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The BMW 507 Elvis drove in the Army has been restored

Two years ago, BMW Classic Group started work on a 507 roadster once owned by Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll. The car's restoration is now complete, and it is scheduled to make its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 21. BMW Classic gives a look into what it took too get the car back in shape. Elvis's 507 was found by Jackie Jouret from Bimmer magazine in the barn of Jack Castor. Castor purchased the car in 1968 and held onto it since. The pair was able to confirm the car was owned by Elvis, who acquired it when stationed in Germany with the US Army. As you can see from the photo above, the car was not in good shape. Aside from the tired looking paint and body, there was a lot that needed to be repaired, replaced, or reconstructed. At some point, someone saw fit to drop in a Chevy V8, which meant the restorers had to not only build a new BMW V8 for it, but also had to repair the subframe where it had been modified. The interior was in bad shape as well, with seats that needed their own ground-up restoration, and a dashboard that was just completely missing. The restoration group also had to remove eight paint jobs the car received over its lifetime. One of those resprays was commissioned by Elvis himself. The car was originally white when it was raced by Hans Stuck, but after Elvis purchased it he reportedly painted it red to help hide lipstick and messages left by fans. BMW Classic Group restored this car back to its original condition, which also means it's back to its original white paint. The car will be on display at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance alongside a number of other vintage BMWs celebrating the company's centennial. If you want more information and photos of the restoration, be sure to check out BMW Classic Group's website. Related Video: Related Gallery Elvis Presley's 1957 BMW 507 View 59 Photos News Source: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, BMW Classic GroupImage Credit: BMW Classic Group Auto News Celebrities BMW Convertible Classics bmw 507

VW, Rivian, Nissan, BMW, Genesis, Audi and Volvo lose EV tax credits starting tomorrow

The U.S. Treasury said Monday that Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, Rivian, Hyundai and Volvo electric vehicles will lose access to a $7,500 tax credit under new battery sourcing rules. The Treasury said the new requirements effective Tuesday will also cut by half credits for the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Rear Wheel Drive to $3,750 but other Tesla models will retain the full $7,500 credit. Vehicles losing credits Tuesday are the BMW 330e, BMW X5 xDrive45e, Genesis Electrified GV70, Nissan Leaf , Rivian R1S and R1T, Volkswagen ID.4 as well as the plug-in hybrid electric Audi Q5 TFSI e Quattro and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) electric Volvo S60. The Swedish carmaker is 82%-owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The rules are aimed at weaning the United States off dependence on China for EV battery supply chains and are part of President Joe Biden's effort to make 50% of U.S. new vehicle sales by 2030 EVs or PHEVs. Hyundai said in a statement it was committed to its long-range EV plans and that it "will utilize key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate the transition to electrification." Rivian declined to comment and the other automakers could not immediately be reached for comment. Treasury also disclosed General Motors electric Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV will qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit. GM said earlier it expected at least some of its EVS would qualify for the $7,500 tax credit under the new rules, including the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq and forthcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV SUV and Blazer EV SUV. Treasury said all GM EVs will qualify. Earlier, Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis said most of their electric and PHEV models would see tax credits halved to $3,750 on April 18. Treasury confirmed the automakers' calculations. The rules were announced last month and mandated by Congress in August as part of the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA requires 50% of the value of battery components be produced or assembled in North America to qualify for $3,750, and 40% of the value of critical minerals sourced from the United States or a free trade partner for a $3,750 credit. The law required vehicles to be assembled in North America to qualify for any tax credits, which in August eliminated nearly 70% of eligible models and on Jan. 1 new price caps and limits on buyers income took effect.

Next BMW 7 Series interior spotted

The next BMW 7 Series looks to be leading a rather dramatic change of the company's interior styling, judging by this new series of spy photos. In the trio of shots, we can see that the next 7 Series will replace the high-quality plastic buttons of the brand's iDrive, HVAC and secondary audio controls with some very, very pretty aluminum pieces. We can also see what looks like haptic touch controls for some of the HVAC systems. While the 7 Series interior has never been bad, it's lagged notably behind the Audi A8 and new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. This brightwork should be taken as a good sign, then, that BMW is preparing to take the fight to its countrymen. Aside from the handsome new switchgear, the large, wide nav screen looks like a pop-up unit, while it appears to be running a new version of the company's infotainment system. These spy photos also give us our most detailed look at the 7 Series' new laser headlights. According to our spies, these will be an optional extra, while LED headlights will be standard. The high-output lights will flank a wider pair of kidney grilles that our spies claim will give the 7 a sportier look. Changes in back are still camouflaged, although our shooters claim the new lamps will be more angular than the current car's. Expect the next 7 Series to make its debut in the second half of 2015, which could indicate a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.