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A look back on BMW, South Carolina and Southern manufacturing

It has been 20 years since BMW broke ground on its Spartanburg, SC manufacturing facility, and while the automaker doesn't have any plans to mark the moment, economists and industry analysts have taken a closer look at the facility's impact on South Carolina, the South and global manufacturing. As of November, the Spartanburg plant's 7,000 employees cranked out 25,000 vehicles per month, and BMW has poured some $6 billion into the state since the plant opened in 1993. While that figure nearly matches the state's proposed budget for next year, some say there have been drawbacks.
To begin with, South Carolina provided BMW with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of public money and tax breaks with little public oversight, setting a precedent that would repeat itself with other corporations. The Detroit News reports that a Pew Center evaluation found 26 states didn't have a sufficient system for evaluating tax incentive performance. But BMW opened the door for a Southern manufacturing renaissance, with automakers from Mercedes-Benz to Hyundai and Volkswagen opening plants in the Deep South.
While states have raced to offer ever sweeter tax and cash incentives for big manufacturers, officials say BMW is proof the system can pay dividends. You can read the full piece here.

BMW Concept Roadster has two fewer wheels than we were expecting

The annual Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como is an opportunity for some of the most beautiful vehicles in the world to descend on one of the poshest places on earth each year. Unsurprisingly, the event is also increasingly the chance for automakers to debut exclusive concepts to some of the wealthiest auto enthusiasts in the world. In the last few years, BMW has become the masters of this annual unveiling with automotive concepts like the Gran Lusso Coupé, BMW Zagato Coupe and motorcycles like the the gorgeous Concept 90, not to mention the just-revealed Mini Superleggera Vision. But this year the Bavarian automaker has been somewhat tricky.
What would you first think when you heard of the BMW Concept Roadster? A lithe, two-seat convertible? Nope. This roadster is a cut-down, minimalist motorcycle with an ultra-modern design. As opposed to the retro looks of the Concept 90, this naked bike looks like it could fit in a BMW showroom tomorrow and not seem out of place.
The Concept Roadster packs the brand's classic two-cylinder boxer engine displacing 1,170 cubic centimeters and producing 123 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque. That power is routed to the rear wheel via a cardan drive, essentially a driveshaft, with a single-sided swing arm rear suspension. It's all nestled in a tubular spaceframe.

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.