2013 Bmw on 2040-cars

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Meet the inventor of the BMW 3 Series wagon

It's hard to imagine, but once upon a time, there were only two BMW 3 Series variants: the coupe and sedan. Back before gran coupes, convertibles and yes, even touring models were available, buyers could only get their 3 Series fix if it came with two or four doors and a fixed roof. Back in the mid '80s, BMW engineer Max Reisbock was having some trouble fitting his whole family into his four door. Rather than suck it up and buy a van, he picked up a wrecked 3 Series and got to cutting in a buddy's garage. Months later, he had the very first 3 Series Touring ever built.
At first, he kept the the car to himself, using it to haul friends and family around, but he eventually showed it off to his friends at work. When the BMW executives found out about his project, they called him up to take a closer look. After putting an eyeball on the car, they took it, copied his design, made a few tweaks and quickly rolled out the first production 3 Series Touring. How's that for validation? Check out the video below for Reisbock's story.

BMW planning smaller Z2 roadster

It's been a few years since we heard about the BMW Z2, a compact, two-seat convertible that would slot in below the aging Z4 (shown above). Now, though, the crew at Car and Driver are back with details on the oft-rumored roadster.
The big shock for enthusiasts on this one is C/D's report that the Z2 will spin its front wheels, rather than its rears. A front-drive roadster is strange enough, but a front-drive BMW roadster? It's apparently true, though, as the new model would share its platform with the front-drive Mini and 2 Series Active Tourer rather than with the racier 228i or M235i coupes.
According to C/D, the rumored Z2 could be powered by a range of three- and four-cylinder, turbocharged engines, although it's more likely to be a four-only affair. Power should range from 160 to 230 ponies, while an M variant could arrive with 300 horsepower (that's a whole lot of power for front-wheel drive...).

BMW-Toyota partnership to spawn hybrid supercar

BMW and Toyota inked a partnership some time ago to develop green technology, and while we were excited by the idea of a reborn Supra with BMW's carbon fiber reinforced plastic slashing the curb weight or an ultra-efficient, hybridized 1 Series, the joint efforts have been rather limited. That's set to change, though, according to a report from Australia.
Motoring reports that the partners have come to terms on a sports car. And not just any sports car, but a lightweight, hybridized model, with a six-figure price tag. Lending a bit of street cred to that idea is the site's claim that Toyota is currently carrying out durability testing on the BMW i8. According to the site, the new model will slot into the spot left by the Lexus LFA, although based on the language used, it's unclear if this is the Tokyo-bound vehicle we mentioned several months ago.
Details on this potential car are limited, although Motoring claims it will use a Toyota hybrid system mated up to a BMW gas engine - likely the 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 found in the M5 and M6. That sounds pretty amazing to us, but we'd still advise taking this with a grain of salt. What would you like to see out of a joint-venture supercar from Toyota and BMW? Let us know in Comments, and have your say on the prospects of a hybridized, twin-turbocharged V8.