Report i3 Price To Be Announced on July 22nd

According to the French website, La Tribune, BMW will announce the retail price of the i3 on Monday, July 22nd, one week before the official introduction of the production i3. From the report(translated by Google):

"The urban electric BMW i3 will be launched in late November while the i8 plug-in hybrid will be launched it in the spring of 2014. But it is already possible to pre-book these unreleased vehicles. Access to bookings made via this link. Once the form is submitted, a priority on the production line is provided to the user. The customer who pre-booked their vehicle will then finalize its configuration agent "BMW i".
Trendy, BMW! The price of this new new range of "green" vehicles should be released on July 22, just before the presentation of the i3 29 simultaneously in London, New York and China, during a global event extravaganza. Pre-production of the i3 started in February-March. Series production begins in September."

i3 designer Benoit Jacob sits in an i3

Theres no way confirm the validity of this report as BMW isnt talking, but the other information in the story is correct, giving reason to believe they have this right also. This is the first report that Ive come across that has offered to give the date BMW will release the price. 

Ive fluctuated on what I expect BMW to charge a bit the past couple years but Ive always been around the $40,000 to $45,000 range. With the imminent release of the actual price upon us Im pretty confident well see a base MSRP of about $41,000 and $43,000(before incentives) and if my feet were put to the fire Id say $41,995. It looks like well know soon enough. What price do you expect?

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Burscough motorist to sharpen driving skills on Channel 5 show

A WEST Lancashire motorist who “doesnt suffer fools gladly” is one of the drivers being featured on a motoring programme being broadcast on Channel 5 next week (Thursday, February 14).

Dudley Valentine, a self-confessed ‘inconsiderate driver, will be one of the motorists featured on Dangerous Drivers’ School, which sees AA driving instructors help people from across the country to sharpen their skills behind their wheel, in the latest episode of the show, which will be shown at 8pm.

The retired RAF pilot, 70, said he had been driven to the show after years of complaints from long-suffering partner Lynne, and was given a crash course from AA instructor Ashley Briggs for the show.

Mr Valentine said: "I wanted to address my driving because my partner had been saying to me for years that I was inconsiderate on the roads. After about 20 minutes with Ashley, I realised that I did need to make some changes.

"I have been driving for 53 years and over that time you get into bad habits and you do get complacent. I do feel that it made a big difference and my driving has changed for the better since taking part."

He is the latest in a series of drivers to be featured on the show improving their skills, following famous faces who have their own motoring mishaps, including former-Apprentice star Kate Walsh, actor Melvyn Hayes, comedian Rowland Rivron and ex-MP and author Edwina Currie.

Mr Briggs, who is seen instructing the West Lancashire driver in tomorrow nights episode, said: "The range of problems the drivers face in this series are very varied and it was a really enjoyable process to try and help them become safer.

"Dudley’s problems were more down to his attitude than any lack of driving skill. With something like driving that most people do very regularly, it is all too easy to bury your head in the sand about problems you are having and just try to battle on regardless. But, there is help out there and people should not feel they have to struggle on alone."

To coincide with the programme, the AA is offering 2,000 free courses to motorists whod like to improve their skills behind the wheel. To find out more go to www.theaa.com.

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The board game that had a monopoly on my motoring childhood

NEWS that the iron has been steamed off the Monopoly board in favour of a cat does at least mean one good thing - the piece modelled on the classic car is there to stay.

In a brilliant bit of marketing Hasbro, the company which makes the board game, asked Facebooks ten million Monopoly fans to vote on what should be the newest piece - and what it should replace. They voted for a cat to join the latest version of the game, and although the car was among the pieces under threat it was the iron that eventually got the chop.

Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for Hasbro gaming marketing, said: “I’m sad to see the iron go. Personally, I’m a big fan of the racecar so I’m very relieved it was saved but it is sad to see the iron go.

"Tokens are always a key part of the Monopoly game, and our fans are very passionate about their tokens, about which token they use while they play."

The car - which, Im led to believe was modelled on the game creators 1932 Ford Roadster - was also the piece I plumped for when I played the game with my fellow Simisters as a child, if only because it helped my petrolhead credentials at such a tender age.

As a result, I spent much of my childhood pushing an old car around while being mentally prepared to lose a lot of money. Something that has had absolutely no effect on my adult motoring life whatsoever...

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