BMW Beautifully Restored Elvis Presley’s Classic 507

BMW Beautifully Restored Elvis Presley’s Classic 507
The Grand Tour is Coming to the US and You Can be There Live
2016 Nissan Micra Cup Proves You Can Race a Cheap Car with No Power and Actually Have Fun
Ford Recalls 828K Vehicles Over Faulty Door Latches
Nissan BladeGlider Prototypes Bring Concept Car to Life
VW’s Electrification Push to Include Three Platforms for 30 Vehicles

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BMW has a real treat in store for those attending the 2016 Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach.

The German automaker calls it "one of the most spectacular classic-car discoveries of recent times," and it might very well be. BMW Group Classic has found and restored the BMW 507 driven by U.S. musician Elvis Presley while he was doing his military service in Germany. It was originally believed that the car disappeared for nearly 50 years, but after almost two years of painstaking restoration, BMW is ready to present the roadster for the first time in public at the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, California on August 21.

Sporting chassis number 70079, the classic car will be shown exactly as it was when soldier Elvis Presley took delivery on December 20, 1958, with the exterior finished in Feather White and the 150-horsepower V8 aluminum engine residing under the hood.

Naturally it was a daunting task to restore the roadster to its former glory. Even BMW admitted that the condition of the car really was a cause for concern. The original body parts and other components were virtually all present and intact, but the car had lost its engine and gearbox, while the rear axle was a replacement part of unknown origin. Rust was also eating away at the floor assembly, the seats were worn and there was no instrument panel at all.

According to BMW, the engine for the restoration was completely rebuilt from spare parts, starting with the 3.2-liter V8 getting reconditioned precisely in conformity with the original specifications of the BMW 507. And when it came to giving the classic a fresh coat of paint, BMW didn't turn to modern-day processes. Instead, the automaker applied the primer coat, the filler and the top coat using a procedure that corresponds to the technology in use some 60 years ago. This allowed BMW to avoid the excessive color brilliance that is desired in today's cars, but is deemed inappropriate on classic cars.

"The opportunity to bring back the BMW 507 owned by the King of Rock'n'Roll to us here in Munich for purposes of restoration in accordance with the wishes of the previous owner, Jack Castor, was a dream come true for all those involved," commented Ulrich Knieps, Head of BMW Group Classic. "This was an exceptionally fascinating project. The outcome is not simply a source of great pride to us. Jack would undoubtedly have been delighted by the outcome."

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The Grand Tour is Coming to the US and You Can be There Live

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The Grand Tour, AKA new Top Gear is coming to California and you could be part of the experience.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be filming a studio segment for their new show on September 25, 2016 and need a live audience to be on hand for the taping. The show is travelling with a massive tent that is being used as a mobile studio for the filming of these segments.

The show will be broadcast exclusively through Amazon, which is where you'll have to go to get tickets. Applications are being excepted from August 4th at 09:00 PST until 23:59 PST midnight on August 8th.

It may not be as easy as just applying though. A follow up consisting of questions about you and your thoughts on the show is likely to make sure you're a good fit for the audience.

So what are you waiting for? Click here and apply now.

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2016 Nissan Micra Cup Proves You Can Race a Cheap Car with No Power and Actually Have Fun

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How do you make a cheap car sexy? Despite their attractive price tags, people just don't seem that excited about affordable subcompacts. But Nissan had a brilliant idea: take the super affordable Nissan Micra and put it in a thrilling spec racing series to show people what the little car is capable of.

That's right, the $10,000 Nissan Micra, one of the lowest cost cars available in Canada, is also used for racing duty across the country. We got a chance to try these little racers out, and this series is proof that subcompact cars can be awesome fun in addition to being budget friendly.

SEE ALSO: Nissan Micra Review

The Nissan Micra Cup Car is based on the Nissan Micra S. It's a base model, which means it comes with no frills. Actually, in the name of weight savings and safety, the race car has no rear seats, and the front seats have been replaced by racing seats and a three-point harness. There's also a roll cage in the car, a must-have when it comes to racing, along with a window net. Nissan then outfits the race Micra with a suspension from its NISMO division and Pirelli rubber is found at all four corners. Front brakes are of the race variety as well, but the rear drum brakes are stock.

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You'll notice a distinct lack of changes regarding the powertrain of the little Nissan. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is untouched, though there is an intake and exhaust that helps the car sound the part of a race car. Everything else about the engine is stock, meaning there's a total of 109 hp on tap, just like the road car. Gears are swapped via a five-speed manual transmission.

SEE ALSO: 2016 Ariel Atom Review

Even with no extra power, the Micra is still pretty quick because it only weighs around 2,200 lbs. The result is a responsive and agile car. Experienced first-hand on a race track, the Micra is a blast to drive and far more fun than you'd expect from a subcompact car. The lightweight, low-power nature of the car means you get to push it hard into every corner, and get to be selective about when and how to brake. Lightly braking while turning rotates the whole car, while hitting the curbing can launch the car on two wheels.

