Articles by Karla Pincott

BMW is seeing a string of leaks from its official websites. Earlier this week it was the coming 4 Series Convertible that appeared on a Belgian BMW site, and now the brand's South African website has leaked the specs for three 2 Series models. Quickly grabbed and reposted by enthusiast blog Bimmerpost, the spec sheets give details for the coming BMW 220d, 220i and high-performance M235i that will arrive here early next year.The 2 Series Coupe will replace the exiting 1 Series Coupe as part of BMW's ongoing realignment and renaming of their range. The newcomers are based on the 1 Series (but 110mm longer), and according to the spec lists will share similar -- although not identical -- figures.The base model 220i is powered by a revised version of the 120i's 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit, but gets 20kW and 70Nm more at 115kW and 270Nm, shaving 1.6 seconds off the 0-100km/h time while improving fuel economy by a considerable 1.8L/100km with a manual transmission and 1.9L with the auto.The diesel 220d delivers 135kW of power and 380Nm of torque from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, losing 15kW and 20Nm to the outgoing 123d but gaining at the bowser with drops of 0.6L for the manual and 1.3L for the auto.The hero M235i coupe carries over the M135i's turbo petrol 3.0-litre six-cylinder and 450Nm of torque, but gets a 5kW power lift at 240kW and beats the outgoing version to 100km/h by 0.1 seconds in both manual and auto at 5.0 and 4.8 seconds respectively. The penalty is 0.1L higher consumption for each transmission at 8.1L/100km for the manual and 7.6L for the auto.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Christmas is just a couple of pages away on the shopping calendar. And for those of you already struggling with the task of finding that special gift -- and likewise struggling with the weight of your wallet -- the Neiman Marcus fantasy gift list is here to help. The Dallas department store's annual catalogue always kicks off its fantasy selection with a car, and this year it's one fit for a future king: a special edition Neiman Marcus 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante convertible. A descendant of the car that Prince William and Kate drove off in from their wedding (a vintage 1969 Aston Martin owned by Prince Charles), only 10 will be built, which of course makes it a collectible steal for US$344,500 ($364,360) -- although you'd likely be stung for at least another $100,000 to bring it here. Perhaps a smaller vehicle would fit better under the tree, and if you're happy with just two wheels there's Indian Larry's Wild Child chopper. For US$750,000 you can easy rider away on the Harley-Davidson based bike that the renowned fabricator handbuilt in New York to win the 2003 Discovery Channel "Biker Build-Off" series. That might seem a lot for a set of secondhand wheels, so perhaps you could go for the single brand-new one of the US$11,000 of the Ciclotte exercise bicycle. Looking more like an abstract sculpture than a piece of gym equipment, the Ciclotte promises its "dynamic design is rivaled only by its effortless performance". And if it can truly make getting fit effortless, the asking price will seem a bargain compared to pre-dawn boot camp torture. But there are also a few non-wheeled gifts, of which the most extravagant is an outdoor entertainment centre with a giant 201-inch screen that rises from an underground storage bunker, yours for US$1.5-$2.6 million (depending on where you want to install it). Perhaps something tiny as a stocking stuffer? How about a 25-carat diamond, which will set you back US$1.85m but at about the size of a large sugar cube will save you some money on wrapping paper. And the price includes a trip to the London HQ of the De Beers diamond house to oversee the cutting and polishing of the stone, plus a side-trip to the African country of Namibia where it was mined. And for true silliness, there's a US$150,000 falconry set ... with everything but the falcons. You get a set of matching luggage to carry your birds and personal knick-knacks, folding furniture, a 20-karat gold-plated perch, leather hoods and other falcon wardrobe items, plus all the bits and bobs needed for a spot of backgammon, whisky-imbibing and cigar-puffing while your pets are off hunting small animals. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott Watch the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue video here

We've had a few looks at the coming BMW 4 Series Convertible decked out in camouflage while it was testing, but this is our first chance to see official images of the car -- and some of its accessories.Leaked onto a Belgian BMW website, the photos show the styling echoes the 4 Series Coupe, minus the roof. Unfortunately all the images show the car with the roof down, so we're still yet to see how the BMW designers have handled the roofline for the retractable hardtop.We'll find out more closer to the 4 Series Convertible's official debut, likely to be within a few months judging by these shots, which look catalogue-ready.BMW will likely be launching the droptop in versions that align with the coupe: an entry-level 420d with a 135kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder; a 428i powered by a 180kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder; and a 435i carrying a 225kW/400Nm 3.0L turbo six-cylinder.Transmission choices will be six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels, with all-wheel drive an option. They'll be followed later by a high-performance M4 version.Pricing announcements are a fair way off, but you can expect a premium over the coupe's estimated $70,000 for the 420d, $85,000 for the 428i and $110,000 for the 435i, which hit showrooms this month.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

There's no doubt this couple are skilled -- and daredevils. But there's also no doubt they're insanely stupid to perform a manoeuvre like this in traffic on a public highway. Even if the traffic closest to them seems to be largely their admiring fellow bikers. This kind of thing would go down well in a professional motorcycle stunt show -- where if something goes wrong, an ambulance is close by, and surrounding people won't be affected. And where, being professionals, they'd be more likely to be wearing protective gear than the t-shirt and singlet from this pair's wardrobe. But out in traffic, and clothed like this, one wrong over-rev and this couple would be in deep -- and possibly deadly -- trouble. And could take a few of their mates with them. Watch insane biker stunt video here.

