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BMW’s i3 now offered with a sportier and more powerful variant

The ever popular small premium EV, the BMW i3, has received a mide-life facelift in the shape of some design tweaks and increased performance. As a whole, its still the cheerful car as before but now has a wider track and wheel arch molding contours that run along the body, horizontally.

New to the range is the addition of a sportier version called the i3s. Though similar in design, there are subtle hints that make it out to be the sportier variant of the lot. These features include, at the front, the bumper inlay and its U-shaped surroundings are in black finish.

The front fascia’s side sections are bordered on their lower edge by accent strips in BMW’s i Blue or Frozen Grey colours. The contrasting scheme does add a sense of sportiness to the car.

The signature kidney grille is painted in high-gloss black and consists of a more prominent design. Such is the case for the the rear apron which has a black surround frame that is extra wide and comes with body coloured inlay.

Underneath the new exterior, the i3s is fitted with a sports suspension, which drops the ride height about 10mm compared to the base car. Exclusive 20-inch lightweight alloy rims are standard for the variant too, which are slightly wider than before.

Overall the i3 now has an improved Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system and a faster responsing Traction Control System. This means that drivers can now have a bit more fun before the safety net cuts in and spoils their fun.

BMW’s standard i3 is powered by a 170bhp synchronous electric motor but the i3s comes with a slightly more powerful 184bhp one. Due to the increase in power, the latter is also about 0.4 seconds faster from 0-100km/h at 6.8 seconds.

The new i3 is also available as a range extender version that features a two-cylinder petrol engine, which generates electricity to the electric motor once the car’s battery pack has depleted.

Speaking of power, BMW is now offering an electric charger called TurboCord that has the ability to charge the i3 three times faster than what the standard charger is capable of.

There are a number of driver assistance systems that are availble with the car aside from the latest iDrive 6 interface, which include Active Driving Assistant and Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go.

Other than that, there’s also Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information and ConnectedDrive Services and a navigation system. When equipped with the Technology and Driving Assistance Package, Apple CarPlay can be enabled and the i3 also gets a useful system called Park Distance Control.

This 2018 i3 will debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September 2017. Check out the the picture gallery below and let us know whether the i3 is more appealing than the vehicle it replaces.

Denmark to reduce import taxes of vehicles from 180% to a more ‘reasonable’ 100%

Denmark, unlike many other countries in Europe, isn’t particularly welcoming of car enthusiasts. According to Bloomberg, the reason for this is that the Danish government imposes hefty registration taxes on new vehicles. Initially the tax was pegged at 180% but was recently reduced to a more moderate 100%.

This makes it considerably more expensive for someone to own a car in Denmark than in a country like Germany or Poland. Putting that into perspective, A base model Volkswagen Golf 1.0L Trendline costs about $34,000 in Denmark compared to $21,500 if it was purchased in Germany.

This difference becomes far more apparent for more expensive vehicles. A base model Porsche 911 Carrera costs about $306,600 in Denmark but only a mere $117,900 in Germany. As ridiculous as this may sound, the country began imposing these taxes at the start of the 20th century and has hiked it even further on several occasions.

The country has resorted to this as a means to increase its income, but has now decided that it wasn’t the best of strategies. Despite being one of the wealthier countries in Europe, car buyers in Denmark do not have the financial freedom to pick and choose the vehicle of their liking. However, that should soon change with this new tax revision.

Most Danish commuters get around town either by using public transport or resorting to pedal power with a bicycle. The exorbitant sums required for the purchase of a basic vehicle, have made the idea of owning a vehicle less desirable.

Source: Bloomberg

Ford and Domino’s team up to test self-driving delivery vehicle

Ford has teamed up with Domino’s, the world renowned pizza maker, to develop autonomous delivery vehicles for the latter’s customers. This effort will enable the Blue Oval to study the role that future delivery pizza delivery vehicles might play in our lives.

Researchers from both companies will also investigate customer reactions to interacting with a self-driving vehicle as part of their delivery experience. They consider this of paramount importance because it will help them better understand customers’ perspectives regarding the future of food delivery with self-driving vehicles.

“As delivery experts, we’ve been watching the development of self-driving vehicles with great interest as we believe transportation is undergoing fundamental, dramatic change,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s president and CEO.

“We pride ourselves on being technology leaders and are excited to help lead research into how self-driving vehicles may play a role in the future of pizza delivery. This is the first step in an ongoing process of testing that we plan to undertake with Ford,” he later added.

Like many other mainstream automakers, Ford is still developing its self-driving vehicle business. Collaboration with other companies, will enable it to conduct valuable research that will be crucial to ensuring that the technology is applied in ways that benefit consumers.

The Blue Oval plans on rolling out production ready self-driving vehicles by 2021, and with that it hopes to meet the needs of companies and customers alike. But for Domino’s, currently a Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle will be used to deliver pizzas to randomly-selected Domino’s customers in Ann Arbor, USA.

It wil be manually-driven by a Ford safety engineer and staffed with researchers. Customers who agree to participate will be able to track the delivery vehicle through GPS using an upgraded version of Domino’s Tracker®.

Text messages will be sent to respective customers once the delivery vehicle approaches their location. And will also guide them to retrieve their pizza using a unique code to unlock the Domino’s Heatwave Compartment™ inside the vehicle.

