1999 Bmw Z3 Roadster Convertible 2-door 2.8l on 2040-cars

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Official pics of BMW M235i surface ahead of coupe's debut

BMW isn't supposed to debut the 2 Series until tomorrow, according to Carscoops, but that hasn't stopped these photos of the 1 Series Coupe replacement from leaking onto the web. First picked up by a BMW 2 Series enthusiast site, the photos eventually found their way around the web, and complement the spy images we showed you of the uncovered 2 Series from almost six months ago.
This particular car is the M235i, and will serve as the range-topping 2 Series. As the number "35" is affixed to this car's tail, there's no question that the engine powering this example is BMW's turbocharged, 3.0-liter six-cylinder. As we reported earlier this month, power for the M235i should sit around 320 horsepower, blessing the 3,240-pound coupe with a 4.8-second sprint to 60 miles per hour when equipped with an eight-speed automatic (a six-speed manual is also available, but drops the time down to an even five seconds).
While this isn't a full-bore M car like the 1 Series M Coupe, it has been touched by the company's in-house tuning division, which means it sports a racier body kit, blacked out grilles and M-labeled interior items, like the steering wheel.

The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.

BMW unleashes 160-hp S 1000 R streetfighter motorcycle

BMW Motorrad released the S 1000 RR superbike in 2010, but for those who'd like to take it down a (small) notch, the German motorcycle maker introduced the 2014 S 1000 R, a slightly less-ballsy version of the range-topping superbike, at EICMA on Tuesday.
In its transformation from 193-horsepower superbike to 160-hp sportbike, BMW detuned the 999cc inline four-cylinder engine a bit by lowering the redline from 13,000 RPM to 11,000 RPM, where peak power is made. Torque is rated at "approximately" 83 pound-feet (the RR makes 82.5 lb-ft), but more importantly, engineers tweaked the torque delivery in the R's favor by redesigning the cylinder-head ducts, modifying the camshaft profiles and reprogramming the engine management system. The result is seven lb-ft more torque than the RR up to 7,500 RPM. The R's torque peak occurs at 9,250 RPM.
The bike comes standard with ASC (automatic stability control) and "Race" ABS. Riders can choose between two modes, "Road" and "Rain," which adjust ABS and ASC settings to suit dry or wet roads. DTC (dynamic traction control) is available as an option, and with two modes, "Dynamic" and "Dynamic Pro," the system optimizes traction and helps riders achieve maximum acceleration.