2009 Xdrive30i Used 3l I6 24v Awd Suv Premium on 2040-cars

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BWM 135i with M3 V8 engine swap combines two things we miss the most

If you've ever listened to the Autoblog Podcast, you've doubtlessly heard my views on the BMW 1 Series M Coupe. I don't much care for it. That's not to say it's bad, so much as it just isn't what an M car should be. Steven Ewing, Seyth Miersma and a number of other Autoblog staffers think I'm crazy (It's true, he is crazy –Ed.), but whatever. My position on the 1M would be dramatically different, however, had it been fitted from the factory with the truly fantastic 4.0-liter V8 from the E92 M3 (the last great M car, in this writer's humble opinion). Matt Farah of Drive took to the wheel of a 135i that's been completely reworked by Performance Technic and is owned by Marco Svizzero. The car required a salvageable E92 and what we imagine is an incalculable amount of wrench time, with the result being, as Farah says, "possibly the best BMW you could build at any price." Oh, and it sounds absolutely delicious. Check out the car in action.

BMW M4 Convertible spied with naked top and trunk

Our trusty spy photographers have been at it again, snagging these first images of the forthcoming BMW M4 Convertible without camouflage on its retractable roof and rear deck. You'll recall that this is not the first time we've seen the followup to the M3 Convertible, but that the last batch of images we had were encumbered by a lot more camouflage - this car is virtually naked by comparison.
Not surprisingly, the M4 looks to share its folding hardtop design with the standard 4 Series droptop, and it should operate in a similar manner as well. It's no surprise, but it looks like BMW is going to try and make the transition from M4 Coupe to M4 Convertible as effortless as previous efforts converting the M3 to an M3 Convertible. That should mean that below the beltline, this car is nearly identical to the coupe we saw in Detroit.
As for the camo'd features on these spy photos, the hood, front fascia, rear fascia, quarter panels, side sills and mirrors have all been shown on the M4 Coupe, and don't really bear mentioning. There's been no word of just where the M4 Convertible will make its debut, although considering the lack of disguise on this car, Geneva seems like a likely destination.

Child cobalt miners: Automakers pledge ethical minerals sourcing for EVs

BERLIN - Leading carmakers including Volkswagen and Toyota pledged on Wednesday to uphold ethical and socially responsible standards in their purchases of minerals for an expected boom in electric vehicle production. Demand for minerals such as cobalt, graphite and lithium is forecast to soar in the coming years as governments crack down on vehicle pollution and carmakers step up their investments in electric models. To cover its plans for more than 80 new models by 2025, Volkswagen alone is looking for partners in China, Europe and North America to provide battery cells and related technology worth more than 50 billion euros ($59 billion). Talks with major cobalt producers, including Glencore, at VW's Wolfsburg headquarters last week ended without a deal. More than half of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country racked by political instability and legal opacity, and where child labor is used in mines. On Wednesday, a group of 10 leading passenger-car and truck manufacturers announced an initiative to jointly identify and address ethical, environmental, human and labor rights issues in raw materials sourcing. The partnership dubbed "Drive Sustainability" consists of VW, Toyota Motor Europe, Ford, Daimler, BMW, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Cars and truckmakers Scania and Volvo. The alliance "will assess the risks posed by the top raw materials (such as mica, cobalt, rubber and leather) in the automotive sector," said Stefan Crets of the CSR Europe business network. "This will allow Drive Sustainability to identify the most impactful activities to pursue" to address issues within the supply chain.Reporting by Andreas Cremer.Related Video: Image Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images Green BMW Ford Honda Jaguar Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Automakers Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Green Automakers Green Culture Electric Scania ethics mining