2007 Bmw X5 4.8i on 2040-cars

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Hyundai, BMW and Ford win Concept Vehicle of the Year awards

More than two dozen jurors started with a pool of 23 concept cars introduced at the most recent Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York auto shows, then pared it down to three winners in three categories for the twelfth annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards. The trophy-bearers are said to be those "vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry," and lead their classes in the Concept Car, Concept Truck and Production Preview divisions.
Hyundai had two cars as finalists for the Concept Car category, the competition boiled down to the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis concept, Veloster C3 Roll Top, Honda EV-STER and the Toyota Corolla Furia. It won with the HCD-14 Genesis that was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, a sharp sedan that sharply divided opinion between those who thought it was too much, those who thought it was too much Audi A7, and those who thought it was perfect. The award panel's judges, however, thought so much of it that it's got two awards in one sitting, not only taking concept car honors, but because it earned the highest overall score in the competition it also takes the crown for Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2013.
The final selection in the Concept Truck category was down to the Ford Atlas, Kia Cross GT, Nissan Resonance and Volkswagen Cross Blue. The Ford Atlas took the silverware, after also winning the Eyes on Design award - shared with the Nissan Resonance - at the Detroit Auto Show where it was introduced.

Recharge Wrap-up: Reverse graffiti powered by Nissan Leaf; BMW introduces Wallbox Pro

BMW has a new, faster version of the Wallbox home EV charger. The Wallbox Pro offers 7.4 kilowatts, and can charge the BMW i3 to 80 percent in under three hours. It features a seven-inch touchscreen and proximity sensor, plus an 11.5-foot cord. The Wallbox Pro can also be used with smart home systems such as lighting and heating. The Wallbox Pro is available in Europe, and will come to the US later in the year. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Nissan is using the Leaf to power the creation of "reverse graffiti" in London. The company has commissioned artist Moose to selectively wash dirt off of a wall outside of a subway station, leaving behind a mural of London landmarks. Moose used a jet washer powered by the Leaf's battery to create the piece. The goal is to highlight the amount of pollution in London and other large cities, which is not a new idea. "It is a reminder that electric vehicles don't have an exhaust to emit the kind of air pollution which has stained the wall Moose has created his piece on," says Nissan's Jean-Pierre Diernaz. See the artwork in the gallery, and read more in the press release below. Local Motors used a 3D printer to make the Strati electric car in 44 hours. The car was printed with 212 layers of carbon-reinforced ABS thermoplastic. After printing, the team then spent two days finishing the car to make it run. It is powered by the drivetrain from a Renault Twizy, and is capable of 40 miles per hour. Now the question is if this sort of small-scale car manufacturing using 3D printing technology will catch on. See how a car gets printed in the time-lapse video below, and read more over at Treehugger. Nissan cleans up London with the world's first car-powered graffiti - Nissan LEAF powers "Reverse Graffiti" street art in Waterloo - Mass-scale mural imagines a cleaner London, without car fumes - The artwork is on show in Waterloo, London near popular Southbank LONDON – Nissan is highlighting London's battle with air quality in the UK by using the 100% electric Nissan LEAF – the world's best-selling electric vehicle (EV) – to power a striking piece of street art in Waterloo, London that depicts the capital's iconic skyline. Nissan commissioned Reverse Graffiti artist Moose – the founder of his field – to create the mass-scale mural, which was unveiled today. Unlike traditional graffiti, Moose creates his art by cleaning dirt off surfaces using a jet washer or wire brush, leaving a striking design in negative on the wall.

2014 BMW X5 configurator goes live

BMW won't begin selling the 2014 X5 for another few months, but the German manufacturer has brought the third-generation SAV's configurator online, allowing interested customers to poke around and look at the X5's optional goodies.
Like the 3 Series, the X5 is available in a number of lines that load up extras automatically. There's also a do-it-yourself truck that allows owners to pick and choose if they're not enamored with the styling or trim of one of the dedicated packages. As usual, the options list is quite vast, regardless of which line is chosen. We were able to easily take the new, rear-drive X5 sDrive35i, which started at $52,800, and bring the total price up past $80,000.
The new X5 carries over its 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 from the current model, as well as BMW's excellent 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six. The X5 xDrive35d, with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel will also be available on the third-generation SUV, but won't hit dealers until early 2014. BMW is stepping outside of the X5's usual bounds, offering a dedicated rear-drive model, available with all the same trimmings as the xDrive vehicles. Head over to BMW's US consumer page and have a go.