That’s $US10 million for a mast. Granted, it’s part of a massive structure that’s twice the size of a 747’s wing, but that’s still $US10 million for a mast. The Ellison-owned team has two more in reserve, so it’s understandable how the helmsman can call the harrowing event “minor” when speaking to we plebeians.

The cause of the mishap is unknown. Weather and stray surfing gadget blog editors have been ruled out, and the team hopes to figure out the real cause and get back to training so they can meet and defeat Alinghi of Switzerland on February 8. [NBC Bay Area]

The BMW Simple is similar to the Nissan Land Glider, except that the BMW has a tricycle configuration, and its angled surfaces make it look like an stealth fighter. The coolest thing about it, however, is how it rolls.

The back wheels have a hydraulic system that makes the car/bike/mobilethingie carve the road as if you were surfing or snowboarding down a slope. According to BMW, the experience is quite unique. The vehicle weighs about 450kg, going to 100km/h in under seconds, with a top speed of 200km/h. It can do 446 per litre.

Sadly, don’t expect to see this car yet. BMW says they have no plans to start manufacturing it yet. Too bad. [Autoblog]

Look beyond the cheesiness of the music, smug actor and his Oakley Thumps glasses for a moment and actually examine the incredible practicality at work—highlighting/identifying parts of an engine and offering step by step instructions for completing complicated procedures. Give me a world UI like this, and I won’t just change my own air filter. I’ll be able to remove my own appendix.

Oh, and my brain will never memorise how to do anything ever again, but let’s forget that part… [BMW via MediaIte via Jalopnik]

Jalopnik is right. This see-through concept out of the BMW R&D wing would be best served with a side of Tron and a couple of light cycles.

The video above is the official promo for the concept vehicle, which will, sadly, never see a showroom. For more, see Jalopnik, which has up a gallery and oodles of facts and figures. [Jalopnik]

Actually, it’s the multifunctional hall of the BMW Welt energy-efficient factory, designed as “a solar-heated, naturally ventilated sub-climatic area.” The air flow is generated by thermal currents and turbulences that start on the building’s façade and roof, which are guided by strategically placed vents across the structure.

Yes, it’s cool and and it looks awesome too. [Inhabitat]

Audis are better, but if your tike just won’t shut up about wanting a Bimmer, then by all means bestow upon him or her this shiny BMW Baby Racer II.

The Racer comes with “low-noise” rubber tires that promise a quiet ride and marginal obstacle-tackling efficiency. High and low speeds ensure your little loved one will be able to mercilessly taunt their slower Power Wheels-equipped kin at slow speeds, before throwing the BMW into high gear and leaving them in their rearview. Just like real life BMW drivers!

This fine example of German engineering is certified by the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) for kiddies aged 1-3. Price not available, but if you have to ask you’re probably driving a Kia. [BMW via Born Rich]

Getting out of a car parked on a busy street can be dangerous. Good thing BMW has created a prototype of a smart car door that won’t open if it detects hazards coming at you.

BMW has teamed up with Technical University of Munich in creating these smart car doors, which have produced positive results so far. They expect these doors to be available on the market within the next 12 months, although the doors might be licensed to other manufacturers instead of BMW’s own cars.

I can see this type of technology being useful when I have to park along extremely busy street in San Francisco. But then again, I can also see this being a safety hazard: For instance, being taken hostage in your own car and needing to jump out at a stoplight as a biker approaches your door from behind. Or being John McClane, having to jump out of the vehicle as your car goes flying at helicopters in the sky. Yipee-kay-ay mother serious-relationship-haver! [CraveUK via CNet]

If you can peer past the completely uninspired case, the actual specs are far more likely to induce some sweaty palms: Nehalem quad-core Xeon 5500 processors, two Nvidia Quadro 5800 graphics cards, and room for 196GB of RAM. A beast. So why can’t it look more like one, or even the Z4 that it’s supposedly inspired by? [DVICE]

I thought nothing would impress me more than the Lego factory’s interior and its breathtaking 65-foot-high storage cathedrals. And then, I saw this video of BMW’s Munich assembly line, with almost no sign of humans.

I know that robotised assembly lines are nothing new, but I thought there were more people around. You know, drinking beer and sausages and sauerkraut while languidly pushing a single red button or something. [DRB]

Apparently it’s aimed at gamers, with some of the components—like the drive units—mounted out of the actual case. [Carscoop via Luxury Launches]