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The BMW world of forums and discussion boards are mulling today over a rumor sent out in the wild by the usual suspect, known as Scott27, one of the longest BMW insiders we have seen on the interwebs.
The rumor goes something like this: BMW will introduce the Vision Concept to the world as the BMW i8.
During this time, BMW will bring forth its philosophy with such groundbreaking concepts such as the BMW MegaCity Vehicle and BMW i8. Which is the term for the production car of the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car.

A fair assumption, isn’t it? Especially since BMW has recently filled for the “BMW i” trademarks and logos, a new sub-brand that will host the vehicles coming out of the Project i umbrella.
But why i8 and not i1 or any other naming convention starting with “i”? Well, one old dog in the BMW world would say the Munich automaker is looking to somewhat revive the memory of their never launched supercar, M8, especially since BMW sees the Vision Concept as being the next breakthrough in the supercar segment.

So i8 makes perfect sense then…

But here is where our balanced judgment and non-fanboyism kicks in. First, BMW sees the VED car as more of an efficient, yet fun to drive sportscar, a new piece of technology that breaks the stereotype of a high-end sportscar – big engines, high revs and lots of ponies coming from under the hood. So would the i8 compare to the M8 concept? Or even the high-end 8 Series? We don’t think so. Two different cars, for two different decades.

Second, in a recent conversation with BMW engineers responsible for the development of VED, we learned a production model won’t come on the market until 2014, which tells us a world debut will occur in late 2013. This is exactly three years from now and we are certainly inclined to believe that BMW has yet to decide on the exact naming convention. Based on our experience and inside information, we know BMW usually goes through a process where customer focus groups are formed and the results from these surveys weigh heavily in the naming convention for some of their models. Therefore, in our opinion and ours solely, we believe the VED badge has not been yet decided on. Sure, i8 or i100 (Read our editorial: “Why the i100?”) or other names we have heard are still on the table, and yes, most likely an “i” will be involved in the label, but for now, we label the BMW i8 as simply a rumor that none of our other sources were rushing to confirm.

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LOTUS is back with the Lotus Elite. This stunning supercar is the first of an all-new Lotus sports car range, which will seek to put the famous Norfolk-based firm on top of the world again.

Called the Elite, it will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next week, joined by a host of other new models, including what is thought to be a fresh Esprit.

Resurrecting a famous Lotus badge from the Seventies, the new Elite is, like its predecessor, a four-seater, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupé. But that’s where the similarities end.

The new model has a folding hard-top roof and sources power from a 5.0-litre V8 from engine partner Toyota which will be either supercharged or turbocharged. Priced at £115,000, it will target the Ferrari California when it goes on sale in 2014.

The Elite gives us our first glimpse of the maker’s new ‘face’ – a look that will be shared with the rest of the line-up. As you can see, the front end features an oversized central grille, flanked by slim LED headlights and twin lower air intakes.

Incredibly, inspiration has come from the original Seven. “The existing two-dimensional grille [on the Evora and Elise] is not expressive enough. We need more sculpture and dignity, so we looked at the Seven – the way the grille worked with the headlights on the wings,” said chief designer Donato Coco.

The shark-like mouth, dramatic body slashes and aggressive, angular lines combine to produce a striking-looking machine. The Elite is packed with the latest technology, too. It will get a twin-clutch semi-automatic ’box and hybrid drive, featuring electric motors and a front-mounted F1-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which gives an extra 50bhp when the driver activates a ‘boost’ button on the steering wheel. Although it will weigh 1,650kg, Lotus claims the Elite will be the lightest in its class. Aluminium and carbon fibre, along with the firm’s variable vehicle architecture chassis – complete with double-wishbone suspension – will feature. Together with hybrid technology, the company claims emissions of 215g/km. By comparison, the Ferrari California emits 305g/km.

Under the bonnet, Lotus will completely re-engineer the Toyota unit, adding a supercharger or turbocharger to give it extra thrust. Two tune options will be available – the ‘standard’ car, which produces 542bhp, and a 612bhp ‘R’ version. Lotus claims that the Elite will be able to sprint from 0-60mph in around 3.5 seconds. Expect a top speed of 195mph.

Inside, the newcomer will boast steering wheel gearshifters and a large central ‘human machine interface’ screen through which the car’s functions are controlled.

“There will always be those who say that Lotus should stick to small sports cars,” said Lotus boss Dany Bahar. “But we didn’t take the decision to design the Elite lightly. In the past, the 2+2 market has been very successful for us, and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.

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NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world today launched a new product that promises to materially change the way navigation systems and applications interact with end users. NAVTEQ Natural Guidance™ breaks new ground by enabling guidance the way humans provide directions to each other—through the use of descriptive reference cues.

