by running it in a 1 Series hatchback as well. Revealed at the BMW Group Innovation Days 2015 event, this five-door 1 Series packs a three-cylinder gasoline engine – like the one found in a Mini or i8 – but fitted with the direct water injection system. In this application, the system sprays a fine mist of water – yep, regular old H2O – right into the combustion chamber. While mixing water with gasoline normally wouldn't be recommended, in this case it evaporates immediately and helps cool the engine from the inside, allowing it to run at higher efficiency. That cooler running engine brings with it several benefits. It delivers improved fuel economy and lower emissions, to start. It also allows for an earlier ignition point, higher compression ratio, and higher boost pressure in turbocharged engines, delivering increased output. It even cuts down on engine knocking (where combustion occurs spontaneously), reduces wear and tear on the engine, and makes better use of lower octane levels. If that sounds like a win-win-win... win (we're losing count of all the wins here), it's because BMW just may be on to something. Of course it does require a water tank to be fitted on board, which means added weight, but instead of requiring the driver fill up the water tank, BMW has fitted this prototype with a system that replenishes the water level from the air conditioning system when the vehicle is switched off. So unless it's being driven in a particularly extreme climate, it doesn't even need topping up. Add one more "win" to the list, then. Extra power, improved real-world fuel economy: Direct water injection enhances efficiency. With direct water injection for turbocharged petrol engines, the BMW Group has again succeeded in enhancing the capabilities of conventional engine technology through an ongoing process of refinement and improvement. The precisely controlled injection of water into the engine cylinders produces a cooling effect that boosts power and torque, particularly when operating at or near full throttle, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

BMW i8 to go full-electric after facelift

According to Autocar, BMW has plans to turn the i8 sports car from a hybrid to a fully electric vehicle. The carbon fiber structure would be modified with a wider center tunnel to house a sizable battery. Despite this, there would be no weight gain to the i8; the current version weighs in at 3,274 lbs. The electric prototype would have three BMW-developed brushless electric motors, two of them powering the rear wheels and one of them taking care of the front wheels. As the 1.5-liter gasoline engine would be shelved, there would be ample space for the two rear-mounted motors. Currently, the i8 produces 357 horsepower all told, but the electric motors in the prototype are said to produce up to 268 horsepower – each. The electric prototype is to be based on the architecture of a hydrogen prototype, which manages 242 horsepower in total. The information relayed on to Autocar comes from a source close to BMW's development boss, Klaus Frohlich. The facelifted version of the i8 should arrive next year, with awaited improvements like a new 26Ah lithium ion battery – 6Ah up from the current version. There is also talk of a Qualcomm inductive charging system, and its 7.2kWh operating power is doubled from the current 3.6kWh plug-in setup. If the rumormill is to be believed, engine output in the facelifted version would be up ten percent, resulting in 390 horsepower. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Green Rumormill BMW Electric Hybrid Hydrogen Cars