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Giles Taylor succeeds Ian Cameron as head of Rolls-Royce design

Back in the day, a Rolls-Royce looked pretty much the same as a Bentley, but with a different grille. Once BMW took over Rolls-Royce, however, it was faced with the challenge of visually separating itself from its former sister brand. And most would agree that it did so pretty well. But its cars have looked pretty much the same ever since. What Rolls-Royce needs, then, is a bit of a design shake-up. And that's just what this latest appointment could bring.
After a baker's dozen years as design director at Rolls-Royce (and twenty years designing for the BMW Group altogether), Ian Cameron is retiring from his post. In his place, Rolls-Royce has named Giles Taylor as its new director of design. In his new capacity, Taylor will report directly to BMW Group chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk, and be responsible for all design matters related to the Rolls-Royce brand and its products.
Taylor was promoted to the role from his previous position as head of exterior design for the marque, a position he's held for barely more than a year. We'll be eagerly watching to see what the veteran British car designer has in store for the future of Rolls-Royce. In the meantime you can read the full announcement below.

BMW i8 could get 300-hp, 2.0L turbo-four

First and foremost, the long-rumored, high-performance BMW i8 will not be called the i8 M. While the lack of an M badge might be a disappointment, it's fair to say the performance of the new model likely won't be. AutoExpress claims BMW is developing a new 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder that will take the place of the i8's three-cylinder engine. Offering an even 300 horsepower, up from the current car's 228, total system power would sit around 450 ponies, thanks to the extra cylinder. The electric system won't be fettled with, though. If that still sounds modest, it's because it is – AE's source claims the i8 could handle another 300 hp. BMW would also make a concerted effort to at least maintain the current i8's weight, even with the extra heft of the 2.0-liter turbo to deal with. AutoExpress's source claims that BMW could skip the paint on certain exterior carbon-fiber elements while also offering a more focused, minimalist cabin to save even more weight. According to AE, this new model should arrive as early as 2016, which could result in a debut in Frankfurt this September, Los Angeles in November, or even Detroit, in January.

BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan

BMW has let loose a new M Performance Power Kit for its F30-generation 335i and 335i xDrive sedans. Starting at $1,100 for the kit - installation is extra - your car will be fitted with a new ECU and air intake on the functional side and an M Performance engine cover and rocker panel stickers on the decorative side. The Power Kit raises the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder's horsepower rating from 300 to 320, and on automatic models, torque gets a boost from 300 pound-feet to 332 lb-ft - manual transmission models get a smaller bump to 317 lb-ft.
According to the Bavarian automaker, you'll be able to hear the change in the overrun exhaust note, and 0-60 mile-per-hour times drop by 0.2 seconds. The package is available now at all BMW Centers in the US, and if you get it installed when you purchase the car new, it will get the same four-year, 50,000-mile warranty as the vehicle. Have it done after the fact and the kit will be warranted for two years and unlimited miles. There's a press release below with some more details.