Walker 36273 on 2040-parts.com

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.

One Lap of the Web: We missed April Fools'

-- Yesterday was April Fools' Day, a holiday known in some cultures as "April 1st." We chose to ignore the staid, unamusing fake press releases touting everything from Ford C-Max charcoal grilles to Audi sushi to BMW's annual efforts. ("The Ultimate Sleeping Machine" is what Web commenters will inevitably post in an effort to deride the upcoming 2-series.) But Petrolicious did a tasteful video of a certain moneyed purist's most prized vehicle, a car with all the panache, style, and passione that only its beautiful curves could convey. The folks at Petrolicious begged for a ride in this dangerously exciting speed machine, and by Jove, they got it.

One Lap of the Web: Le Mans souvenirs, F1 in 360, and a BMW fit for a biker

-- Collin Woodard was "that weird friend who was strangely committed to riding a motorcycle." Being the weird motorcycle-owning friend, however, can only get you so far until you start an influential motorcycle blog or start making sepia-toned hipster videos on expensive Canon 5Ds and wildly unreliable CB550Fs. Woodward needed a car, and boy did his friends have something to say about that! He looked at a Camry.