BMW M340i with 374hp and all-wheel-drive
BMW has unveiled its M340i xDrive sedan, just weeks after it revealed the new 3-series. A variant positioned just below the future M3, the M340i could arrive by the fourth quarter of next year.
The car is powered by a newly developed straight six-cylinder petrol engine with 374hp. With M suspension and all-wheel-drive, the M340i promises an "exceptional sporty character".
Jaguar merchandise available
to Changi Rewards members Wearnes Automotive, the sole authorised distributor of Jaguar cars in Singapore, has announced the launch of the Jaguar Lifestyle Collection on the Changi Rewards platform.
In a tie-up with Changi Airport Group, the programme will allow Changi Rewards members to select from a mix of Jaguar merchandise when they redeem their rewards from this month. It is an extension of this year's "Be A Changi Millionaire" promotion, where a Jaguar E-Pace is among the grand prizes.
Elon Musk's Teslaquila clash with Mexican tequila regulators
Tesla Inc co-founder Elon Musk and Mexico's tequila producers could be headed for a collision after the agave-based drink's industry group opposed the flamboyant billionaire's efforts to trademark an alcoholic drink dubbed "Teslaquila".
Reuters reported that Mr Musk could be setting his sights on disrupting the multibillion-dollar tequila industry.
On Oct 12, he tweeted "Teslaquila coming soon" and an accompanying "visual approximation" of a red and white label with the Tesla logo and a caption that stated "100 per cent Puro de Agave".
Not so fast, said Mexico's Tequila Regulatory Council. It argued that the "name 'Teslaquila' evokes the word Tequila ... (and) Tequila is a protected word".
The council keeps tabs on producers to assure they adhere to strict denomination of origin rules, which dictate the spirit must be made in the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit or Tamaulipas, among other requirements.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, Tesla has filed an application to trademark "Teslaquila" as a"distilled agave liquor" and "distilled blue agave liquor".
Similar applications have been filed in Mexico, the European Union and Jamaica.
"If it wants to make Teslaquila viable as a tequila, it would have to associate itself with an authorised tequila producer, comply with certain standards and request authorisation from Mexico's Industrial Property Institute," said the council.
Aston Martin SUV slated to launch
next year The name of Aston Martin's first sport utility vehicle has been confirmed - DBX. Prototype testing has started, with the model on schedule for product launch in the fourth quarter of next year.
Initial road testing is being done along a demanding Welsh Rally stage. Aston Martin says the DBX is subjected to a punishing regimen that will "ultimately see development prototypes of the all-new machine".
Audi and Umicore team up to recycle battery components
Audi and Umicore have successfully completed the first phase of their strategic research cooperation for battery recycling. The two partners are developing a closed loop for components of high-voltage batteries that can be reused. Particularly valuable materials are set to become available in a raw materials bank.
Before this collaboration, Audi had analysed the batteries in the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid and defined ways of recycling. Together with the material technology experts, the car manufacturer then determined the possible recycling rates for battery components such as cobalt, nickel and copper. The result: more than 95 per cent of these elements can be recovered and reused in laboratory tests.
Christopher Tan
