2002 Bmw M3 Base Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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Finalists for 2014 Green Car of the Year announced

The list of finalists for the 2014 Green Car of the Year has been announced, and in a genuinely bizarre twist, there's only one hybrid and no electric vehicles among the five contestants, despite the arrival of cars like the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S. Taking the place of the EVs are a pair of diesels, repping a technology that last won a Green Car of the Year award in 2009, when the Audi A3 TDI took the title. No diesel was in the running for last year's award.
Naturally, both of the diesel finalists are fielded by the Germans - with BMW's 328d and Audi's A6 TDI getting the nod. In the case of the 3 Series, BMW installed a 2.0-liter, turbodiesel, capable of delivering 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, while returning 45 miles per gallon on the highway. Audi and its larger, 3.0-liter, V6 turbodiesel produce quite a bit more grunt, with 240 hp and 428 lb-ft of grunt, but net a very impressive 38 mpg on the highway in the A6.
Finalists for this year's awards include two diesels, three gas-powered cars and a plug-in hybrid.

2014 BMW 2 Series configurator drifts online

Monday marked the official, live unveiling of the 2014 BMW 2 Series. Not a company to rest on its laurels, BMW has unveiled the online configurator for the replacement to the much-loved 1 Series. Potential customers can select from either the 228i or go all-out and get the M235i. We shouldn't have to explain which car we've been building all day.
As a recap, a base 228i starts at $32,100 not counting a $925 destination charge. It includes 240 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque and, when optioned with the six-speed manual rather than the eight-speed automatic, a perfect 50/50 weight distribution (the 8AT balances at 50.3 in front and 49.7 in back). The M235i, meanwhile, starts at $43,100 (although you can't actually buy one for that, because the configurator forces you into a $1,450 Dakota leather interior). It offers up significantly more grunt, with 320 hp and 320 lb-ft from its 3.0-liter, turbocharged straight six.
Click over to the configurator and play around.

Recharge Wrap-up: Venturi to break electric world record, app shows where bike lanes are needed

Electric automaker Venturi hopes to post a new electric land speed record this week, despite Bonneville Speed Week being cancelled. The VBB-3, developed with Ohio State University, is powered by two 1,500-hp electric motors. If the salt flats are sufficiently dry, the team hopes to set a new electric world speed record of over 600 kilometers per hour (373 mph), and possibly 700 kph (435 mph). The Venturi BB-2.5 set a record of 495 kph (307 mph) in 2010. Read more at Electric Autosport, and keep abreast of Venturi's progress at its Twitter account. A new app is trying to fix Wiesbaden, Germany's bike problem. A bike organization named the city the worst in the world for cycling. In response, a local group developed an app that uses crowdsourced routes to suggest where bike lanes and paths should go. The app tracks users routes as they ride, and maps them to show where the city could benefit from improving its infrastructure. The app and its results have the attention of government officials, too. See the video below, or read more at Fast Company. BMW has delivered the first i8s at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. The first customers include Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick and Tony Fadell (founder and CEO of Nest). The lucky new owners were also treated to a gourmet meal from Chef Thomas Keller, who was also among those to receive the i8 at the event. As mentioned, BMW also auctioned off a special edition i8 at Pebble Beach for $825,000, considerably more than the car's base MSRP of $135,700. Read more in the press release from BMW, below. Uber's Berlin ban has been suspended by a local court. The city banned the car-hailing app for failing to meet passenger safety standards. The court will now decide whether to uphold the ban or toss it out. This was the second time this year that Uber had been deemed unlawful in Berlin. Uber continued to operate throughout its ban, despite threats of fines. If upheld, Uber could be fined $34,000 for picking up a passenger. Read more at The New York Times. BMW Delivers First BMW i8 Sports Cars in the U.S. at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Chef Thomas Keller, Roger Penske and Rick Hendrick Among the First to Take Delivery of the Revolutionary BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 15, 2014... Today, BMW delivered the first plug-in hybrid BMW i8 sport cars at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the world's premier celebration of the automobile, in Carmel, Calif.