The Ford Fusion used here was retrofitted with the required hardware by Roush Enterprises which include the pizza container and Domino’s Heatwave Compartment. This vehicle was completed in 2015 and was put through preliminary testing in a simulated urban environment before it was let loose here.

It will be awhile before we start seeing such systems become common place at our local Domino’s outlet, but its comforting to know that Ford already has plans to ensure we get our pizzas on time.

Omologato watches tailored to the needs of the Tifosi

What do Ferrari fans and timepieces have in common? Well, its #Tifosi by Omologato Watches. It’s a model that prides itself on being affordable, durable and classy for racing/automotive fans. The company is marketing these pieces as beater watches, ones that you wouldn’t mind getting scuffed while enjoying wheel to wheel action at a racetrack.

A first for the company, #Tifosi watches will be offered in a variety of different designs and nomenclature that pay homage to some of the more memorable names and places in motoring and Motorsport. They are, Stuttgart, Hethel, R, Weissach and Fiorano, which are words that might be lost on the layman, but not to the Tifosi.

Omologato founder Shami Kalra said, “We are delighted to launch the new #TIFOSI watch. It is a truly affordable and durable timepiece, which we designed in a number of different styles to accommodate all audiences. It is a watch bespoke to you.”

He then added, “Deriving its name from the Prancing Horses’ legions of fans, the #TIFOSI was a truly apt title to give to the people who wear our watches and share their travels of Motorsport events from race circuits and car meets around the world. We are all #TIFOSI.”

These five different names correspond to five bespoke designs that encompass a robust 40mm stainless steel case and the Omologato logo featured in the seconds hand. There a number of double-layered nylon NATO to choose from. Their design and colour combination emulate that of racing liveries found on a variety of famous race cars or teams.

In case you didn’t know, the word Tifosi is commonly used to describe Ferrari’s legion of fans that live and breathe the brand. In fact, the word is widely used all over the world to describe Ferrari loyalists. However, it is actually an Italian word that means “fans” and is used to describe a group of supporters of a sport or something similar.

Prices for these watches start at £149 (RM821) in the UK, and if you would like to know more or place an order for one of these watches, visit the Omologato website at www.omologatowatches.com.

Honda will unveil EV at Frankfurt Motorshow

Honda will be using the upcoming 2017 Frankfurt Motorshow as a platform to showcase its electrification plans for its European car range. Part of that plan is the introduction of the Urban EV Concept, which will provide the general public with a glimpse into the direction Honda will take for future EVs.

Unlike Nissan, Honda and Toyota don’t have their own versions of EV contenders, choosing instead to rely solely on hybrid propulsion system for its electrification product portfolio. This is why its Frankfurt announcement will play a major role in gauging the automaker’s seriousness to take on EV competitors like Tesla and more recently, Volvo and VW.

Apart from the new vehicle, Honda will also be unveiling a hybrid version of the CR-V in prototype form. The move is meant as a precursor to the launch of the all-new CR-V SUV which should take place soon. The public will get to witness first hand, the best that Honda has to offer.

Flanking this new vehicle are the facelifted Jazz supermini as well as the new diesel-powered variant of the current (10th) generation Civic hatchback. Honda Motor CEO, Takahiro Hachigo will unveil the Honda Urban EV Concept at the Honda Press Conference on Tuesday 12 September.

The diesel powered vehicle will probably utilizes the new and improved engine from the previous generation car. A detailed article regarding that particular powerplant has been covered in a previous article, click here to read it.

This is great news for Honda fans, because like a number of other mainstream automakers, it too will be going ‘all in’ on the EV revolution.

Chery release more images of upcoming compact SUV

Chery has released further images of its upcoming compact SUV that will spearhead the Chinese automaker’s plans to penetrate the global market.

The design is a major departure from what we are used to seeing from the company. And the public will get to see it up close during the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) on 12 September 2017.

The silhouette is fairly elegant, featuring flared wheel arches and contours that seem to have a sense of fluidity to them. Then there’s the cascading front grille that is integrated with the projector headlamps and sophisticated trim pieces.

These subtle design elements though not groundbreaking, provide this compact SUV with a European-like presence. One could be fooled into thinking that the design was of from an established marque.

According to the automaker, the vehicle will still have a Chery badge despite carrying its own unique nameplate. This way, the company will get to incorporate a new evolution of the Chinese brand’s ‘Life In Motion’ design philosophy.

Ray Bierzynski, Executive Vice President of Chery R&D Center Shanghai, said, “The world premiere of our new compact SUV marks the start of our approach to European sales with a new model line.”

He later added, “Launching within a few years, all models in the line-up will feature characteristic styling, user-focused technology, electrified powertrains and advanced safety features.”

Chery plans to start sales of its passenger cars in Europe within the next few years led by the all-new model line for global markets. This new line will manly focus on SUV and crossover models, a segment of the market that has recorded significant growth.

Though relatively unknown outside its home country, Chery is the most successful exporter of vehicles in China. It has sold over 1.2 million units overseas since it was founded in 1997 – more than any other Chinese carmaker.

This means that the company is well able to mount a significant campaign to challenge the status quo in Europe. This, may ruffle more feathers at Kia rather than VW, due to similarities in strategy adopted by the Koreans several years ago.

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BMW’s i3 now offered with a sportier and more powerful variant

Denmark to reduce import taxes of vehicles from 180% to a more ‘reasonable’ 100%

Ford and Domino’s team up to test self-driving delivery vehicle

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Honda will unveil EV at Frankfurt Motorshow

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