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Vorsteiner BMW M4 GTRS4 shows how to do a widebody at SEMA

Part of the joy of the SEMA Show is that all of the best tuners in the world are competing to show off their wares, and the challenge often pushes the companies into some absolutely insane directions. Case in point: Vorsteiner and its ludicrous GTRS4 wide body kit with the BMW M4.
According to Auto Evolution, the kit reportedly adds 4 inches in the front to fit 10.5-inch-wide wheels and a massive 7-inches more in the rear to snug in 13.5-inch-wide wheels, but spinning around the BMW in these images makes the changes look even more extreme. Beyond just the extra room in the fenders, the lower air intakes are ready to suck in huge volumes of cool air, and there's a front splitter to keep things planted. The front and rear extensions are joined by side sills that grow the farther back they go. Finally, at the rear, the M4 gets a reworked diffuser with mesh inserts.
This is just the type of automotive craziness that makes SEMA interesting. Take a lot at it for yourself in the gallery.

Playboy reveals its 2013 Cars of the Year

Vaunted men's magazine Playboy knows that its readers are nearly as interested in cars as they are in the female anatomy... sorry, we thought we could write that with a straight face. Anyway, the buff-book does occasionally fill some of its spreads with sexy metal, to accent all the rest of the sexiness.
To wit, the magazine has unveiled its feature on the 2013 Cars of the Year. Without giving us much in the way of criteria for the awards, nor a clear framing of the categories ("Responsible Ride" is a particularly challenging concept, especially when you consider that the Mazdaspeed3 was the winner), Playboy has nevertheless highlighted what we assume to be it's favorite 12 or 13 (depending on how you count) cars from the 2013 model year.
Headlining the class is the Porsche 911, which Playboy writers single out for having "remarkable electronic voodoo." BMW M5 is named "Slickest Sports Sedan" though the Cadillac ATS then follows on because "we couldn't resist giving the new Caddy a shout-out." The rest of the picks are pretty conventional (save, perhaps, the Honda Fit EV as "Ace Electric"), even if the categories and methodology are fairly wonky. Cruise through or gallery for a taste or check out the full list, here. The site is safe for work, and you can legitimately (this time) say that you were reading it for the articles.

BMW offering glitch fix for i3 with range extender

The BMW i3 has received quite a bit of acclaim since its release, with the electric powertrain grabbing a spot on Ward's 10 Best Engines list and the high-tech machine earning the nod as 2015 Green Car of the Year. However, Consumer Reports uncovered a vexing problem with the range-extended version of the hatchback that has plagued it until a recent software update. While CR was driving the range-extended i3 last year, it discovered that when the internal combustion engine was running during low states of charge, hard acceleration could suddenly cut back with no warning to the driver. This was especially problematic when passing. BMW knew about the issue and promised a software update in the spring. That improvement is now available. BMW spokesperson David Buchko tells Autoblog that the software update adds a percent-of-charge indicator to all models of the i3 to let drivers know just how much juice is left. For the range-extended model, it also provides a warning of possible power reduction when the charge reaches two percent. According to Consumer Reports, the revision lets the car anticipate needing more reserve power based on the topography from the navigation system, as well. For any i3 drivers who want the upgrade, they need to visit a dealer for installation, according to Buchko, but it should be come at no cost to owners. Related Video: