Front Right Headlight Assembly 20359700 on 2040-parts.com

Dassault Systèmes and Riversimple partner for eCar Design Contest

Dassault Systèmes, in collaboration with Riversimple and the 40 Fires foundation, launched their eCar Design Contest recently, designed to encourage cooperation and the development of ideas on an open source platform. The companies had been in talks for some time regarding a joint project and this competition – a completely holistic, closed-loop approach to the building, sale and use of a car – is the result of their successful collaboration. Christopher Reitz, head designer at Riversimple, says, "The open source platform is a fantastic tool.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series introduced

BMW has released images and detail on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series The 7 Series ActiveHybrid, although built to serve the same purpose, utilises a different methodology to the X6 AvtiveHybrid. It is a ‘Mild’ Hybrid – built in co-operation with Mercedes – that uses a single electric motor (as opposed to the X6′s twin motors) together with the BMW 4.4 litre, twin-turb0 V8, to deliver 455 horses and 516lb/ft of torque. The V8 delivers 440bhp with the electric motor adding an extra 15bhp.The electric motor in the 7 Series ActiveHybrid is sandwiched between the 8-speed ZF ‘box and the engine.

Alonso vs. Massa, Italian mountain edition

Scuderia Ferrari started the year off right with a downhill slalom race between two snow-going Ferrari FFs. Formula One drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were at the steering wheels. The occasion was the annual Wrooom ski and media event in the Italian Dolomite Mountains.