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Former BMW M boss and Maserati CEO killed in freak motorcycle accident

It's a tragic coincidence that on the same weekend the BMW M4 Coupe Concept was introduced in Monterey, one of the men most integral to BMW's M and Motorsports divisions, Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, was killed in England. Kalbfell, a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, was set to compete in the Lansdowne Classic Series at Brands Hatch and had an accident during a practice session. After going wide at Druids Corner and falling, he was hit by a competitor following close behind and died of his injuries after being transported to hospital.
Kalbfell, an engineer, began his career at BMW in 1977 in the communications department; a decade later he was chairman of BMW M GmbH, overseeing development of some of the cars responsible for the myth of M. In 1994 he was named chairman of BMW Motorsport, and his cap full of feathers includes getting the BMW V12 into the McLaren F1, getting the BMW V8 into two Morgan cars, along with developing BMW's Formula One engine and return to the sport. Not incidentally, he also assumed leadership of Project Rolls-Royce after BMW bought the British marque in 1998, which means he oversaw the Goodwood factory upfit and the creation of the Phantom.
He left Rolls-Royce for a brief stint at Fiat, heading Alfa Romeo and Maserati, then went into consulting for clients like Lotus and Paragon, who built the Artega GT. As Autocar notes, Kalbfell "had an abiding sense that customers needed to be attracted to cars by their aura and reputation, not just their engineering." He will be missed.

2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is the third flash of Modena lightning

The debut of the 2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore completes Maserati's initial trio of battery-electric offerings, the Atlantis High powertrain in this car complementing the Nettuno V6-powered GranCabrio Trofeo that Maserati debuted in February. The first of its kind, the GranCabrio Folgore establishes the six-figure, four-seat, battery-electric luxury grand tourer convertible segment until something like an electric Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG SL, or reborn Jaguar XKR comes along. At speeds of up to 31 miles per hour, the roof available in five colors folds in 14 seconds and raises in 16. With the top up, trunk space shrinks from the coupe's 9.5 cubic feet to 6.1 cubic feet. Stow the top, there are 4.6 cubic feet available for soft-sided bags. Neck warmers built into the seats come standard, a wind blocker lives on the options menu.   Built around the same 92.5-kWh (83 kWh usable) T-shaped battery and three-motor drivetrain as on the GranTurismo Folgore, maximum output differs from actual output: Each motor can produce 402 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, but the full 1,206 hp needs to wait on stouter battery options. With today's chemistry, Maserati engineers decided to restrain combined output to 751 hp and 996 lb-ft., with even that figure only unlocked in Corsa mode with launch control. The catapult shot to 60 miles per hour is estimated at about 2.7 seconds; top speed is 180 miles per hour.      Shoppers will get a choice of six wheels in staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear sizes. Two of those wheel designs are aero-focused and wrapped in EV-specific rubber. Maserati gave a WLTP estimated range of up to 278 miles on a charge, an EPA-rated estimate of 250 miles, which would be on the aero options. Plugging into a DC fast charger capable of 270 kW is said to replenish the battery from 20% to 80% in 18 minutes, and add 62 miles in five minutes.  The interior's a mix of reborn Maserati and the special touches applied to the hardtop electric sibling, meaning the quartet of digital displays (gauge cluster, infotainment, HVAC, and clock), 18-way front seats in recycled Econyl or leather, 16-speaker Sonus Faber audio, and carbon fiber trim inlaid with copper filaments. The automaker's also giving owners a wallbox with purchase, and has hooked up a single-pay system to use a range of chargers from different infrastructure companies. Order books open in August, and Maserati anticipates deliveries beginning in Q4 this year.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class leads this month's list of discounts

Like last month, the biggest discounts car buyers will find on new vehicles are all applied to expensive luxury sedans. Unlike last month when there were two, there isn't a single Rolls-Royce to be found anywhere in the top five. Sorry, one-percenters. But just because the pinnacle of European luxury isn't represented doesn't mean there aren't big discounts to be found on lovely luxury sedans. In fact, this month's list is led by the 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a technological wonder that coddles its driver and passengers with all the bells and whistles the German brand has to offer. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is offered in many shapes and sizes with several powertrain options. That means there will be a huge variance in prices across the model range, but on average, 2020 S-Class buyers are seeing $11,803 lopped off the car's $109,447 sticker price, leaving an average transaction price of $97,644. That's a savings of nearly 11%. It's worth noting that there's a new S-Class for 2021, but the 2020 edition is still a lovely machine. Up next is the Porsche Taycan, sitting in second place just like it did last month. Buyers are seeing average sticker prices of $125,736 but are paying $113,938. That's a savings of $11,798 — or about 9.4% — off the price on the window sticker. As was the case last month, we're not sure how many of the Taycan's buyers will be able to claim tax rebates due to the Taycan's status as an electric vehicle, but that could potentially represent a further cut off the car's sticker. Rounding out the top three for the month of July is the Maserati Ghibli. With an average discount of $10,161 that represents a whopping 14.3% of the car's sticker price, this Italian luxury sedan actually leads the list of vehicle discounts when ranked by percentage. And if you're a Maserati fan but the Ghibli isn't your cup of espresso, the Levante crossover and larger Quattroporte sedan are also seeing very large discounts. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Edition One revealed