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Tesla not bought with Bitcoin currency after all?

The story we posted about a dealership accepting Bitcoins as payment for a Tesla Model S is reportedly only partially true. Lamborghini Newport Beach instead used BitPay to exchange the electronic currency for US dollars before completing the sale, according to "Squawk on the Street" on CNBC.
"We found out that by using a little program that Bitcoin uses, which is actually BitPay, we would have received US dollars," Pietro Frigerio, general manager of the dealership, says in the interview. "It's like if you come into the dealership and you want to buy a Lamborghini using gold bars, we would not accept it. So you'd go out, exchange it, and you'd come back to us. That was how it worked [with the Tesla and the Bitcoins]."
Frigerio says that the dealership doesn't accept Bitcoin as a currency and only accepts US dollars as payment for its vehicles. That said, we wouldn't be surprised if using BitPay to turn Bitcoins into US dollars for the used Model S purchase was actually easier than going through a more traditional financial establishment. Head over to CNBC to check out the "Squawk on the Street" interview with more details.

Does Tesla really have 12,000 Model X preorders?

The Tesla Model X is not due until the end of the year, but the preorders apparently continue to rush in. While there has been no official statement - we've asked, but Tesla declined to comment - a set of crowdsourced numbers over at the Tesla Motors Club (TMC) adds up to over 12,00 people excitedly awaiting a new EV. Since Tesla isn't talking, we'll say 12,000 is a reasonable guess. TMC used reservation numbers submitted by people in the queue to come up with 12,000. That number breaks down to 9,900 Model X orders from the US (around 1,350 of them the Signature Series), another 1,916 (202) from Europe and 384 (49) from Canada. Throw in an expected 764 (with an unknown number of Signature models) from China, and you get to a solid batch of preorders for the upcoming all-electric, AWD-only Model X. Over 13,000, in fact. TMC acknowledges that this number is higher than the expected real number of preorders because anyone who upgraded from the standard production version to a signature model gets counted twice in the system that TMC is using, and cancellations are not factored in. We would not be surprised in the least if there are already over 10,000 people lined up for a Model X. It will be the first EV of its size on the market (aside from the Toyota RAV4 EV, which is only available in limited numbers) and it carries the Tesla cache. After all, Tesla sold over 20,000 Model S EVs in the US last year, so we know the company can make a popular EV. Lastly, Tesla got $40 million worth of preorders - that is, around 500 units - in the first four days that the CUV was available for deposits back in 2012. Since Tesla isn't talking, we'll say 12,000 is a reasonable guess.

Ford 1.0L takes third-straight International Engine of the Year award

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost is proving to be The Little Engine That Could, and it continues to acquit itself well, finding favor as one of the best powerplants in the world. To confirm it yet again, the tiny mill just won the International Engine of the Year award for the third year in a row, likewise also nabbing the title in the Sub 1.0-liter category.
Packing 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with overboost (125 lb-ft normally), the tiny engine combines impressive power in a size small enough to be a carry-on item for a commercial flight. US buyers only got a taste of the award winner in the 2014 Fiesta, while the 1.0 EcoBoost has been available throughout the Ford lineup in Europe for a few years now. American sales have reportedly been strong, however, and next up in the US, the mill will find its way into the 2015 Focus.
The panel of 82 jury members from 34 countries also named the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbo found in the A45, CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft as the best New Engine for 2014. The electric powertrain from Tesla won Green Engine prize, and the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari 458 Italia took home the honor of top Performance Engine yet again. You can check out all the winners below, and scroll down further to read Ford's celebratory announcement of its award.