Hayabusa Clutch Outer Basket 99-07 on 2040-parts.com

BMW ‘i' subbrand aims for 2013 launch

BMW has confirmed that the new subbrand through which it intends to market a range of advanced stand-alone hybrid, range-extended and plug-in electric models will be called BMW “i.” Created to develop, produce and market what BMW's head of marketing, Ian Robertson, describes as “innovative solutions to premium mobility,” the brand will be supported by a company established by BMW called i Ventures, through which the German carmaker plans to grow its range of mobility services. The i3 and the i8 will be the initial models and are planned for introduction in 2013. “These cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative drive systems,” said Klaus Draeger, head of BMW's R&D operations.

Second new London taxi of 2014 unveiled

LONDONERS had better prepare themselves for another new generation of taxi, just days after Nissan confirmed its own assault on the Black Cab market. The plug-in hybrid Fraser-Nash Range Extended Electric Metrocab is capable of more than 75mpg and less than 50g/km of CO2, and is expected to cost no more than a current Hackney carriage. The company says the vehicle could save cabbies £30 to £40 per day in running costs and can go longer between fill-ups.

Motown rockers Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. serve up Horse Power

NASCAR fans looking for a new soundtrack to their auto-racing season can trade in their Lynyrd Skynyrd records for an offering from Detroit-based indie-pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. In a nod to their Motor City roots, band members Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott take the stage wearing racing suits and trucker hats and croon covers of Gil Scott-Heron's “We Almost Lost Detroit.” The band, which is touring the East Coast this week, released an EP titled Horse Power last summer and is coming out with its first full-length album, It's a Corporate World, on June 7.