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BMW i8 named Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year [w/video]

The winner of Autoblog's 2014 Technology of the Year award was given this year for not just one technology, but for how a suite of technologies worked together to make one impressive vehicle. The BMW i8 was named the winner Wednesday night at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles, just outside the Los Angeles Auto Show. Autoblog's editorial staff agreed that the i8, which drew crowds of attention during our testing days, represents a future of driving that we can't wait to see happen. "I do believe that green vehicles solve a very fundamental problem, and if a car like the i8 can get a rich man with good knees (to get in and out of the car) to drive something with a plug instead of a 12-mpg sports car, then mission accomplished," says Sebastian Blanco, editor of AutoblogGreen and one of our judges. The panel reviewed nearly 50 qualified submissions from readers, editorial staff and industry, the panel of judges named the following as finalists: Dodge's SRT Performance Pages (read more here) The Subaru Eyesight forward collision warning system (read more here) The Performance Data Recorder in the 2015 Chevy Corvette (read more here) The 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine from Ford (read more here) Chrysler's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine (read more here) Ultimately, we picked the car that excited us the most. The BMW i8 has a throaty exhaust note when accelerating. It's got carbon fiber, and a plug-in hybrid system that uses a small 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and an electric motor. It has through-the-road all-wheel drive, and in Europe it'll come with laser beams for headlights. All that, and it's a massive eye catcher. People stop and stare when they see this car, for good reason. It's simply gorgeous. For a more in-depth look at our testing of the car, click here.

Road & Track names its 2013 Performance Car of the Year

Road & Track recently staged its first annual Performance Car of the Year test, pitting 13 new and updated performance cars against each other on track, then graduating the top six to a road test before picking a winner. Additionally, the magazine staff picked the best automobiles of the year in eight categories.
But first, let's cover the PCotY segment. Here's the list of cars brought to the comparison test: Audi R8 V10 Plus; BMW 435i; BMW M6 Competition Package; Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51; Ferrari F12 Berlinetta; Ford Fiesta ST; Jaguar F-Type V8 S; Jaguar XFR-S; Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Wagon; Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series; Mini John Cooper Works GP; Nissan GT-R Track Edition; and Porsche Cayman S.
To find out the results of the comparison, head over to Road & Track's website or check the press release below, where you'll also find the magazine's top-rated vehicles in eight categories. Want more? Head over to the 2013 PCotY hub. But before you do that, take a stab at guessing the winner of PCotY (we'll give you one hint: it isn't a Porsche).

BMW M5 spied as camouflage striptease continues

The facelifted BMW M5's striptease continues. The latest spy images of the super sedan show even more headlight and taillight details, on top of more overt signs of this car's character. Our first spy photos of the M5 showed a car with production 5 Series wheels and tiny quad exhaust pipes. The next set got sportier black wheels. But the latest shots depict a machine that gets the current M5 Competition Package's black wheels along with BMW M's trademark blue calipers, just like the current car. It also ditches the camouflage on the pillars, roof rails, and rear windows. Beyond those changes, stripping away some of the camouflage has shown modest tweaks. We're finally getting a good look at the updated, squared-off LED running lamps and the tweaked front fascia. Updates are even more minor in back. But there may be something more drastic at play with the taillights. Studying these shots, we can't really see any detailing in the rear lamps. There's a similar thing going on between the normal LEDs on the BMW M4 and the OLED units in the new M4 GTS. Backing up this speculation is a single shot of one of the rear turn signals illuminated. It doesn't look quite like the current car's signal, but we can't be certain. It's possible that the shots and the camouflage might be playing tricks on our eyes. And since this is the first time we've seen the updated M5 with production taillights, there's no real basis for comparison. Still, BMW's tantalizing new OLED tech is sure to proliferate beyond the M4 GTS. We just can't yet be certain if it's coming to the next M5. Related Video: