Dynamic ability, comfort, efficiency, aesthetic allure and a profusion of innovations designed to enhance driving pleasure – the BMW 5 Series contains all the signature ingredients of a best-selling model at the premium end of the executive segment. Indeed, consistently rising … Continue reading

Hugo Becker

The Spun Bearing: New M Strategy, Cars At the CES, and Chevy Code 130R
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In Featured Posts, Interesting, on January 13th, 2012

New M Strategy It was just a matter of time. The M bits have been sneaking into BMW’s mainstream products for awhile, a shift knob here, a steering wheel there, but now the M-ification proceeds to its logical conclusion. M … Continue reading
2012 Detroit Auto Show: New Acura NSX
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In Auto Shows, on January 12th, 2012

Acura chose Detroit to unveil it’s mid-engined hybrid NSX sports car. The car is slated to be built in Ohio and features the super hybrid all wheel drive system that Honda has pioneered. The SH-AWD will control the power output … Continue reading
2012 Detroit Auto Show: Porsche unveils new 911 Cabriolet
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In Auto Shows, on January 12th, 2012

Porsche unveils the new 911 Cabriolet at the Detroit Auto Show. Porsche has unveiled it latest iteration of the new ’991′ generation 911 family with the 911 Cabriolet. Porsche has enhanced the efficiency of the new model with a combination … Continue reading
Cadillac ATS – GM’s BMW 3 Series Fighter
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In Auto Shows, on January 10th, 2012

BMW is proud of it’s 3 series. The 3er accounts for 1 out of 3 BMW sales worldwide and has accounted for 50% of all US BMW sales since its introduction. And because of its success other premium auto makers … Continue reading
Editorial: One Man’s Take On the State of BMW
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In Featured Posts, Interesting, on January 6th, 2012

The advent of the new year is often seen as a time to reflect on the happenings of the prior year, but also a time to take stock of where one is at and where they are going. With the … Continue reading
The Spun Bearing: Once Upon a Car, Connected Drive, and Pure Speculation
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In Interesting, on January 5th, 2012

Once Upon a Car I just finished reading Bill Vlasic’s, “Once Upon a Car”, and highly recommend it. It’s a fast paced look at the implosion of the Big Three US automakers that was pretty much coincident with the onset … Continue reading
Editorial: On Tires and Compromise
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In Featured Posts, Interesting, on January 2nd, 2012

The perfect tire would stick to any surface, never go flat, run in any weather, provide plentiful steering feedback, and wear forever. Fat chance we’ll ever get a perfect tire because a big set of those features are mutually exclusive. … Continue reading
The Spun Bearing: N54 Legal Matters, the i8 Breaks Cover, and Renderings
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In Interesting, on December 29th, 2011

N54 Legal Matters I received a piece of mail yesterday that was a bit interesting. It seems that one legal challenge to the issues with the high pressure fuel pumps (HPFP) on the N54 engine has reached a resolution. If … Continue reading
The Spun Bearing: The i8, Saab, and Happy Holidays
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In Featured Posts, Interesting, on December 23rd, 2011

The i8 I made the press launch of the Toyota Prius in 1999. At the time it was a revolutionary car that Toyota was hoping (but not entirely confident) would sell. They had identified specific markets to introduce it in … Continue reading