2006 Bmw 750li Base Sedan 4-door 4.8l on 2040-cars

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BMW readying Spartanburg expansion for X7 production

Prior to the debut of the original X5 in 1999, the idea of a BMW crossover might have seemed like heresy. But here we are, fifteen years removed from the Frank Stephenson-penned design, and the Bavarian automaker has expanded its crossover lineup to include the X1, X3, X4 and X6, and it's showing no sign of slowing down.
We recently reported that BMW is planning on slotting an X2 in at the bottom of the range between the X1 and X3, but now it's being widely reported that it's got an even larger one to put in at the top of its utility line. That, of course, would be the X7, a long-rumored three-row model that would give BMW a large family hauler to challenge the Mercedes-Benz GL.
According to The Wall Street Journal, BMW is expanding its assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to accommodate production of the X7 alongside the X3, X4 and X5 that it already builds there for local consumption.

BMW to offer carbon fiber wheels in a year or two

The Citroën SM sat on the first set of production glass fiber and resin wheels in 1972 when parent company Michelin developed the exotic hoops in order to take the SM rallying. It wasn't until 2008 that we got the first all-carbon-fiber wheel for passenger cars in the form of a prototype model from Weds Sports in Japan that remained a prototype. Australian company Carbon Revolution followed that a year later with its CR-9 all-CF wheel, first introduced on the Shelby Ultimate Aero and now available for independent purchase for about $15,000 per set. BMW could be the first OEM to offer entire wheels in carbon fiber reinforced plastic in two years.
The wheels - either all-CFRP or using a CFRP rim and alloy spokes - were shown off during BMW's Innovation Days in Munich and are products of the development work done on its i-branded cars. The full-CFRP wheel is 35-percent lighter than a forged alloy wheel, the hybrid alloy and CFRP wheel is 25-percent lighter, making for a decent drop in unsprung rotating weight. As demonstrators during a tech day the wheels aren't yet in the pipeline for production and EU approval, but an article in Auto Express claims that they could be on the market as soon as two years from now.
Other possible parts include a full carbon fiber steering wheel and propeller shaft, the latter of which is coming as a single-piece component on the new M3 and M4. BMW is also talking up its use of secondary carbon fiber - waste material from i3 and i8 production - that can be used for items like IP support structures, seat frames and spare wheels in place of traditional metals like aluminum and magnesium. There's an excerpt of the Innovation Day press release below with more details.

Project CARS vs reality at Laguna Seca shows amazing potential

Project CARS is aiming to be the next great racing sim. Offering a mix of modern and classic cars on famous tracks, developer Slightly Mad Studios is trying to inject a fresh energy into the genre, and at the moment its game looks ready to take on Forza and Gran Turismo.
The game is still about six months from release, and the graphics already look practically photorealistic. The video below shows side-by-side laps of Laguna Seca in a BMW - real life on the left and the game on the right. It's absolutely astounding. Other than some changes to the sponsorship around the track, they are almost identical.
Of course anyone with quality seat time in a racing sim knows that graphics are just one factor. How the game feels is even more important, and without getting hands on, it's impossible to judge yet. However, consider our interest piqued. Project CARS is scheduled to launch in November on the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, Nintendo WiiU, Windows PC and Steam OS. Scroll down to check out the video.