Launched at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, NAVTEQ Natural Guidance leapfrogs today’s linear navigation instructions—e.g. ‘turn right in 50 meters on Kurfuerstendamm—by guiding the way humans instruct each other, through descriptions of orientation points such as distinctive points of interest and landmarks—e.g. ‘turn right after the yellow shop” or ‘turn right at the traffic signal.’ Research shows consumers desire more intuitive and practical directions because it is easier to follow and allows the user to keep their eyes on the road. NAVTEQ Natural Guidance enables applications to use recognizable and easily understandable points of reference close to the decision point to highlight the next maneuver.

“Natural Guidance provides the kind of directions we crave as humans,” said Tiffany Treacy, NAVTEQ senior vice president of product management. “It challenges the man-machine status quo of how navigation systems have worked for years by finally enabling the kind of guidance that sounds like it’s coming from a friend who is riding along with you. This is a revolutionary first step toward more natural and ultimately more personalized experiences.”

Over the past 25 years, NAVTEQ has continually strived to create content specific to navigation that elevates the user experience. Only as an expert and innovative leader in the navigation industry, was NAVTEQ able to create a product that translates user experiences into data and data models that allow applications to generate humanized guidance. NAVTEQ Natural Guidance also employs a variety of importance criteria to help optimize when and how the guidance is presented to consumers. Reference cues can look very different—or be partially or fully obscured—depending on such factors as: which direction the user is approaching, the size of the reference object (a cathedral vs. a corner pub), or whether it is winter or summer (when trees might block the visibility).

NAVTEQ Natural Guidance is currently available for Berlin, Chicago, National Capital Region of Delhi, London, Los Angeles, New York, Munich and Paris with aggressive expansion plans to add more cities throughout Europe, North America and Asia Pacific by the end of 2011.

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Why look at static images when you can get a more 3D view of the urban scene? Google’s Maps for Mobile 5 just got previewed on stage by Andy Rubin at D: Dive Into Mobile — with a prototype Motorola Honeycomb tablet, no less! The biggest visual change is dynamic map drawing: vectors instead of flat images that scale without render hiccups and will show the buildings fleshed out for over 100 cities — we gotta say, it looks great. Even more fun is that you can now use two fingers to tilt and rotate around the map (in addition to moving and pinch-to-zoom, of course). We’ve been told it’s a much snappier experience, and the storage for these vectors is much smaller than the current images, which brings us to… offline caching. Maps will keep on file the locations that you go to (and search) most often, and it’ll be able to reroute while offline in Navigation. You’ll still need a connection for altering the route altogether — sorry, subway-hoppers — but once you go, even if you stray, you’ll still be rerouted back on track.

Most modern Android phones from the original Droid onward should be able to enjoy most if not all the new features, depending on hardware capabilities (3D rendering) and “distinct multitouch” hardware support — the Nexus One, interestingly enough, supports vector maps but not the rotate functionality because it lacks the latter multitouch requirements. Google sent us a list of devices that support 100 percent of 5.0′s features, which you can find after the break. The update is due out in the “coming days,” according to Rubin. Great way to kick off Nexus S’ launch, then.

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Apple is developing a navigation system forMercedes-Benz, according to German magazine Focus. The technology will debut for the 2009 model year, exclusive to Mercedes automobiles.

Six months later, other automakers will be allowed to license the technology, the report claims.

The first 2009 models are likely to show up in mid to late 2008 — roughly 12 to 16 months from now. With 2008 models already finalized and either at dealers or arriving this fall, Mercedes is likely already testing the technology in 2009 prototypes, if the rumor is to be believed.

iPhone similarities more than likely

Apple’s iPhone is probably a good indicator of what an Apple-designed navigation system would be like. iPhone features an innovative touchscreen-based interface that eliminates the need for any mechanical buttons.

The iPhone goes on sale this month, so firsthand experience with the handset is limited, but Apple promises it’s unlike any normal touchscreen device. The $500 phone uses advanced software to make sense of complex movement and input from multiple fingers, resulting in a very intuitive and natural interface.

While “iDrive” from Mercedes-Benz archival BMW has been harshly criticized for unnecessary complexity and cumbersome controls, an Apple-designed navigation/control-center might be better received by the press and general public.

iPhone’s Maps application is powered by Google Maps, and chances are the Apple-Mercedes navigation system would use the same technology. Other automakers have made use of Google’s software, but none have wrapped it in an interface as slick as that of the iPhone.

Since most modern “navigation” systems offer much more than the name implies, the Apple nav would probably include other features from the iPhone as well. E-mail, calendar, iTunes, and perhaps even internet access are all possible. Integration/syncing with iPhone or other wireless handsets should also be expected.

