1969 Bmw 2002ti Turbo Vintage Race Car / Turbo Tapp on 2040-cars

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Ruby celebrates 90 years of BMW Motorrad with special helmet collection

BMW isn't the only one celebrating its own 90th anniversary building motorbikes. So is Atelier Ruby, that French manufacturer of jewel-like motorcycle helmets.
Ruby has just released a capsule collection of helmets marking BMW Motorrad's 90th anniversary, and we want them almost as much as a Bimmer bike itself. The Munich 90 collection includes three new designs available in three helmet styles, including the signature blue and red stripes on a white background worn by BMWs of two wheels or four on the racing circuit.
Of course, these helmets, being made by Ruby as they are, won't come cheap, with jaw-dropping prices ranging from $980 to $1,450. Of course there are more cost-effective ways to protect your noggin, but few more stylish.

BMW expounds on i8 design and performance in new videos

At this point, there isn't much we don't know about the 2015 BMW i8, so BMW is starting to focus its attention on reassuring consumers that the future of BMW won't abandon the past. In these two recently released videos, BMW answers questions prospective buyers might have about about the new model's design and performance.
In the design video, BMW explains how the i8's styling is intended to be practical, with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency in mind, yet still have a sporty and dynamic look. The performance video aims to show that the plug-in hybrid can be fuel efficient while still delivering plenty of performance, and it shows an animation about how the i8's drive systems work together. Scroll down to watch both videos on this bold green supercar.

Is Audi getting complacent and suffering from brain drain?

The argument is made in a Reuters article: Audi is falling behind other luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, due to a lack of research-and-development spending and "brain drain," or the migration of top executives and R&D chiefs to other parts of the Volkswagen Group. Reuters notes that Audi's current R&D chief is the third in 16 months.
Audi, which contributed to 40 percent of VW Group's $11.6 billion in profit the first nine months of the year, is delivering cars at a record pace: 1.31 million were delivered from January to October 2013 versus BMW's 1.35 million. Yet Audi, Reuters reports, doesn't have a halo car akin to BMW's new electrified i3 and i8 or an answer to Mercedes' plug-in-hybrid S-Class, and the R&D spending at Audi is less than BMW and Mercedes by a fair margin. It's noted in the article, however, that Audi benefits from other R&D spending within VW Group.
Reuters mentions that BMW "trumpets its new 'i' series" and the new Mercedes CLA and GLA ranges are winning "rave reviews" as part of its argument that Audi's recent lack of technological innovation could hurt future sales. Those cars do pack tons of new technology, some of which are firsts for mainstream production cars. But last time we checked, the i3 could be causing BMW's stock to slide, the CLA isn't receiving the rave reviews that Reuters would have you believe and the GLA hasn't been reviewed yet.