Formula One racing engines have been dropping cylinders like advanced trigonometry classes over the past couple of decades. The V12s gave way to V10s in the mid 90s. Those were replaced in turn by the current V8s in 2006, and now it’s been confirmed that by 2014 two more cylinders will drop off the block for V6 propulsion. @funkmasterflex

Fast. Lightweight. Eminently enticing. There are a lot of things you could call a Lotus, but perhaps “ambitious” would be the most suitable. The company’s been snapping up former Ferrari personnel en masse, unveiled five new concepts at the same time last year, and plans on returning to producing its own engines to bring them to market. @funkmasterflex

It’s funny; of the three German luxury brands, BMW was the first to offer a sport-utility vehicle – the X5 – and yet it’s the last to create some sort of four-door coupe, the next hot segment that every luxury marque seems to be diving into. Mercedes-Benz is now on its second generation of the CLS, the sexy Audi A7 is now on sale around the globe, and even Porsche took notice and created the Panamera. Nevertheless, BMW is quickly prepping its own take on the four-door coupe with this, the 6 Series Gran Coupe, which – based on this latest set of spy photos – looks to be nearing completion. @funkmasterflex