Check it, Cooper fans -- that electric MINI we've been sporadically hearing about is for real, and we've seen the spy shots that prove it. Car has hosted up a slew of non-blurry (gasp!) snaps of the eco-friendly whip cruising around Munich, and just in case the complete absence of an exhaust pipe wasn't evidence enough, maybe the "Hybrid Test Vehicle" decals will make you a believer. Also of note, we're now hearing that the car is on track for a 2008 Los Angeles motor show appearance, which jibes quite well with the purported summer 2009 US launch.

[Via RegHardware]

For more than a year lucky BMW-owning Germans have been hitting Google Maps, and more recently the rest of the Internets, at blazing (cough) EDGE speeds from their sport-seats. Now, Bimmer-owning Americans are getting a piece of the action with a little help from AT&T's GSM-friendly network. However, while there's no mention in the release, BMW Blog thinks US cars will be limited to GPRS, not EDGE. All 2009 American BMW models, except for the lowly X3 mini-'Ute (which BMW doesn't even bother to manufacture itself), will get Google Maps integration, enabling the driver or passenger to search for businesses from the dash. Directions can be piped to the car's nav system and calls placed via in-car Bluetooth. At $199 per-year it's not exactly a steal, but that does include standard BMW Assist functionality like locating your car if it's stolen or dispatching an ambulance if you're in a horrible accident. Yeah, we only care about the searching too.

Not that electric MINIs are anything new, but unless you were willing to pay for all the mods yourself, procuring one wasn't exactly simple. Now, however, we're hearing that MINI itself will be bringing scads of these buggers to American streets in the summer of 2009. Yeah, like, one year from right now. MINI USA VP Jim McDowell was the source of said statement (so it's pretty much official, yeah?), though he didn't mention whether all of them would be reserved for California or if they would be available sold out nationwide. Hey MINI, we'd say you've got a hit on your hands.

Ready to have your gray matter softly stroked? Perhaps you should take a trip to BMW's recently opened museum in Munich, where a kinetic sculpture comprising 714 metallic balls suspended in air will soothe your weary mind. It's one of those things that's better seen than described, but if you can imagine a wave of undulating orbs that appear to weightlessly float, you'll start to get the idea. Can't afford the flight? Check out the video -- which features some serious easy listening jams -- after the break and see the installation in action.

[Via BMWCCA]

This angry-looking skinned beast is the BMW GINA Light Visionary Model. GINA, which stands for Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations -- whatever that means -- is shelled in a textile fabric wrapped around a carbon fiber and metal frame. This means that the skin and skeleton can bend and contract like, well, real skin and skeleton. For instance, the doors bend up, the headlights are exposed like eyeballs under eyelids, and the hood opens from the center like some sort of gaping maw to expose the engine. Even the interior is skinned and modular: only the dash displays that you need at any item are available via openings. Don't get too excited, though -- this is purely a concept and nothing you'll see in a showroom any time soon. We can dream, though, right?

And you thought puttering around the intarwebz on your EDGE-capable iPhone was bad -- just think of trying to find anything on the 'net while accidentally moseying through a dodgy part of town. Nevertheless, BMW is gearing up to offer "unrestricted access" to the web as an option in any new 2008 vehicle, but alas, it's only for European clients at the moment. Of course, BMW's no stranger to letting bits and pieces of the web into its motorcars, but this creation will let you catch up on the latest gadget news and pre-order the latest Elmo doll from the comfort of your heated seat. Sadly, the service is only available to front seat passengers when the car is moving under 3mph (it's for the best, we know), but your kiddos can surf into all sorts of bizarre chatrooms while seated in the rear. Nothing like a predator tailing you on the autobahn!

BMW has started testing an IP solution for its cars that uses standard ethernet to connect car components to the central computer. The testbed could potentially lower costs: if not due to the physical component cost, then as a result of the IPv6 protocol's future-proof design. BMW even feels satisfied that the IP network can cope with safety features, which may be undermined somewhat by the inevitable attempts at high-speed LAN parties in the back seat.

[Via Autoblog]

So, if you believe the rumor mill, then T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom) has clinched the iPhone for Germany right? Perhaps, but that hasn't stopped BMW from showing off this picture of the iPhone running with Voda...(fone) at their Frankfurt Motor Show website. Now we'd chalk this up to some speculative Photoshopping on BMW's part but we also received a tip from a reader claiming to have seen a Vodafone iPhone in the BMW area over the weekend. What the? Anyone at the autoshow care to sneak out some snaps?

Update: Meanwhile... our readers have united on the edge of Occam's razor with the following conclusion: international roaming.

[Via itrafik, thanks Jay A.]

