Kent Moore Tool J-23654 Timing Belt Tension Adapter (shelf A39) on 2040-parts.com

BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

Caterham off to China in 2012

Caterham Cars - China Bound It’s quite an eventful time for car-making minnows Caterham – keepers of the Colin Chapman Flame- with a takeover at Caterham  by Tony Fernades and Team Lotus only just complete, and now the news that Caterham are going to be selling cars in China from 2012. The takeover by Team Lotus has seen Caterham Cars’ profile on the international stage rise considerably as its logos appear on the Team Lotus F1 cars, which will do its prospects of selling Caterhams around the world no harm at all. Caterham has now signed an exclusive deal with Chinese importer Courtenay Trading International (CTI) who are aiming to appoint six retailers in key provinces of China over the next twelve months with a modest sales target of 50 cars in the first year.

2010 Audi A8: The Wi-Fi Hotspot

The Audi A8 interior - your new Wi-Fi Hotspot We’re hoping it won’t be too long before the world becomes one giant wi-fi hotspot, although broadband providers will probably have something to say about that if every town installs a wi-fi network covering their entire area. You can already get wi-fi from tens of thousands of places round the UK – and many of them free or bundled up with your mobile bill – and soon you’ll be able to have your own WLAN in your car if you rush out and get the new Audi A8. Audi are installing a WLAN system in the 2010 A8 which will effectively create a wi-fi hotspot within the car for passengers.