Willy's Cj2a Driver Side Fender on 2040-parts.com

BMW works hard to avoid gas-guzzler tax

BMW AG hopes to get out from under the gas-guzzler taxes that are tacked on to the sticker prices of some of its high-performance models in the United States. Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW of North America, says the company is studying fuel-efficiency improvements that could eliminate the gas-guzzler taxes on its vehicles as early as the launch of their redesigns in the next few years. The 2010 550i GT incurs a $1,000 gas-guzzler fee, for example.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S (2011) first pictures

This is the new Porsche Panamera Turbo S, and because the GT2 RS has sold out, it’s now the most powerful Porsche on sale. Porsche Panamera Turbo S: the numbers The new Porsche Panamera Turbo S is powered by the same direct injection and twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8 that’s found in the regular Panamera Turbo. But thanks to new turbochargers with titanium-aluminium turbine wheels (which cut weight and improve responsiveness) and a new ECU, the power output climbs from an already impressive 493bhp and 516lb ft to 550bhp and 553lb ft.

BMW takes the Active Tourer Outdoor outdoors this weekend

This weekend BMW will be taking its BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor to the annual OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany. We first saw the concept last September, noting that it was a departure for BMW in more ways than one -- with the German automaker stretching itself into segments in which it previously had no foothold. The BMW Active Tourer is meant to preview a whole new generation of small cars from BMW, but one of the biggest changes underneath is a transverse layout of the engine -- a setup that BMW has traditionally shunned in favor of a longitudinal layout.