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BMW restores classic Mini as it revives production in Netherlands

Mini will be kicking off production in the Netherlands, a country that hasn't built a Mini-badged machine since 1966. In honor of this event, BMW Group Classic, the team responsible for all the cars in the BMW Museum, as well as being a spare parts and restoration company in its own right, revived a classic 1959 Austin Seven. That particular car, number 983, was one of the first Minis to be built in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands' JJ Molenaar's Car Companies built 4,000 Austin Sevens and Morris Mini-Minors between 1959 and 1966, although we imagine Dutch Mini production will be much bigger when it starts up again in summer 2014. A five-person team from VDL Nedcar, the group handling production of new Minis, took to the job of restoring the diminutive British car from nose to tail.
The 34-horsepower engine and the transmission were both completely rebuilt, while the door panels were redone by hand. Help from the Mini community aided the VDL Nedcar team in finding authentic replicas or original parts where possible. All told, the new classic Mini is a striking example of what a good restoration can do to a car. The Seven was repainted in its original Farina Gray, adding to the car's sense of authenticity.

Frankfurt Motor Show Notes: Why Jaguar decided to build an SUV

It was inevitable. Jaguar had to make an SUV, and that notion became reality this week with the debut of the F-Pace, an all-wheel-drive five-seater that will launch in the United States next spring. Some purists may cringe. But in an era when Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and other traditional luxury brands are all building or (planning to build) SUVs, Jaguar had to evolve. While it seems like a leap for Jaguar to make an SUV, longtime design director Ian Callum said it's been in the works for years. "The first time I was asked the question was when I arrived 16 years ago," he said. So in 1999 (and probably well before that), Jaguar was already thinking SUV. What took so long? "It wasn't a priority," Callum said. Jaguar was concentrating on fixing its existing lineup, which was pockmarked with holes and poorly selling products, like the X-Type. Along the way, Jaguar and sister brand Land Rover were sold by Ford to Indian conglomerate Tata Motors. Flash forward several years, and Jaguar and Land Rover are both experiencing a resurgence in the United States and around the world. Jaguar's lineup is flush with the E-Type's modern successor, the F-Type, plus a new version of the XF. The XJ received a 2016 freshening, and the smaller XE sedan is on the way. Jaguar put its house in order as other factors conspired to make a crossover timely. Fuel prices stayed relatively low, and consumers in the US and China remained steadfast in their love for utility vehicles of all stripes. Making a Jaguar SUV became a priority. "The world was telling us in no uncertain terms this is what they wanted," Callum said. "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." Jaguar proved its intent two years ago when it revealed the C-X17 crossover concept at Frankfurt, and the final production model is close to the prototype's striking looks. "I thought we managed to maintain that spirit," Callum said. It's a true Jaguar, with cues from the F-Type, 1968 XJ, and other famous models. Who would have thought Jaguar would make an SUV? "I certainly didn't," Callum admitted. But the F-Pace is here. If Callum is okay with it, purists can be, too. Quick Hits Opel retrenches for 2016 and beyond Opel used the Frankfurt show to display its new generation of the Astra, a critical vehicle line for the German division of General Motors.

BMW Motorrad showcases Konzept eRR electric sport bike

At one end of the BMW spectrum are its electric vehicles like the i3 and i8. At the other, the motorcycles from BMW Motorrad. Now the Bavarian manufacturer is bringing those two areas of competence together in one vehicle. And it only has two weels. It's called the eRR, and it's an experimental electric motorcycle created in conjunction with the Technical University of Munich. It's based on the frame of the S 1000 RR sport bike, but ditches the 199-horsepower four-cylinder liter engine for an all-electric powertrain. Unfortunately, the company has yet to release any technical details, but promises it will do so at a later date. It's not the first time BMW Motorrad has tinkered with electric power. We've already seen the C Evolution electric scooter. But this is the first time it has packaged an electric motor into a sport bike this aggressive. If BMW were actually to build this thing, the eRR could prove a suitable foil to the Brammo/Victory Empulse, not to mention any other electric motorcycle that may find its way onto market in the coming years. BMW Motorrad presents the experimental vehicle eRR. Supersport dynamism and zero emission thanks to electric power. Munich. BMW Motorrad has a long tradition in pointing out new ways and thoughts for the topic „mobility on two wheels". For that, again and again many studies were presented in the past giving views to the future. The experimental vehicle eRR, created as a project with the Technical University of Munich, embodies an idea of an electric powered supersport motorcycle made by BMW Motorrad. Already a couple of years ago, BMW i showed the BMW Group's visionary and sustainable approach with the vehicles BMW i3 and i8 and their revolutionary design principles (aluminum chassis and passenger cabin made from carbon fibre) and BMW Motorrad's C evolution proved, that zero emission, riding fun and practicability do not exclude themselves. With presenting the experimental vehicle eRR BMW Motorrad goes one step forward and shows the possibilities of an all-electric drive in a supersport motorcycle. Regarding design and chassis technology the eRR leans on the supersport motorcycle S 1000 RR, however using an all-electric drive. Stephan Schaller, Head of BMW Motorrad, emphasizes: „Since their market launch, the RR is giving the creeps to motorsport athletes. If acceleration, handling or topspeed – the RR is setting standards.