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Top Gear names BMW i8 Car of the Year, Corvette, Ferrari, Mercedes also win big

The lads at Top Gear have released their listing of the finest cars of the past year, handing the ultimate honor to BMW's revolutionary i8 plug-in-hybrid supercar. "The i8 is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers - and then some," the British mag wrote. The i8, though, was far from the only hybridized car to take victories. James May and Richard Hammond both highlighted hybrids as their personal cars of the year, with May saluting the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Hamster, unsurprisingly, heaping praise on the Porsche 918 Spyder. Jeremy Clarkson, meanwhile, opted to shock many by selecting not only an American car as his best of 2014, but giving the honor to of all things, a Corvette. Clarkson wasn't the only person to honor the USA's iconic sports car, with the new, 650-horsepower Z06 variant being named TG's Muscle Car of the Year. Other big winners include Mercedes-Benz, which TG honored for S-Class Coupe (Luxury Car of the Year), the new AMG GT (Sports Car of the Year) and the not-for-US C-Class Estate (Family Car of the Year). The 458 Italia Speciale A snagged a second win for Ferrari. The best of the rest include the Citroen C4 Cactus, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Golf R, Lamborghini Huracan and Audi TT. Take a look below for the celebratory press blast from BMW. The BMW i8 wins Top Gear Car of the Year The BMW i8 has been named as Top Gear magazine's global Car of the Year 2014. The plug-in hybrid performance vehicle beat off some stiff competition from a host of other premium and luxury manufacturers to win the overall award. The editorial team of Top Gear commended the BMW i8 for its breadth of abilities. Its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine combined with an electric motor gives searing acceleration and driver enjoyment but all wrapped in a package that takes BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy to the extreme courtesy of CO2 emissions less than 49g/km and a 135mpg combined cycle figure. Charlie Turner, Editor in Chief at Top Gear magazine, said: "The BMW is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers – and then some. It's the kind of car we should celebrate, a beautiful vision of the future, delivered now.

Thermal imagery of BMW M4 DTM pit stop is red hot

A pit stop is a pit stop, right? The race car pulls in, the crew changes the tires, pumps in some fuel, maybe swaps out a busted body panel or squeegees the windshield, and off it goes for another heat. Only pit stops have become the focus of news lately for a number of reasons, whether it's because of mishaps (like the ones that prompted F1 to ban mid-race refueling), new time records (due largely to said ban) or interesting new ways to film the fast-paced action.
A few weeks ago we brought you footage of an IndyCar pit stop filmed from multiple angles courtesy of Google Glass. Now BMW has released a brief clip of one of its M4 DTM racers coming in for fresh rubber, all filmed by infrared camera. Its the kind of technology BMW uses to help optimize its German touring cars for competition, and now the Bavarian outfit has released some footage for fans to enjoy.
The resulting thermal imagery gives you an idea of how hot the car runs (and where the heat is emanating from), how warm they get the fresh rubber before they get it onto the car, and what kind of temperatures the pit crew is subjected to. Look closely enough in the 25-second video below and you'll even see the heat sputtering out of the exhaust pipes as the M4 downshifts into its pit box. (Just don't try adjusting your speakers, the clip is without audio.)

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 carshare, Audi e-gas plant

Elix Wireless has announced its E10K Wireless Charging System. The system is designed for harsh conditions, delivers up to 10 kilowatts and features automatic detection and removal of foreign objects. Its low frequency makes it safe to operate near oil and gas, and in other hazardous environments. The system can charge personal vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks, mining equipment and heavy duty machinery. Elix has "created an entirely new technology that meets customer demand for fast, safe and reliable charging," says, CEO David Smith. The E10K system uses Elix's Magneto-Dynamic Coupling technology, with rotating permanent magnets in the transmitter and receiver. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from Elix Wireless. FreeWire Technologies and Siemens are working together on a pilot program for the Mobi Charger. The mobile charging station, which uses second-life EV batteries to charge electric vehicles, will be deployed for a trial at LinkedIn's campus in Mountain View, CA. The Mobi is more flexible than stationary chargers in that it brings the charging to the car, regardless of where it is parked, rather than having to park the EV in a specific spot. It can charge up to five cars per day without putting stress on the grid during peak hours. Read more from Siemens. Audi's e-gas plant in Werlte, Germany helps stabilize the power grid. The plant, which produces synthetic methane using CO2, water and electricity, is able to draw six megawatts of power within five minutes, allowing it to become certified in the electricity balancing market. This helps the grid adapt to the larger load fluctuations that go hand-in-hand with generating renewable energy. It also allows the plant to achieve higher operating times and produce more e-gas each year. Read more in the press release from Audi. The BMW i3 is now available through the DriveNow carsharing service in Germany. DriveNow, which is a joint venture between BMW and car rental company Sixt, has put 100 i3s into service in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. BMW also says that it supports a shift away from private car ownership in order to improve urban living and mobility, and sees electric carsharing as an important part of that. "We are witnessing the changes our customers and society as a whole are making and we are taking them on board," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel.