Hamann 2013 Bmw 650i Gran Coupe Base Sedan 4-door 4.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Formula E gets wireless-charging BMW i8 safety car [w/video]

Racing series typically select a safety car appropriate to the kinds of racecars for which they'll be setting the pace. So you might find a Mercedes SLS pacing a Formula One grand prix, for example, and you're more likely to find a BMW M4 on duty at a DTM race and a Chevy Camaro or SS on an oval speedway for a NASCAR or Indy race. It would only stand to reason, then, that the FIA Formula E Championship kicking off next month in Beijing would press a plug-in into service as its safety car. But the organizers didn't go for your run-of-the-mill Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius.
No, the safety car for Formula E will be a BMW i8 specially modified for the occasion. As you can see from the video below, the hybrid sports car packs a full roll cage, racing buckets with harnesses, special communications systems and on-board fire extinguishers. But that's not all.
In partnership with technological partner Qualcomm, the Formula E support fleet - including two examples each of the i8 and i3 - will feature inductive charging. So while one is out on the track, or at least sitting at the end of the pit lane waiting to be deployed - the other will be charging wirelessly. The vehicles are still pending FIA approval, and only one has been outfitted with the Qualcomm Halo wireless charging system (with the others to be retrofitted later), but they were all on hand for the recent practice race at Donnington Park.

BMW showing all eight of its 'hommage' vehicles at Villa d'Este

BMW is paying a tribute of sorts to its tribute vehicles by bringing together all eight "hommage" concept vehicles for the first time. BMW will exhibit its hommage cars and bikes at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, which takes place near Italy's Lake Como this weekend. The vehicles will be shown off in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba as part of BMW's "The Next 100 Years" campaign. BMW's first tribute vehicle was 1997's MINI ACV (Anniversary Concept Vehicle) 30, a two-seat, mid-engined, right-hand-drive car that the automaker produced to pay tribute to the UK brand's past while hinting at what BMW would subsequently do with the iconic badge. The automaker followed with its BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia in 2006, and then officially started grouping the concept cars in 2008 under the hommage designation with the introduction of the BMW M1 Hommage. That car marked the 30th anniversary of the original BMW M1. View 17 Photos Since then, there have been the BMW 328 Hommage (2011), the BMW Concept Ninety motorcycle (2013), and the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage (2015). In addition to paying tribute to the iconic 1970s-era coupe, last year's concept car showed off advances the company has made in its light-weighting efforts. This year, BMW is adding the BMW 2002 and BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage to the party. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este also features about 50 historic cars built between the 1920s and 1980s. For more information from BMW, take a look at the press release below. Tradition as inspiration. The BMW Group's Hommage vehicles come together for the first time at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2016. Munich/Cernobbio. With BMW's centenary headline "The Next 100 Years" in mind, the BMW Group is bringing together, for the first time, the full line-up of Hommage vehicles unveiled over recent years. They will be joined on display at a special exhibition titled "Hommage and Concept Vehicles" in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba by the models from the past that inspired them. Munich/Cernobbio. With BMW's centenary headline "The Next 100 Years" in mind, the BMW Group is bringing together, for the first time, the full line-up of Hommage vehicles unveiled over recent years. They will be joined on display at a special exhibition titled "Hommage and Concept Vehicles" in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba by the models from the past that inspired them.

BMW and Roland Sands show off Concept 101 custom bagger

Though BMW may not be the first motorcycle manufacturer that comes to mind when you think of cruisers, that's precisely what the German marque has unveiled – in concept form at least – at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este this year. Appearing alongside the 3.0 CSL Hommage concept, the BMW Concept 101 is a custom "bagger" created in California through a collaboration between BMW Motorrad, BMW Designworks, and legendary bike builder Roland Sands. Better suited towards cruising down the highway than carving up a racetrack or a dirt trail, the Concept 101 strikes a rather stunning (if uncharacteristic) form. The elongated shape is rendered in materials like brushed aluminum, carbon fiber, and wood trim, tapering towards the rear that encompasses two hard saddle bags characteristic of this style of cruiser. The top half of the bike is done up in lighter shades than the dark bottom, capped by a saddle crafted in fine-grain black leather, perforated black leather and a strip of brown leather. Power comes commandingly from an inline-six displacing 1.6 liters – or about 101 cubic inches, which along with Highway 101, gives the concept bike its name. The engine breaths out through a pair of tailpipes, each with three outlets to emphasize the six-cylinder and envision what it would look like if Munich opted to take on the Honda Gold Wing F6C Valkyrie. Of course this isn't the first time BMW has done a bike with Roland Sands, nor the first time it's displaying a bike concept at Villa d'Este. Last year the German marque displayed the Concept Roadster at the same show, and did the Concept Ninety with the same custom shop at the previous year's concours. BMW Motorrad "Concept 101" - The Spirit of the Open Road. Munich/Cernobbio. Every year, the most impressive representatives of the mobile past and future on both two and four wheels assemble at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este for a very special get-together on the shores of Lake Como. Amid this extraordinary blend of the traditional and the contemporary, BMW Motorrad once again presents a breathtaking concept study: the BMW Motorrad "Concept 101". "The Concept 101 opens up a new chapter in the history of our concept bikes. It is the BMW Motorrad interpretation of endless highways and the dream of freedom and independence - the perfect embodiment of "American touring". Designing this big touring bike study was amazingly exciting for us because we haven't been involved with a motorcycle concept like this before.