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BMW M3 gets throwback livery for Oktoberfest [w/video]

BMW is ringing in Oktoberfest this year with the special M3 you see here. The performance sedan has been done up in a retro livery that harkens back one of the BMW M1 Procars from 1981, and was even designed by the same artist responsible for the original 34 years ago. But you'll have to go to Munich to see it. To understand the significance of the livery, you first have to know something about the BMW M1 Procar. The spec racing series was formed in 1979 around the M1, the legendary mid-engined sports car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and co-developed with Lamborghini. The road-going M1 models used in the series were modified for racing with more powerful engines, more aggressive aero, and other competition-spec components, and were driven by many F1 drivers in support races at European grands prix. Some even competed against other entries in broader races. Many of the cars featured liveries with BMW's signature red, dark blue, and light blue stripes, but others ran more unique color schemes. The "Munchner Wirte" (Munich hosts) car was one such example, running at Le Mans with a custom livery designed and hand-painted by artist Walter Maurer. It featured Munich landmarks like the Olympic Stadium, Frauenkirche church and BMW's headquarters, along with a roast-chestnut vendor and an Oktoberfest beer tent. 34 years later, Maurer has applied the same livery to the M3 you see here. It'll be displayed at this year's Oktoberfest, which kicks off this weekend in – you guessed it – Munich. As if we needed another excuse to visit Europe in the fall and swill some of the world's finest beers by the liter. Check out the video below for BMW's official welcome to Oktoberfest visitors. Oktoberfest date for one-off BMW M3 "Munchner Wirte". Munich. BMW M GmbH is set to unveil a BMW M3 in "Munchner Wirte" livery to coincide with this year's Oktoberfest in Munich (19 September – 4 October). The one-off car will underscore the company's ties with motor sport in general and the city of Munich in particular. The livery design of the BMW M3 "Munchner Wirte" harks back to that of the legendary BMW M1 Procar from 1981, complete with Bavarian-style facade painting and blue and white twisted cords, along with depictions of Munich landmarks (such as the Olympic Stadium, Siegestor, Frauenkirche church and BMW's headquarters – the "four-cylinder" building), a roast chestnut seller and the Wiesn-Schanke beer tent at the Oktoberfest.

These are your top 10 worst-selling vehicles of 2012

Despite 2012 being the best year of auto sales this country has seen since 2007, not every vehicle got an equally large share of the sales pie. Some barely got a sliver, as evidenced by this year's list of the top 10 worst-selling vehicles of 2012. We've dug through sales data from every automaker to come up with this year's list and, like last year, we've set some parameters to ensure it includes legitimately bad-selling vehicles. The first parameter is a starting MSRP under $100,000, which automatically excludes what's parked in most one-percenters' garages. We're also excluding vehicles cancelled in 2012, even if they garnered sales through the end of the year while dealerships sold off remaining inventory. This includes models like the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and last year's worst-seller, the Acura RL. Next, vehicles are considered as they are reported by the automaker, which means that, while sales of the Murano CrossCabriolet were probably low enough to make the list, because Nissan reports only one number for all Murano sales, it was excluded. Cadillac, however, reports sales of the Escalade EXT separately from the Escalade, hence its repeat appearance. Finally, there was the question of whether or not eligibility should be given to Suzuki vehicles, as the brand announced in November that it would end sales in the US as soon as its current inventory ran out. We decided Suzuki vehicles should be included as the brand was offering 2013 models at the time of the announcement, and as far as we can tell, inventory levels remained high enough to satisfy demand through the end of the year. Without further ado, below are the top 10 worst-selling vehicles of 2012. Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles of 2012 10. Volvo C30 MSRP: $25,500 Units Sold: 2,827 Last Year: – 9. BMW Z4 MSRP: $47,350 Units Sold: 2,751 Last Year: – 8. Audi TT MSRP: $39,545 Units Sold: 2,226 Last Year: – 7. Subaru Tribeca MSRP: $32,595 Units Sold: 2,075 Last Year: 10 6. Suzuki Equator MSRP: $19,449 Units Sold: 1,966 Last Year: 7 5. Cadillac Escalade EXT MSRP: $63,060 Units Sold: 1,934 Last Year: 6 4. Nissan GT-R MSRP: $96,820 Units Sold: 1,188 Last Year: – 3. Acura ZDX MSRP: $50,920 Units Sold: 775 Last Year: 4 2. Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback MSRP: $18,495 Units Sold: 702 Last Year: 3 1. Mitsubishi i-MiEV MSRP: $29,125 Units Sold: 588 Last Year: – Want a little more "worst-selling" data? Check out our list of the top 10 worst-selling vehicles of 2011.

Rinspeed issues its Budii call for Geneva [w/video]

Of all the concepts prepared every year for the Geneva Motor Show, those made by Rinspeed are typically the most outlandish and forward-thinking. And this is the latest from Frank Rinderknecht and company. Though Rinspeed's been known to build entirely original vehicles from the ground up, it tends to base its creations on production models: Following the Tesla-based XchangE from last year, the Smart-based Dock+Go of 2012, the Fiat-based E2 from 2009 and the Lotus-based sQuba in 2007, the new Budii concept is based on the BMW i3. That means, of course, that it's powered by electricity, but the technology demonstrator is focused more on autonomous driving tech. The Budii incorporates a periscopic camera and laser scanner to map the terrain and the road ahead from above, and a drive-by-wire steering system that allows the steering wheel on an articulated column to be passed between driver and passenger or tucked out of the way to let the electronics take over. Once unburdened of the task of driving, the occupants can enjoy the proliferation of touchscreens, the "wellness shower" (whatever that is) installed in the headliner, the automatic watch-winder on the steering column and the interior accoutrements furnished by Mansory. The whole thing rides on a lowered suspension with 19-inch Borbet alloys, with a rainbow Knight Rider-style grille in the nose. But to appreciate the full scope of the consortium of suppliers that collaborated with Rinspeed to bring the Budii to life, you'll want to delve into the press release after the video below and scope out the dozens of high-resolution images in the slideshow above. 2015 Geneva Motor Show: Rinspeed "Budii" redefines human-machine interaction Reach out to robots The vision of autonomous driving will soon become reality and will fundamentally change the interaction of man and automobiles. While the research centers of the automotive industry are still feverishly working on the technical solutions, progressive thinkers such as the Swiss idea factory Rinspeed are already giving concrete thought to how automated private transport will transform the car and the man-machine system. Besides fundamental conceptual changes, this will also have to involve issues of ethics and society. In the past, the robots in the factories of this world merely assembled cars for people. In the new "Budii" concept car from Swiss automotive visionary Frank M.