While getting up to a speed that's considered fast takes some time, the Micra is still thrilling while turning around the course. There's a good sense of speed, too, which helps amplify how much fun the whole experience is. The brakes and tires go a long way to making this car feel exhilarating. The car handles much better than any old subcompact, thanks to these modifications. Due to the low power, high grip and excellent brakes, you carry much more speed into every corner. With a brave grimace, you realize this is nothing like driving the normal Micra. This car also helps prove the point that a great car is not just the sum of high power numbers, a steep price tag and a fancy badge. The Micra gets the point across without any frills.

Naturally, since the Micra is so low cost, the race car is, too, at least relative to other motorsports. While the road car comes in at around $10,000, getting it all ready for racing brings the cost to around $23,000. Still, that's affordable in the world of race cars. In fact, its about half the price of a Mazda MX-5 Cup Car. Running the car costs about $30,000 per season, which is enough to cover transportation, entry fees, fuel and other consumables.

Watching the racing in action is eye-opening. Due to the limited modifications made to the cars, the competition is really tight. Watching the recent race taking place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., it's clear that 20-something race cars on track at once is quite the spectacle, with close racing for the whole event. Winning the race comes down to driver skill.

The Micra Cup Series is now in its second year, and this year sees racers coming to Ontario in addition to Quebec. There are more than just weekend racers involved in the sport, too. For example, gamers-turned-drivers from Nissan's GT Academy are here, showing off their Gran Turismo-honed skills.

They don't have a ton of features, they don't have a lot of power, and they're often seen as cute little toys to use around town. But that's not the case for the Nissan Micra, a car that's not only affordable and small, but used in its own racing series. It is quite a unique way to sell a $10,000 car.

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Ford Recalls 828K Vehicles Over Faulty Door Latches

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Ford has issued a recall for 828,000 vehicles over door latches that may not close properly.

A wide range of Ford vehicles are affected by the problem, including the 2013-2015 C-Max, 2013-2015 Escape, 2012-2015 Focus, 2015 Mustang, 2014-2016 Transit Connect and the 2015 Lincoln MKC.

The problem is with a pawl spring tab that can break, resulting typically in a door that cannot latch. In certain situations, the door may be able to close, which can lead to the door opening while the car is moving.

Ford is focusing the recall on 16 states that have high ambient temperatures, believed to be the cause of the problem. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Oregon and Washington.

Customers outside of these states will be able to use a new satisfaction program to get their vehicles with a broken door latch fixed for free, though the fix will only be performed once.

One accident and injury has been reported as a result of this recall.

Discuss this story at our Ford Forum

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Nissan BladeGlider Prototypes Bring Concept Car to Life

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Nissan has taken its BladeGlider concept car from a display piece to a working prototype to show off its future technology.

Originally unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2013 as a concept car, Nissan has now built working BladeGlider prototypes to show off its commitment to zero-emissions vehicles and self-driving tech.

After two years of design, engineering and development work, the BladeGlider is now a real functioning EV which rides on an advanced chassis which has a wide rear track and narrow front track for optimum aerodynamic efficiency and improved handling. Dihedral doors helps to increase the dramatic flair of the new electric sports car.

Top speed for the car is pegged at 115 mph, while the jump from 0 to 62 mph will take less than five seconds. Full power output from the electric motor is 268 horsepower and a whopping 521 lb-ft of torque. Curb weight measures in at 2866 pounds.

To help it handle, the car uses torque vectoring technology that has three different drive settings: off, agile and drift mode.

Inside, the BladeGlider features a single front seat for the driver which is mounted in the center of the vehicle, with two passengers seat behind. Nissan used plenty of eye-catching colors, including reflective silver material along with green and orange trim to make this interior really stand out.

The two BladeGlider prototypes will spend all August in Rio de Janeiro at the Olympics. One will be on static display while the other will offer rides to the media and VIPs.

Discuss this story at our Nissan Forum

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VW’s Electrification Push to Include Three Platforms for 30 Vehicles

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More details on Volkswagen's plan to launch an onslaught of electrified vehicles have come to light.

The German brand is working on three dedicated electric-vehicle platforms along with more utility vehicles and several new low-cost budget vehicles.

According to VW Group of America's chief engineering officer, 30 different all-electric vehicles will be spawned from three platforms. Each one will be modular with the flexibility to have different sized wheelbases and tracks to suit different brands.

VW has already shown off the BUDD-e van concept which is based on the MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) platform. The concept has a totally flat floor packed with lithium ion battery packs, capable of driving the van up to 233 miles and recouping an 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes.

Volkswagen recently agreed to a massive $20 billion settlement in the U.S. that will cover the cost of its diesel emissions scandal, a large portion of which will go to environmental reparations.

[Source: Automotive News]

Discuss this story at our Volkswagen Forum

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Car Reviews

Thursday 4 August 2016

BMW Beautifully Restored Elvis Presley’s Classic 507

BMW Beautifully Restored Elvis Presley’s Classic 507

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