Raymarine Rcu-3 on 2040-parts.com

Almost 1 million cars made in UK this year

CAR MANUFACTURING accelerated ahead last month, according to official figures. A total of 132,570 cars were made in the UK in July 2014 - a 2.8% rise on the figure for July 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Last month's total took the year-to-date figure to 923,884 - a 3.4% increase on the total for the first seven months of last year.

Who's Where: BMW Group reorganizes Design operations

BMW Group has announced changes to its design organization, in keeping with the company's stronger focus on its brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. Under the overall direction of Chris Bangle, Director of BMW Group Design, brand specific design studios have been set up for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, as well as for the areas BMW Motorrad and BMW M. These new brand studios will accompany the entire development process for new models from the first sketches to the start of production.

BMW ready to shift small coupes, convertibles to even-number nameplates

Reports in Europe say that BMW is planning a shake-up in the naming strategy for its smaller coupes and convertibles, as well as planning to shift its 1-series cars onto a front-drive platform. The nameplate shake-up will have coupe and convertible variants of the 1-series become the 2-series, while coupe and convertible variants of the 3-series will become the 4-series. The changeover is expected to start in 2013, according to a report on the Web site of Car magazine.