BMW i8 Concept Spyder

After successful initial testing of the concept vehicle, the decision for a production vehicle was quickly made. The BMW i8 Concept Spyder is the future of the BMW vision EfficientDynamics concept and what we get is the the most efficient and innovative sports car of its time. A sneak peek of the concept car was featured in Mission Impossible 4 in which the car was driven by Tom Cruise .The car looked stunning and some of it’s concept features were shown.Its innovative plug-in hybrid concept combines the  electric drive system from the BMW i3 Concept – fitted over its front axle – with a high-performance three-cylinder combustion engine producing 164 kW/220 hp and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) at the rear. Working together, they allow the two drive systems to work at full potential, thus delivering the performance of a sports car but at the same time fuel consumption of a small car.

Speed 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is achieved under five seconds combined with fuel consumption in the European cycle of 2.7 litres per 100 kilometres (approx. 104 mpg imp) are figures currently beyond the capability of any vehicle powered by a combustion engine of comparable performance. With the eDrive technology and its large lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a domestic power supply, the BMW i8 Concept Spyder can travel up to 35 kilometres (approx. 20 miles) on electric power alone. Now coming to the seating, the 4 seater offers enough space for four people making it practical for everyday use.

It has a pair of electric scooters placed under a transparent tailgate, a camera-based proactive collision warning feature, and the inside of the car can be pre-warmed on a cold morning so it's all cozy and warm when you go on a drive. 

The LifeDrive architecture of the BMW i8 Spyder delivers extreme performance and superb driving dynamics. The motor in the front axle module and combustion engine at the rear are connected by an "energy tunnel", which houses the high-voltage battery thus giving the  car a low centre of gravity and this brings with it improved dynamics.The engineering behind the weight is incredible. The positioning of the electric motor and engine over their respective axles and the space-saving and well-balanced packaging of all components results in a optimal 50/50 weight distribution.

Top 5 iPhone Apps For Your Car

1.iGasUp

Fuel prices have become a point of concern recently. As recently as November 2011, the price of crude oil topped $100. But no matter how bad gas prices get, you can always find the lowest prices, no matter where you are, with iGasUp.For just $2.99, iPhone users can download the iGasUp application and have updated gas station locations and fuel prices at their fingertips. The app gives users the 10 closest gas stations based on the phone's current location. iGasUp uses information derived from Oil Price Information Service (OPIS)  the same entity that provides price data for AAA, Sirius Satellite Radio and GPS companies such as Garmin.

2.Trapster

This app gives you freedom from speed traps. If you have an iPhone, you won't have to rely on these visual signals from other drivers. With Trapster, you can scan your area for any known speed traps, police hang outs, speed cameras and even stop-light cameras.Trapster displays your location on a map using the iPhone's WiFi location capabilities. Reported speed traps, which users enter into the Trapster's network database, pop up along your route. Trapster's settings allow users to setup their iPhones to give voice alerts of approaching speed traps and the dynamic radar feature compensates for a driver's speed and direction in radar to relay accurate warnings. Signal cameras and police traps show up on the display as icons for easy recognition.

3.INRIX Traffic

Even if your car has a GPS with built-in traffic information, you might find that the INRIX Traffic app can help you plan your route in ways that your GPS can't. To access the more advanced route-planning services that the INRIX Traffic app offers, you'll need to pay $24.99 to upgrade to INRIX Traffic premium, but even the basic free app gives you a sufficient amount of traffic information for your daily travelling or just for a trip across town.

4.Parker for iPhone

This app helps in parking your car on a busy day very easily.It gives you a rooftop view of the local street situation and tells you where the parking places are.With the cooperation of the Departments of Transportation in several major cities, including New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Boston, the San Francisco company Streetline has installed electronic sensors in selected neighborhoods to detect whether parking places are occupied or empty. This data is broadcast to a central location and can be accessed via the Parker app.

5.Craftsman Garage Door App

If you have a garage then you have a garage door opener, a remote control device that you can use to open and close your garage door from inside your car or even inside your house. But most garage door openers require that you be somewhere close to the garage before they'll work. Craftsman's garage door opener is different. It will work from any place you can get an iPhone signal.
But  you'll need the Craftsman AssureLink Internet Connected DC Chain Drive Garage Door Opener installed on your garage door, and that's going to cost you more than $200. But the app itself is free. It's up to you to decide whether this service is worth the cost to you, but at least the Assure Link Garage Door Opener has other features, such as a keyless entry pad and a 10-year warranty on its motor, even apart from the convenience of the app. And maybe you were already planning to replace your aging garage door hardware.

How Mercedes Benz Logo Originated

When the patented name "Mercedes" was registered in September 1902 Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had a successful brand name but still lacked a characteristic trademark. Then Paul and Adolf Daimler - the company founder’s two sons, and now in charge of the business - remembered that their father had once used a star as a symbol.
Gottlieb Daimler had been technical director of the Deutz gas engine factory from 1872 until 1881. At the beginning of his employment there, he had marked a star above his own house on a picture postcard of Cologne and Deutz, and had written to his wife that this star would one day shine over his own factory to symbolize prosperity.
The DMG board immediately accepted the proposal and in June 1909, both three-pointed and four-pointed stars were registered as trademarks. Although both designs were legally protected, only the three-pointed star was used. From 1910 onwards it began to appear at the front of the cars as a design feature on the radiator.
The three-pointed star was supposed to symbolize Daimler’s ambition of universal motorization – “on land, on water and in the air”. Over the years, various small additions were made. In 1916, the points were surrounded by a circle, in which four small stars and the word Mercedes were integrated, or alternatively the names of the DMG plants at Untertürkheim or Berlin-Marienfelde.
In November 1921, DMG applied for legal protection of utility patents for any new variations on their trademark and lodged with the patent office a three-dimensional three-pointed star enclosed in a circle – which included the design intended for use on the radiator grille. It became a registered trademark in August 1923.
The period of inflation after the First World War meant a difficult time for sales – especially of luxury goods such as passenger cars – and had serious repercussions on the automobile industry. Only financially strong companies with well-established models were able to survive – although even these were forced into mergers and co-operative ventures. It was in this way that the former rivals, DMG and Benz & Cie., formed a syndicate in 1924 in order to standardize design and production, as well as purchasing, sales and advertising, and thereby remain competitive.
During this period, the two firms generally marketed their products jointly, although still under separate trademarks. Two years later, in June 1926, the two oldest motor manufacturers merged to form Daimler-Benz AG.
At this point a new trademark was designed, which brought together the main characteristics of both the existing emblems – the world renowned three-pointed star belonging to Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft was surrounded with its trade name ‘Mercedes’ as well as that of the equally famous name ‘Benz’, whose laurel wreath entwined the two names together.
This trademark, which has changed little over the decades, still adorns Mercedes-Benz vehicles and has come to represent quality and safety on roads everywhere. And throughout the world the name Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with tradition, innovation and the future of the automobile.