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Will BMW-Designed Bobsled Give Team USA An Edge At The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics? [UPDATE]

When we first reported on BMW's plans to develop a new bobsled for Team USA, the 2014 Winter Olympics were over two years away. Now the games are upon us and BMW's high-tech, carbon fiber sled is ready for competition in Sochi. When we first reported on BMW's plans to develop a new bobsled for Team USA, the 2014 Winter Olympics were over two years away. Now the games are upon us and BMW's high-tech, carbon fiber sled is ready for competition in Sochi. According to the automaker, BMW designers redeveloped the two-man bobsled from the ground up to replace a 20-year-old platform that has failed to produce Olympic gold. "BMW's process reevaluated the complete vehicle system: cowling aerodynamics and construction, chassis and steering geometries, athlete fitment and integration were all critical focal points," the automaker said in a statement. "Computer aided modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), full size wind tunnel testing, on track testing, and athlete scannings were all tools in BMW's development approach." The United States has not won a gold medal in two-man bobsled since 1936. Only time will tell if BMW's contributions will give Team USA an edge at this year's Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. You can watch BMW's Team USA bobsled in action in the video above. UPDATE: Team USA bobsledders Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton won the bronze medal in two-man bobsled, snapping a 62-year medal drought in the event. MORE: American Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton take bronze, winning first two-man medal by a US sled since 1952. http://t.co/3lgynFj7z0 - AP Sports (@AP_Sports) February 17, 2014 BMW Translogic Videos bobsled

Top Gear's latest trailer shows off a golden Bugatti Chiron

Top Gear is returning on March 5, and after a lackluster first series with the new hosts, the new group seems determined not to hit a sophomore slump. Chris Evans is gone, and the latest teaser trailer shows the new trio of Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid strapped into some pretty fantastic cars, including the Bugatti Chiron and the Ford GT. All of the typical Top Gear segments appear to be present, though the quick cuts don't give us many details. The trailer shows a copious amount of powerslides from an assortment of cars, and even Chris Harris racing around Daytona. Aside from the Bugatti and Ford, cars from Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin, and Alfa Romeo are all present. Co-hosts Eddie Jordan and Sabine Schmitz don't appear at all, so it seems their roles may be downplayed to focus on three guys, as was the case pre-reboot. We have some hope for this re-relaunched show and will be keeping an eye out for more details in the lead-up to the series premiere. Related Video: News Source: YouTube Celebrities TV/Movies Alfa Romeo BMW Bugatti Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Porsche Top Gear chris harris Bugatti Chiron matt leblanc

BMW i Collection puts upscale treehugging in the palm of your hand

If BMW's new i sub-brand sounds more like it belongs to consumer electronics than it does to automobiles, that's probably no mistake. After all, electric vehicles bridge the gap between conventional automobile and electronic gadget - just ask our compatriots over at Engadget that report on them all the time. But to drive the point home even greener, BMW has, together with the new i3, launched a new collection of electronics accessories that make the Bavarian automaker as much a competitor with companies like Belkin or Griffin as it is with Audi or Mercedes-Benz.
The new BMW i Collection includes items like a solar charger for phones and MP3 players, a laptop bag made from felt-like recycled PET plastic and vegetable-tanned leather, and of course the requisite USB dongle. Other items include keyfobs, a shopping bag, notebook and ballpoint pen.
All the items, of course, are designed to extend the i3's upscale tree-hugging image to items you can hold and use while your EV is charging in the driveway. They go on sale starting next month with prices ranging from 15 euros ($20) for the pen or lanyard to 99 euros ($135) for the shopping bag. Details in the press release below and images of the whole collection in the gallery above.