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Recharge Wrap-up: Lego Tesla logo, BMW goes electric in Singapore

A man built a giant Tesla logo out of Legos. Adrian Drake, a Tesla owner, displayed his brickwork homage to the electric car company at Brickworld Chicago. In the video above, the hosts interview Mr. Drake about his creation, and he gives some insights into how he conceived and constructed the freestanding display. Drake also demonstrates its sturdiness, giving the logo a tap to send it wobbling precariously from side to side. You'll probably notice that standing to the left of the logo is a Lego model of a Tesla Supercharger. That was built by Robert Turner and can be seen in a separate video. See the Lego Tesla logo in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Canadian power generator TransAlta will use Tesla stationary batteries for a commercial energy storage project. The project involves installing five Tesla Powerpacks to store energy during periods of low demand for use during peak grid times. TransAlta believes that energy storage systems like this will help encourage the creation of more wind and solar energy. "This is a major step forward in putting new technology to work in Canada," says TransAlta Lead Engineer of Technology Dan Chapman, "and Tesla is already a leader in this field." The project is expected to be up and running in late 2016. Read more from TransAlta. BMW and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have launched an electromobility research program. In addition to the projects the joint Future Mobility Research Lab is already working on, (Advanced Battery, Driver Enhancement and Intelligent Mobility), the groups will also begin Electromobility in Asia and Smart Materials research projects. The Electromobility in Asia project focuses on how people interact with BMW's i cars, while the Smart Materials project seeks to improve touchscreens and interactive surfaces. BMW has provided the lab with an i3 and i8 with which to conduct research. Each partner is investing $965,000 into the new programs. Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release below. BMW Group and NTU embark on S$1.3 million electromobility research NTU receives BMW i3 and BMW i8 as research platforms Singapore. BMW Group and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) today launched a new electromobility research programme, involving the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8 that runs on electricity and petrol.

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

The next-generation BMW M5 starts here

The next-generation BMW 5 Series hasn't even arrived yet, but BMW is hard at work testing the hottest version of the popular sedan – the sixth-generation M5. Now admittedly, these photos might not look much like an M5. The wheels are big, but not uncommonly so. There's no wild and crazy body kit, or hugely flared wheel arches. But what's that in the back? Are those four exhaust tips? Why yes, yes they are. And take a second look at those wheels. Notice the pizza-pan-sized brakes and huge calipers? Yet another M5 giveaway. But as our spies rightly point out, even though this does represent development work on the next M5, it's a very early prototype. That could also explain the charge port on the driver's side front fender, a feature that we've seen on other 5 Series prototypes. This does not mean the next M5 will be a plug-in hybrid, however. What the next M5 will likely be, though, is all-wheel drive. This isn't a huge surprise, considering that the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG has already gone AWD, while the Porsche Panamera Turbo and Audi RS6/7 have always had four driven wheels. BMW has even hinted at just such a development, with former M boss Dr. Friedrich Nitschke going as far as saying AWD could arrive on the next M5. "On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive, but it won't come before we get the successor of the M5 and M6," Nitschke said in an October 2013 report. "That's the timing and it's not practical to react in the current life cycles." At this point, it's simply too early to guess at when or where the next-generation M5 will debut. We're expecting the next-gen 5 Series at either the 2016 Geneva Motor Show or Auto China 2016 in Beijing. The next M5 could join it, although it's possible it'd get its very own debut at a later date.