What is that BMW?

Who cares about smoking hot Cameron Diaz, what is that BMW in the background. I see it has Sparco seats in it and I get that it's probably on a movie set or training facility but does anyone know what it is?

Fiat 500 will go to Mexico

Critics of Detroit’s carmakers could play a real game of gotcha with Chrysler. News reports today say the company will build the Fiat 500 subcompact at Chrysler’s plant in Toluca, Mexico, which builds the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Dodge Journey. Since Fiat owns 20% of Chrysler, the Italians can call the shots. Critics of the auto industry bailout and the government’s 8% ownership stake in Chrysler might say that we spent a few billion dollars to save Chrysler and guarantee Mexican jobs. But build that car here and the same critics could say that the government and the United Auto Workers, which owns 55% of Chrysler, swayed management to keep the jobs in the U.S.

Forget all of that. Building the 500 in Mexico makes good business sense. First of all, it’s tough to make a buck on compacts and tiny cars like the 500. With the exception of BMW’s Mini brand, those cars just don’t fetch fat sticker prices. So margins are usually thin. Mexican wages can help.

There’s another good reason to build in Mexico, especially a car that has international appeal like the 500. Mexico has some nice trade agreements with the European Union, Brazil and Asian countries like Thailand that keep import taxes low for cars, says Michael Robinet, vice president of CSM Worldwide. If you want to build cars in one plant and have access to the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and some Asian markets, going south of the border is sensible. Fiat-Chrysler can sell more of those cars globally and stand a better chance of making money if they can max out the plant with sales around the globe.

Piquet Lashes Out After Dismissal From Renault

SAO PAULO (AP) — Nelson Piquet Jr. says he has been fired from Renault and blamed team principal Flavio Briatore for his failure to achieve significant results in Formula One.

Piquet said he was very disappointed with Renault's decision, but at the same time was relieved to put an end to "the worst period of my career."

"I can now move on and put my career back on the right track and try to recover my reputation of a fast, winning driver," Piquet Jr. said. "I am a team player and there are dozens of people I have worked with in my career who would vouch for my character and talent, except unfortunately the person that has had the most influence on my career in Formula 1."

Piquet said in a statement Monday that the "black period" of his career began when he signed a management contract with Briatore, who "threatened" him instead of supporting him. He called Briatore his "executioner."

"On numerous occasions, 15 minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss would threaten me, telling me if I didn't get a good result, he had another driver ready to put in my place," Piquet Jr. said. "I have never needed threats before to get results."

The Brazilian driver's best finish in 28 races was second at the German Grand Prix in 2008. He earned 19 points and his highest starting position was seventh.

Piquet Jr., son of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, said he decided to sign Briatore as his manager because he believed the experienced team principal was one of the best people to help him do well in F1.

"A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities," Piquet Jr. said. "In my case it was the opposite. Flavio Briatore was my executioner."

After a season as Renault's test driver, Piquet got a full ride for the 2008 season alongside two-time champion Fernando Alonzo. Piquet said some "strange situations began to happen" and that he never received "equal treatment."

"I was relegated as 'someone who drives the other car' with no attention at all," Piquet Jr. said. "The conditions I have had to deal with during the last two years have been very strange to say the least. There are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself."

The Brazilian driver said Briatore made him sign a performance-based contract which required him to score 40% of Alonso's points midway through the 2009 season.

"Despite driving with Fernando, two-time world champion and a really excellent driver, I was confident that, if I had the same conditions, I would easily attain the 40% of points required by the contract."

Piquet has not scored any points after 10 races this season, while Alonso has 13 points.

The Brazilian driver said he was not allowed to test as much as Alonso, and that the Spaniard was given a significant car upgrade in four of the first nine races this year.

"I was informed by the engineers at Renault that in those races I had a car that was between 0.5 seconds and 0.8 seconds a lap slower than my teammate," Piquet Jr. said.

He said he is already considering his options for a "new start" in his F1 career.

The Estado de S. Paulo newspaper in Brazil reported Monday that Nelson Piquet is negotiating to buy the BMW team in a partnership with Peter Sauber, a move which would secure a place for Piquet Jr. next year.

BMW announce it will quit Formula One at the end of 2009 season

Already hit by the departure of Honda, Formula One suffered another blow on Wednesday as BMW confirmed it would be quitting the sport at the end of the season.

"The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One campaign after the end of the 2009 season,'' BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer said.

"Of course, this was a difficult decision for us, but it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment,'' he said.

"Premium will be increasingly defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead.

"We are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability.

"Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us.''

While rumours of the possible departures of Renault and Toyota have been flying around the paddock all season, that of BMW comes as a surprise.

And it had looked as if the sport's future was assured when the FIA, motor racing's governing body, announced the completion of negotiations between the FOA (Formula One administration) and the 13 teams who will race in 2010.

It had been thought that this Concorde Agreement, meant to link the two sides until 2012, also included the BMW Sauber team.

The FIA said however they regretted the German team's decision and hoped the sport had seen the last departure of a major manufacturer.

"The FIA regrets the announcement of BMW's intended withdrawal from Formula One but is not surprised by it,'' the FIA said in a statement.

"It has been clear for some time that motor sport cannot ignore the world economic crisis.

"Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula One when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer.''

BMW have been badly hit by the current economic crisis with profits tumbling by 89.5 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, and group sales dropping 19.5 percent in the first half of 2009.

It is also believed the company found it hard to justify spending on Formula One following a poor campaign with drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica scoring just eight points this season to leave the team eighth in the nine-team constructors' championship.

BMW arrived in Formula One in 2000 and in 2005 took over the Swiss team Sauber, to become the BMW Sauber stable which now employs 730 people.

Its only Grand Prix win as BMW Sauber came when Kubica won in Canada in 2008, while he also achieved the team's only pole position in Bahrain, also in 2008.

The team finished third last season behind Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes.

Meanwhile, the FIA said they hoped there would be no more departures from the sport.

"This is why the FIA prepared regulations to reduce costs drastically,'' the FIA said.

"These measures were needed to alleviate the pressure on manufacturers following Honda's withdrawal, but also to make it possible for new teams to enter.

"Had these regulations not been so strongly opposed by a number of team principals, the withdrawal of BMW and further such announcements in the future might have been avoided.

"Nevertheless, as a result of a sustained cost-cutting campaign by the FIA, new measures are in the process of being agreed which should make it easier for new teams to enter and enable existing ones to participate on much-reduced budgets.

"Hopefully it will be enough to prevent further withdrawals and provide a solid foundation for Formula One.''

BMW and Alpine 'Sinister Six' Car

A BMW 645 convertible, modified by Alpine and named Sinister Six. This car is equipped with 26-inch wheels, 7 monitors and four 12″ sub woofers and seven 4″ speakers.


The car started life as an $83,000 BMW 645Ci and was transformed into one of the most amazing demo vehicles ever! This car has made it's rounds to many different shows, so those that have had the pleasure of seeing it in person can attest to its sheer brilliance.



It's hard to choose just which aspect of this car is more amazing.... The motorized entry and exit? The LCD screen taillights? The fact that it has no steering wheel, just a steering knob? The 26x13 rear wheels? I could keep going. One thing the Alpine guys did people is that this car has one of the most expensive remote start systems ever.




Since the car was so new, no bypass module was available to integrate with the factory alarm system, so the team had relocate the factory ignition switch, leave a key in it, and the use a motorized actuator to remotely turn the key in order to start the car!!