Many ‘behind the scenes’ videos are tedious productions with a conga line of people nattering on about the car – and not enough of the car itself.Audi shows us how to do it right with backgrounder footage for their recent dual video giving us a look at the tyre-warming preparation for the main action. No surprise then, that the backgrounder is just as exciting as the main event, in which the RS6 Avant duels champion free-runner Damien Walters.The man is armed with paint balloons, the machine is armed with a stonking 412kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds, a top speed of up to 305km/h. And a paint grenade. Watch the Audi RS6 Avant warming the tyres video here. Watch the Audi RS6 Avant Duel video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Despite the global economic slump, We've seen the record price for cars rise several times over the past few years. And each time, it's been a Ferrari that takes the crown -- suggesting that the car brand is a better investment than gold, shares and real estate.A new record has been reached, according to Bloomberg, with a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO -- like the one shown above -- selling for US$52 million ($55.3m) in a private deal.The car is reportedly an ex-race car from the holdings of Greenwich, Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo, but may have recently moved to a Spanish collector. Although the buyer has not been identified, the sale was confirmed to the business news service by three independent specialist classic car traders.But Pappalardo himself declined to give any confirmation when contacted. "We don’t confirm these things," Pappalardo told Bloomberg. "I have no comment."The car had been in Pappalardo's collection since at least 1974, and is a renowned race vehicle that bagged first place in the 1963 Tour de France Automobile, and the 1964 and 1965 Chamrousse Hillclimbs.The Ferrari 250 GTO models are a must-have for serious collectors of the Prancing Horse -- including  Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and fashion designer Ralph Lauren -- and this desirability is reflected in their string of record prices.The 1963 Ferrari 250 is the latest of its breed to hold the world record, taking it from  a 1962 Sterling Moss Ferrari 250 GTO sold for US$35m ($37.2m) in January 2012. That car swiped the crown from another 1962 250 GTO that went for US$28.7m ($30.5m) in September 2008 during the onset of the global financial crisis.Those were all private sales. We've yet to see a 250 GTO offered publicly, and the Ferrari record at auction is considerably lower -- held by a 1957 Ferrari 250 Tesa Rossa that saw a hammer fall of US$16.4m ($17.4m) at a Pebble Beach auction in 2011.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Jeep parent Chrysler Group has implemented a safety recall on the 2013-2014 Grand Cherokee to fix problems related to the software systems that control the anti-skid brakes, stability control and instrument warning lights.The recall is on 7831 units of the Grand Cherokee – part of a global recall that includes 132,000 vehicles in the US, and will upgrade software that controls the systems.The vehicle maker's engineers discovered  a problem with Grand Cherokee's anti-lock braking system module that affects the instrument cluster display and can also affect the braking and stability control systems.Jeep says there have been no incidents or accidents related to the problem, and the recall was sparked when the company's quality-control workers saw random warning-light illumination and instrument-cluster blackout.The recall notice says that both events 'occurred infrequently and appeared to resolve themselves by turning the vehicle's ignition off and then on' but that the upgrade would be rolled out for safety and compliance reasons.Chrysler Group Australia is contacting owners of affected vehicles, who may also get in touch with their nearest Jeep dealer. 

Audi isn’t shy of getting their cars dirty for trailers. We’ve already seen the Audi RS4 in a paintball duel, and now the RS6 Avant has been rolled onto the battlefield.

Subaru has revealed an upgraded version of its EyeSight camera-based vehicle monitoring system in preparation for the future arrival of autonomous driving. The Eyesight system is already designed to monitor the traffic ahead and avoid collisions. The revised version -- which will start rolling out on Subaru models next year -- takes that collision avoidance to the next level. A new stereo camera increases the accuracy of the Eyesight system's ability to recognise and differentiate objects, with a 40 per cent increase in viewing angle and distance covered -- coupled with improved colour recognition technology that lets it detect the activation of brake lights or red traffic lights. Subaru says linking the colour recognition to the system's Adaptive Cruise Control means the car can more deftly brake automatically if it detects the one in front doing so. Motor Authority says the system is also able to 'read' lane boundaries, some street signs, and nearby  vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. New to the Eyesight system is a lane-keeping function that will tug on the steering automatically to keep the car in its lane, and lane-departure prevention that will adjust the steering more radically if it detects that you are in danger of leaving the road. Subaru says the upgrades are part of the preparation for future autonomous driving systems with further advanced features. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

A driver in the US state of Kentucky has been arrested after video showed him shooting at the car that was filming him on an instertate highway. The video footage was shot by David Kollar on his phone, in attempt to record road rager Perrin Dobyns' number plate after he was spotted driving recklessly, speeding into the emergency lane to undercut other traffic. The footage shows Dobyns winding down the window of his car and pointing a gun at Kollar. Due to road noise, you can't hear the gunshot, but police have reportedly confirmed the gun was fired. According to US news reports, 51-year-old Indiana resident Dobyns has been charged with wanton endangerment -- a charge that could have been more serious had his bullet hit Kollar. Watch video of the road rage shooter here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott