Here is a really rare and special car. A BMW 850CSI. Sometimes referred to as the M8. Here is what wikipedia has to say about it;

“As a top-of-the-range sports tourer, the 850CSi took over from the prototype M8. The 850CSi used the same engine as the 850i, which was tuned so significantly that BMW assigned it a new engine code: S70B56. The modifications included a capacity increase to 5.6 liters and power increase to 380 PS (279 kW; 375 hp).

The 850CSi’s modified suspension included, stiffer springs and dampers which reduced the car’s ride height. The recirculating ball steering ratio was dropped 15% over the stock E31 setup. The model also sported staggered throwing star wheels. The front and rear bumpers were reshaped for improved aerodynamic performance. Four round stainless steel exhaust tips replaced the square tips found on other models. The 6-speed manual gearbox was the only transmission option. In Europe all 850CSi’s came with four-wheel [...]

From time to time we find little gems in the auction, genuine one lady owner with almost no kms. This little BMW 318ti is one such car. 2001 model with 4,135kms. Before you scoff that it’s obviously been wound back, check the grade 4.5 with A interior. Then further down read the auction sheet, nine dealer service records with kms noted and dated. Add the registration certificate with kms noted at shaken and it all adds up to a genuine car.

Sure this BMW318ti is 14 years old but it’s virtually a new car that just happens to have been driven very little and serviced regularly despite the low kms. And it has everything, power steer, power windows, alloy wheels, airbags and climate control air conditioning!

How much, well it went to auction a couple of times and the best bid which it passed in at was Y155,000 or around US$1300. These days in most [...]

The Mazda CX-5 SUV marks a few firsts for Mazda. It will be the company’s first production vehicle sporting the new KODO – Soul of Motion design language seen originally in the Shinari concept vehicle, the first vehicle featuring Mazda’s efficiency-boosting Skyactiv technology, and the first to feature Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) – a system designed to avoid or reduce the damage from low speed collisions.

Similar to Volvo’s Auto Brake system, the SCBS system uses a laser sensor mounted at the top of the windshield glass to scan for other vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when traveling at speeds of around 4 – 30 km/h (2.5 – 19 mph). If a potential collision is detected, the system reduces the brake rotor (or disc) travel distance so that braking is faster when the driver applies the brake. If the driver fails to apply the brake or maneuver to avoid an impending [...]

The MINI continued its remarkable evolution overnight with the news there will be a sixth derivative of the breed, this one likely to set the hearts of enthusiasts beating with anticipation – the first open-top two-seater in its history. Simply remove the manual soft-top roof for open air sports car exhilaration, topped off with the MINI’s sophisticated chassis technology and low centre of gravity.

The range-topper of the new series is the twin-turbo, 237 km/h (147 mph), 155 kW (211 bhp) MINI John Cooper Works Roadster.

The car has a full complement of driver enhancement technologies – Electric Power Steering, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), and an active rear spoiler that extends above 80 km/h (50 mph). Not bad for a car that returns 38.7 mpg (7.3 litres/100 kilometres)

The practicality of the MINI Roadster in comparison to traditional two-seater sports cars will be one of the [...]

Even without taking into account Japan’s recent natural disasters, Honda has struggled of late, seemingly having lost its prominence as a technology innovator. With much riding on next year’s models, there was a lot of interest when the covers came off of the new Honda Accord Coupe Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) recently, revealing the first official glimpse of a new styling direction, as well as revealing a host of claimed new technologies for the all-new, ninth-generation 2013 model, set to go on-sale this fall in America.

As is the norm these days, the 2013 Honda Accord is designed to accommodate a variety of powerplant options, including a 2.4-liter direct-injected, 181 hp internal combustion engine, with either a 6-speed manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), a 3.5-litre SOHC 4-valve V6 matched to a 6-speed automatic, and a plug-in hybrid system that moves continuously through three modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric [...]

If there are two obstacles that are still keeping the general public from embracing electric cars, those would have to be the vehicles’ limited driving range and long charging times. Well, Nissan has achieved a major milestone regarding one of those two problems – last week, Japan’s Nikkei news agency reported that the automaker has developed an experimental system that can fully charge an EV battery in just ten minutes.

The system incorporates a capacitor in which the electrode is made from a combination of tungsten oxide and vanadium oxide, instead of the traditional carbon. This change is said to drastically boost the power of the charger, which is what allows it to work so quickly. On the batteries that were tested, no significant effects were noted regarding their storage capacity or voltage.

The charger is apparently half the size of Nissan’s existing fast charger, and is said to work with batteries from a variety [...]

The compact S.U.V. class looks set for some serious competition over the coming 12 months when a completely redesigned Honda CR-V will continue to sell against Toyota’s RAV4 and Volkswagen’s Tiguan. Plus Mazda‘s CX-5, which is expected to be very similar to Minagi and packed with the first comprehensive SkyActiv efficiency technologies, will join the ranks. Honda is the runaway leader in the segment and this update is a clear signal of its intention to stay there. The “Walter Mitty” lives we all lead is exemplified by the compact S.U.V. segment, where more than 95 percent of the vehicles sold never venture offroad.

The new Honda CR-V concept will be the fourth-generation of CR-V is set to go on sale in the United States by the end of 2011, and in Europe in Autumn 2012. There’s possibly not a single part number that will remain the same, yet many journalists see it as a mild [...]

San Francisco Bay Area resident Olivier Chalouhi has become the first person in the world to take delivery of a Nissan Leaf all-electric vehicle. At a special presentation on Saturday at North Bay Nissan of Petaluma in California, Chalouhi, a 31-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur who was the first person in the U.S. to place a LEAF order, took possession of a black LEAF SL in what Nissan described as an historic event representing “the first delivery of an affordable, mass-market, all-electric car since the first days of the automotive era.”

Before purchasing his LEAF, Chalouhi made the 10-mile (16 km) each way commute to work on a homemade electric bicycle. But with two kids he said he wanted a highway capable electric car that could handle two car seats so he could drop them off at school. He says that with the LEAF being the only 100% electric car on the market, his decision to [...]

Jaguar is celebrating its 75 years with an equally, if not even more, stunning concept electric supercar. Unveiled today at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the C-X75 boasts some impressive performance stats that prove this is no mere show pony. Powered by four 145kW electric motors – one on each wheel – producing 780bhp and a total torque output of 1600Nm (1180lb ft), the C-X75 can accelerate from 0-100km/h (62mph) in just 3.4 seconds, and from 80-145km/h (50-90mph) in 2.3 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 330km/h (205mph).

While the C-X75 is capable of running for 110km (68 miles) in purely electric mode on a six-hour domestic plug-in charge, two lightweight (35kg/77lb) micro gas-turbines, spinning at 80,000 rpm, can generate enough electricity to quickly and efficiently recharge the vehicle’s lithium-ion batteries and extend its range to 900km (560 miles). The company says the miniaturized turbine blade, developed in partnership with Bladon Jets, [...]