Read -- Photo above found in the iPhone section

If you're not content to simply simulate other vehicles in actual cars, or simulate driving actual cars in video game simulations, perhaps you would enjoy this combination from BMW, which allows you to play a simulation in the actual vehicle you're simulating. All a bit meta for you? Don't worry, all that's going on here is that BMW has rigged up its $100,000+ M3 with a projector in the backseat, and wired the steering, transmission and pedals to control and react to a racing sim (which is based on the M3's handling). The system also feeds data back to the car's hydraulics, allowing it to shake and bounce in sync with gameplay. Probably not as much fun as driving the real thing, but definitely cheaper. Be sure to check the video after the break to hear a completely over-zealous car nerd acting like he's never seen Outrun before.

[Via Joystiq]

Nearly three years ago to the day, BMW announced that you could "iPod your BMW." Today, that same luxury is being passed onto Apple's latest handheld device. According to an admittedly brief introduction page at BMW, the automaker has proclaimed that it is indeed the first to ensure that iPhone owners can look forward to seamless integration of music playback and handsfree Bluetooth calling "across its model line." Beginning today, BMW whips equipped with BMW Assist with Bluetooth can enjoy handsfree calling in their ride, and those with the iPod / USB interface can control the iPod functions of the iPhone via built-in vehicle controls and view the track / album information on your radio (or navigation system, we presume). BMW notes that "further details" will be available soon, and with any luck, a few more automakers will follow suit in the near future.

[Thanks, Alex]

UPDATE: Check out the first hands-on report as a user introduces his 8GB iPhone to a 2007 328xi. "Fully functional" says it all.

While BMW is no stranger to the motorcycle helmet arena, the Motorrad division has went and gone official with its neck bracing system in the UK. Introduced in November of last year, this safety-minded technology utilizes Kevlar, carbon fiber, and padded foam to create a plate that sits between a rider's shoulders and any helmet in order to "provide optimum protection for the spine during an accident." Due to the materials used in construction, the contraption is both lightweight and rigid, and two side clasps enable rides to easily strap it on similar to a collar. The idea is of course to stop the head from moving too far in any direction whilst in a collision, but the team does state that "the rider is also able to retain freedom of movement needed when driving." The neck brace system is available now at Motorrad dealers for £325 ($648), and while there's no word of a US release just yet, we can't imagine it being too far behind. Another shot after the jump.

[Via Autoblog]

There's no need to fix it if nothing's broken, and apparently Acer isn't deviating from the lucrative automotive partnerships anytime soon. While the Ferrari lineup tends to cater to the high-end laptop buyer, the company has now partnered with BMW to provide stylish, automotive-inspired machines to "the average consumer." The team will collaborate to refresh the Aspire series (dubbed Gemstone), and while specifics aren't entirely clear, we do know that users can expect a curvaceous design and a dash of Santa Rosa under the hood. Additionally, the BMW lappies will offer up WiFi, Dolby surround sound, and HDMI, and there was even a hint of a 17-incher and an option for HD DVD. Best of all, it sounds like users will have a choice between an AMD or Intel processor, and although pricing information wasn't divulged, Acer did state that "no premium for the extra design work" would be tacked on.

Intelligent roadways are nothing new, as we've seen project after project (and even countries) look at varying ways to keep drivers informed whilst cruising about, but a new rendition showcased at CeBIT is looking to utilize P2P networking in order to spread pertinent information about road hazards to drivers behind the mishap. SmartWeb, which is being coordinated by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence along with a myriad of other corporations, would allow vehicles to detect hazards (such as an oil slick or road block) and pass the information on to surrounding vehicles in order to hopefully prevent accidents and give motorists ample time to locate a detour. This doesn't mark the first time P2P has been used for the betterment of mankind, and the data would reportedly be conveyed via a "dashboard screen or through a mobile handset," potentially adding yet another distraction to overload our brains while trying to remain between the blinking yellow lines. Of course, those of you with real-time traffic updates are already on top of the game, but we could definitely see this technology being marketable to thrill-seeking cops looking to pinpoint information feeds coming from speeding criminals.

Among all the new cars unveiled at the recent Geneva motor show, BMW also took the opportunity to show off a little in-car action, letting show-goers take its still-in-development dashboard console for a spin. According to Wired blog Autopia, the system can be loaded up with audio and video content off your PC via WiFi while you're parked in the driveway, or via a cellular link when you're on the road. Unfortunately, they didn't provide many details on the console itself, other than that it boasts 20GB of storage and will apparently be able to record radio content as well. It's also not clear when we might see such a system installed in a future BMW, with the company only saying that it "could" be commercially available within three years, adding that licensing and copyright issues are (not surprisingly) the main things holding it back.

[Thanks, Christian]