For Jaguar S-type Satin Stretch Indoor Car Cover Dustproof Black/blue on 2040-parts.com

BMW looks to patent seven-speed lockout manual transmission

The intrepid Bimmerphiles over at www.e90post.com have uncovered a few drawings from BMW's latest patent request. The drawing shows a new transmission linkage and what looks to be a seven-speed manual transmission. Like the new Porsche 911, the BMW gear shifter has six gears in standard H pattern, with a seventh gear out to the right.

New BMW M3 and M4 engine secrets laid bare

BMW's M division has lifted the veil of secrecy on the inline six-cylinder engine bound for its upcoming M3 sedan and new-to-the-range M4 coupe and convertible, revealing a potent twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter direct injection gasoline unit that produces an official 424 hp at 7,500 rpm and what officials describe as "significantly more than 369 lb-ft" of torque. The newly developed engine, known under the internal codename S55 B30, shares its 84.0 mm bore and 89.6 mm stroke with BMW's standard turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder direct-injection gasoline mill, the M55 used across the German car maker's lineup, endowing the aluminum block unit with an overall swept volume of 2,979 cc. This represents a sizeable 990 cc reduction on the engine BMW's M division's new unit replaces, the S65.

RCA 'Future Car' design competition winner announced

Michal Vlcek, a first-year student in the Vehicle Design department at London's Royal College of Arts, has been announced by the organizers of the London Motorexpo as the winner of the competition to design an innovative electric-powered car. The competition, which was open exclusively to RCA students, asked for designs for the four person electric vehicle of 2032, using "the packaging advantages of an electric motor to move way from the formulaic styling of many modern-day passenger cars". Vlcek's high-quality artwork and lateral thinking proved to be instrumental in his success.