Apple exclusives highly coveted

In 2004, Apple and BMW teamed up to offer the first seamless integration between iPod and a car audio system. Eventually, other automakers — including Mercedes — launched similar technologies, but BMW had the jump on the competition.

If true, the navigation deal with Mercedes would be a blow to BMW, especially considering its iDrive problems.

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In an extraordinary move, a new Satellite Navigation device has been developed that comes with a guarantee that users will not pick up any speeding ticket from any speed camera in the UK. The supplier of the Rossini Navigator & Camera Spotter offers a unique guarantee to pay UKP60 to any motorist that picks up a speeding ticket whilst using the device if no advance warning of the camera is given. Logically, if you don’t button off the pedal once warning has been given, you’re on your own but the guarantee is nonetheless remarkable as the Rossini Navigator identifies more than 24,000 potential speed traps on 270,000 miles of roads throughout the UK and Ireland. Unlike many camera locators the Rossini Navigator has been programmed to warn of mobile speed camera sites and traffic light red light cameras as well as every known Specs, Gatso and Truvelo speed camera in the country.

The driver is alerted with the words ‘beware – watch your speed’. A warning appears on a touch operated screen five hundred metres before any camera. A reminder of the speed limit appears on the screen too. Motorists also have an option to be warned if they are exceeding the speed limit even where there are no cameras – and the new device is legal to use in the UK.

Mark Cornwall of Car Part Direct, the UK supplier said: “In order to appeal to our customers we had to provide value that TomTom, Garmin and the other players couldn’t offer. What was needed was a first class SatNav package with postcode search, turn-by-turn, door-to-door journey instructions and first class speed camera spotter – because we offer a guaranteed £60 cashback the Rossini had to be 100% reliable. We tested it – it really does work. And above all it had to be easy to use.”

The most recent statistics provided by the Government claim nearly 2 million motorists received speeding prosecutions. A further 124,000 were prosecuted for jumping a red light and caught by camera. A speeding ticket can increase a driver’s insurance premium by 17% and a second speeding ticket can add up to 60% to a motorist’s insurance bill according to AA Insurance.

Car Parts Direct has promised to supply free camera updates with the new Rossini Navigator until January 2009 for motorists ordering before New Years Day this year.

“They will have absolutely NO subscriptions to pay and be guaranteed against picking up a ticket,” added Mark Cornwall.

The Rossini Navigator and Speed Camera Spotter is powered straight from the cigar lighter socket, is transferable between vehicles in seconds and ALL speed camera information is preloaded into the unit prior to delivery. The supplier claims it’s out of the box and ready to use. The Rossini Navigator costs £399 delivered anywhere in the UK.

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We all know what it’s like to drive somewhere unfamiliar and forget where we parked our car, or to take a day trip to an amusement

park or other place with a large parking lot, park, and leave your car all day only to forget whether you

parked in G-5 or 5-G. If youhave an iPhone with iOS 4.0 or later, G-Parkis an app that can make sure you never have that problem again. Simply fire up the app when you park your car to mark its location as a pushpin on a Google Map, and then when it’s time to find your car again, the app will guide you to your vehicle so you don’t wander around the parking lot looking lost for a half-hour.

G-Park is $0.99 in the iTunes App Store, and once installed will make sure you never lose your car in a parking lot again, provided you use the app to keep track of your vehicle. Using the app is simple: once you get to your destination and before you get out of the car, you open the app and allow it to determine your current location. Once it’s done that, press the “Park Me!” button, and you’ll see your current location marked on a map.

If you’d like, the app allows you to jot down notes about the location where your car is parked, like its parking deck floor number of letter, or the parking lot number so you can find it again easily before using the app. You can even take a picture of where you’re parked so you can refer to it for landmarks when you’re finding your way back to your car. This is perfect for times like out-of-town flights or vacations, when you have to leave your car for long enough that you may forget even things like the garage number or floor, both of which are reminders that G-Park’s map can’t help you with.

Once the location of your parked car is noted on the map, you can go on about your errands like normal, or take the family to the amusement park without worrying about where you left your car. When it comes time to head back to the car, either with a cart full of stuff or a crowd of tired friends and family behind you, just open the app as you enter the parking lot and press the “Where Did I Park?” button.

You won’t get a turn-by-turn set of directions to your parking space, but you will be able to view an overhead map with your current location on it and the location of your vehicle marked on it as well, so you can walk in its direction. The app isn’t perfect, and comments left by users in the iTunes Store reveal that it’s likely only accurate within dozens of meters, so you’re better off using G-Park in addition to your memory, instead of a full replacement for paying attention to your surroundings.

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