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BMW's Best 1 Series Gives Back What You Put In
Every once in a while, I find myself, despite my solitary leanings and inherent modesty, working out in some kind of class setting. The tone and tenor of these classes ranges wildly - from the quiet, follow-the-leader variety, to those with a kind of Cult of Personality man or woman calling the shots, usually with idiom-laden shouting and theatrical hair. Despite their personal variation and range of professional effectiveness, there's one common concept that most instructors bring up at some point: working with intention.
The idea, as it relates to physical fitness, is that focusing your brain on the movement at hand ­- the rate of your own breathing, or the muscle groups being worked for instance - helps to perform the act efficiently and correctly. Having spent a happy majority of the last decade in an exercise-free near-debauch, I was a bit surprised to find out that this kind of mental game really works pretty well.

BMW will be featured marque at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed

As part of BMW's centenary celebration, it has been named the featured marque at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. That means we'll see plenty of Bimmers on track, but it also means a few will be hoisted in the air on this year's version of the famous Gerry Judah sculpture. That sculpture takes center stage on the Goodwood House's front lawn, blending metal with actual automotive machinery for a striking display that serves as the centerpiece for the entire Festival of Speed. This year, it will feature three race-ready BMWs – the 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, a Brabham-BMW BT52 Formula 1 car, and a Le Mans-winning V12 LMR. Consider the racing bases covered. And since this is England, it's only fitting that Rolls-Royce and Mini will stand alongside their parent company during this year's event – Rolls-Royce is headquartered down the road. BMW Motorrad will feature prominently, as well, and the M Brand will have its own "M Avenue," which will feature M cars sold over the past 40 years, including more than a few of the M cars our editors chose in their list of the greatest BMWs. You can also expect BMW's birthday present to itself, the futuristic Vision Next 100 concept, to receive a prominent placement at Goodwood. And of course historical and modern BMW models will be taking to the Goodwood Hill Climb course alongside the usual slate of performance vehicles, racecars, and concept vehicles from other brands. The 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed runs from June 23 to 26. Related Video:

Rinspeed previews Budii concept ahead of Geneva show

Every year Frank Rinderknecht and his team at Rinspeed come to the Geneva Motor Show with another fantastical concept car, and next year's will be no exception. Though the show may still be several months away, the Swiss outfit is already giving us a glimpse of what to expect. Rinspeed's latest project is called the Budii, and it aims to "redefine the relationship between man and machine." As you might have guessed, that means driverless technology. Specific details at this point are limited, but the design calls for an electric vehicle with an adaptable cabin featuring drive-by-wire steering wheel. That wheel can swing out of the way to the center of the dashboard or to either side, should driver or passenger (as blurred as those rigid concepts become in this case) wish to take control. Beyond that we don't know much at this point, but the image above seems to indicate it'll be based on the BMW i3. Meanwhile the long list of partners and suppliers suggest it'll feature a design by Mansory, a Harman infotainment system and a Carl F. Bucherer analog clock embedded in the dynamic dashboard. 2015 Geneva Motor Show Rinspeed exhibits "Budii" at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show: "We need to redefine the relationship between man and machine" As far as Swiss automotive visionary Frank M. Rinderknecht is concerned, the breakneck speed of technical developments forces us to redefine our relationship with the automobile. The farsighted Swiss says: "Until now, what we have primarily associated with auto mobility was freedom and individuality. And - consciously or unconsciously - we are prepared to pay a high price in many regards for these privileges. We need only look at the accident statistics." Autonomous driving undoubtedly offers the opportunity to drastically diminish some of the drawbacks of private transport. For example, the number of traffic accidents could drop worldwide. But although it will be less prone to err than humans, even the best technology will not be perfect. "That is something we will have to accept," believes the boss of Rinspeed, the Swiss automotive powerhouse of ideas.