Sumec Tires/rims Trailer Tires on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

Design Contest: Renault UK launches Twizy student design competition

We all know how expensive higher education is, so the chance to win up to £9,000 towards UK tuition fees in return for submitting graphic designs for the Renault Twizy sounds very appealing. All you have to do is visit designatwizy.co.uk to download a layout of the front, side and rear and submit as many entries as you like. The closing date is 20 February, when a panel including Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Laurens van den Acker will choose a top 10 to enter a public vote.

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 (2010) first official pictures

This is the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, a racing version of Merc's incredible Gullwing supercar. Unveiled today at the 2010 New York auto show, it'll start racing in 2011. Correct – the FIA’s GT3 races are designed for ‘near-series’ cars so costs are kept low, and there’s a burgeoning field with everything from R8s and 911s to BMW’s new Z4 racer.