2008 Bmw 650i Base Convertible 2-door 4.8l on 2040-cars

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Mazda Turnpike in Japan shut down for racing

The people behind Motorhead Magazine in Japan clearly have some friends in high places. Not only did they manage to shutdown eight kilometers of the Mazda Turnpike up the Hakone mountain, but they invited some of the country's premiere racers to take a drive up the hill. This wasn't just a Sunday cruise either. Featuring a BMW Z4 from the Super GT series, a classic Ford GT40, two flavors of Nissan GT-R and two takes on the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, these guys came ready to run. When an opportunity to let racecars challenge a curvy mountain road presents itself, you don't squander it. Thankfully, the folks at Motorhead knew that and outfitted the course with a plethora of cameras and high-quality sound equipment to capture the action. The result is nothing short of sublime. Take the video's urging to turn up your speakers for this one, and watch as these racers hit ludicrous speeds in a beautiful place never meant for them. News Source: japanmotorhead via YouTube, Jalopnik Aftermarket Motorsports BMW Ford Nissan Subaru Racing Vehicles Performance Videos ford gt40 super gt

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW invests in Zirx, EV charging on National Mall

BMW i Ventures has invested in valet company Zirx. Zirx offers on-demand valet services in urban centers and other areas where parking can pose a challenge to drivers. Drivers use the Zirx app to mark their location, where an agent will pick up the car and park it and, if desired, refuel/recharge, wash or have other maintenance performed on the vehicle in the meantime. "BMW i Ventures provides equity financing to service providers it identifies as having high potential to make urban mobility smarter, more efficient and more flexible," says BMW i Ventures Managing Director Ulrich Quay. "With its combination of service and technology that makes it easier for drivers to park and take care of their cars, ZIRX has the potential to be a central component of on-demand services." Read more in the press release below. Tesla gets more Google searches in China and Norway than any other automaker. While Toyota searches dominate much of the rest of the world, Tesla is enjoying solid favor in Norway. While electric vehicles make up about a quarter of new car sales in the Scandinavian country, Tesla has had trouble getting a foothold in China. Perhaps the Google searches mean Chinese drivers could be warming up to the automaker. Read more from Gas2. Two EV charging stations have been installed at the National Mall in Washington, DC. Installed by the National Park Service, the stations – which cost $2 per hour to use – are located across from the National Museum of American History and from the National Air and Space Museum. "As the National Park Service prepares for its second century of service to the American people, we are committed to providing clean and green energy to promote a healthy environment," says the National Park Service Acting Superintendent Karen Cucurullo. Read more from NBC Washington. BMW i Ventures Makes Strategic Investment in ZIRX New investment helps fuel ZIRX's expansion into new markets and service offerings; company introduces ZIRX Enterprise SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BMW Group today announced a strategic investment in ZIRX under the company's venture capital entity, BMW i Ventures. An innovative on-demand parking and car services company built for drivers, ZIRX eliminates the frustration that drivers face in owning a car and parking in major urban markets like New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.

Here are this year's top 5 automaker April Fools’ jokes

April 1 is the wonderful day when PR departments really push themselves to top the zany jokes they came up with the previous year. And it's not just fast-food chains competing with each other, or breweries announcing they have released stuff like a fermented herring flavored beer: carmakers' media teams rarely miss out on the opportunity to play a little joke on their audience. Here are a few of our favorites from this year:1) Porsche Porsche announced that it's launching a Mission E tractor, styled to resemble its 1950s tractor models. "With a power output in excess of 700hp, the Mission E Tractor will be the fastest accelerating agricultural vehicle in the world, enabling farmers to harvest crops in record time with the added environmental benefits of zero emissions at source and significantly reduced operating noise."2) Lexus Lexus actually jumped the gun, telling us on March 28 that it's combining cars and drivers using DNA matching. The kicker was that with DNA-matched cars, owners would be able to start their Lexuses by licking the steering wheel.3) McLaren Automotive McLaren said it's boosting efficiency by quite eccentric measures, such as measuring the technology center's lake and floor tiles daily, and by synchronizing the staff's tea breaks.4) BMW Motorrad BMW's motorcycle arm is solving parts availability issues in remote locations by offering a 3D printer mounted permanently on the bike's rack: If you need to replace a broken-off gear lever, you can just print one. "The new system will mean that even very rarely required parts not generally stocked by BMW Motorrad sales partners can be supplied on a just-in-time basis." BMW even went to the lengths of announcing that the "BMW Motorrad iPart 3D Mobile Printer" was tested on the Antarctic, by erecting a tent whose poles were produced onsite.5) Honda Last but not least, Honda UK purportedly cut the roof off a new CR-V, calling it the CR-V Roadster. Tellingly, no convertible top was even offered for the concept, "making it a no-top rather than a drop-top. This innovative design makes it a vehicle purely for sunnier climates and therefore completely useless for the two-day British summer which traditionally occurs in May."Related Video: Featured Gallery Top 5 April Fools 2018 Image Credit: Porsche Green Humor Weird Car News BMW Honda Lexus McLaren Porsche bmw motorrad mclaren automotive