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Not just 'our logo on a sail': Automakers gain technology from America's Cup

HAMILTON, Bermuda - From water taxis that "fly" on hydrofoils to aircraft wings and cutting-edge car steering wheels, the America's Cup has produced technology with potential far beyond its "foiling" catamarans. With their focus on carbon fiber and aerodynamics, the teams that fought for the America's Cup attracted partners including planemaker Airbus and automotive groups BMW and Land Rover, who were keen to learn from them. One area where this is likely to have an impact is in harnessing "foiling" technology, where the America's Cup boats "fly" above the water on foils, cutting water resistance. "Foiling in small electric boats will most likely appear on rivers in major cities. We are just at the beginning of the foiling adventure," Pierre Marie Belleau, head of Airbus Business Development, who managed its partnership with Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA, told Reuters. The space-age catamarans used in the 35th America's Cup, which ended in victory for Emirates Team New Zealand this week, can sail at maximum speeds of 50 knots (57 mph) and have more in common with flying than sailing."CARBON FIBER RELATIONSHIP" For Jaguar Land Rover, which sponsored British sailor Ben Ainslie's attempt to win the cup, the relationship is a strategic one with a focus on technology and innovation. "We don't just get our logo onto a sail," Mark Cameron, JLR's Experiential Marketing Director, said by telephone, adding that the carmaker would be providing more designers to help Land Rover BAR with technology for their next campaign. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly. It's all changing," Land Rover produced a special steering wheel for Ainslie to use in the America's Cup, with in-built gear shift paddles that allowed him to adjust the catamaran's "flight" levels. The relationship is similar between BMW and Oracle Team USA, with the German automaker focused on areas including the electronics in the wheel used by skipper Jimmy Spithill, the development of carbon fiber used to make the boat and its components, and the aerodynamic testing. "We like to think of ourselves more as a partner than a sponsor. We have a very strong carbon fiber relationship," Ian Robertson, who is the BMW management board member responsible for sales and brand, told Reuters between races. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly.

BMW M760i all dressed up for hundredth birthday festivities

BMW is the latest automaker to be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. So to mark the occasion, the Bavarian automaker is rolling out a special anniversary edition of its flagship 7 Series sedan. Somewhat awkwardly labeled as the BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS, the celebratory edition features a number of special touches to set it apart. The bodywork is painstakingly painted in a unique shade of Centennial Blue metallic, with two-tone 20-inch wheels and handcrafted emblems. The interior meanwhile is highlighted by off-white, fine-grain leather – quilted and trimmed with hand-woven piping – with matching Alcantara headliner and piano-black trim. Of course there are the requisite special badges inside and out, and each sedan comes with a specially made Montblanc fountain pen. Only 100 examples will be made for distribution worldwide, with three different engine options depending on the market. The US market will only get five examples based on the recently revealed M760i xDrive performance model, complete with 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 driving 610 horsepower to all four wheels. As a special version of Munich's top-of-the-line luxury sedan, pricing will surely fall within "if you have to ask" territory, so we'll just wish BMW a happy birthday and rest assured that each of the hundred individually numbered examples will find a good home. The BMW 7 Series centennial models "BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS". Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 19, 2016...Today BMW announced the "BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS" models to mark the company's centenary, representing the historically evolved technological competence of the world's leading manufacturer of premium automobiles and emphasize the exclusivity with which both luxury and innovation are expressed. The BMW 7 Series centennial models are being produced in a limited quantity with only 100 units available worldwide with three different engine variants. The US market will receive 5 units and it will be exclusively available as the "BMW Individual M760i xDrive Model V12 Excellence THE NEXT 100 YEARS" centennial model, featuring a 12-cylinder engine producing 610 hp (preliminary) and a unique combination of state-of-the-art comfort, luxury and dynamic agility. This centennial model will be available by the end of 2016.

Recharge Wrap-up: drifting Nissan Leaf video, BMW i sponsors Formula E Berlin ePrix

Watch a Nissan Leaf drift. The folks at Autocar got their hands on Nissan's otherwise tame electric vehicle with a set of plastic rear tires, and got it sideways at the British Drift Championship. If that sounds ridiculous, well, it is, but it's also enormously entertaining. If it sounds particularly tricky to pull off in the front-drive EV, yeah, it's that, too. Check it out the drifting Leaf in the video above, and read more commentary at Hybrid Cars. BMW's i division is the title sponsor of the 2016 Formula E Berlin ePrix. The German automaker, which has already put the i8 and i3 to work as safety and medical cars for the electric racing series, is "delighted to be prominently represented with BMW i at the race weekend in the German capital," according to Joerg Reimann, BMW's Vice President of Brand Experience. The 2016 FIA Formula E BMW i Berlin ePrix - as it is now officially titled - takes place on May 21. Read more from Formula E. A Hawaiian biodiesel plant is the first in the US to be certified as sustainable. Pacific Biodiesel's Big Island Biodiesel plant gets its certification from the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, covering both the plant's production and distribution of the alternative fuel. The facility uses waste oil, including used cooking oil, to produce its fuel. The certification system is designed to help worthy biofuel producers show that their processes and products are more than just greenwashing. Read more at Utility Dive, or from The New York Times. India's KPIT Technologies has earned the Promising Innovation in Transport Award at the 2016 Summit of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany. KPIT earned the special recognition for its system to convert diesel buses to all-electric power. The company's retrofits can be applied to a wide variety of bus platforms. Read more at Green Car Congress.