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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.

Fore! Pro golfers race BMW i8 against a golf cart

You wouldn't think a couple of pro golfers racing a golf cart along a nice green course would get the blood pumping. But throw in a BMW i8 plug-in hybrid and things get at least a little more interesting. At least, that's what the German automaker is hoping for. Bimmer is swinging big with a cross-promotional video featuring two pairs of golfers racing plug-in vehicles at the 2014 BMW International Open golf tournament in Koln, Germany. Two of the golfers take your run-of-the-mill golf cart while the other two take a slightly more powerful BMW i8, with the goal to get to the course's "halfway house" first. The race, among other things, sends jackrabbits scurrying and shows off the i8's really cool doors and racy styling. The odd part – "spoiler" alert – is that the golf cart wins the race by taking a short cut through the course despite the fact that the i8 pairs a 231-horsepower turbocharged engine with a 131-horsepower electric motor. It's probably not exactly the message of high-speed performance BMW wants to convey but it would raise eyebrows if this weren't all a silly stunt. Check out the three-minute video below and then read our i8 First Drive impressions here.

Recharge Wrap-up: E15 could help smog woes, MPG average at all-time high

A new study shows that using an E15 blend instead of regular gasoline would reduce smog in Chicago. Increasing the availability of the 15-percent ethanol blend could help reduce carcinogenic air pollution and improve air quality, particularly on the city's South Side. The study found that E15 reduces the risk of cancer by 6.6 percent. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions 1.5 percent compared to a 10-percent ethanol blend. Read more at Domestic Fuel. Fairmont Beijing is offering hotel guests a chance to experience BMW's i cars. For the next three months, guests needing airport transfers will be picked up in one of the German automakers electric vehicles. Also, those who choose the hotel's "Passion Package," which includes transportation in one of the cars or on a BMW bike, and a private guided tour of the 789 Arts District and the Peking opera house as well as tickets to an opera performance. Learn more in the press release below. Formula E will host motor shows at the circuits during its race weekends. Visitors will learn about the technology behind the all-electric race series and the racecars, including the safety and performance aspects. The goal of the four-day shows is not only to entertain and educate people, but also to generate interest in electric and hybrid vehicles in hopes that drivers will consider adopting electric cars themselves. Read more at Formula E's website. The average fuel economy of new vehicles has reached a new high of 25.8 miles per gallon, according to the University of Michigan. The school's Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) used the window sticker ratings of the vehicles to reach that number for the month of August. That's 0.2 mpg higher than July, and 5.7 mpg higher than October 2007, when UMTRI began recording the data. The group also found that average emissions per driver are down by 22 percent since October 2007. Read more at Green Car Congress. The United States Advanced Battery Consortium has awarded a $667,452 development contract to battery maker Xerion. The contract - a 50-percent cost share co-funded by the US Department of Energy - is for a 15-month program to develop next-generation batteries for plug-in hybrids. Read more in the press release below. Fairmont Beijing Introduces Eco-friendly Partnership with BMW's New Electric i Series BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairmont Beijing is partnering with BMW in a showcase of the luxury carmaker's new electric, environment-friendly i Series.