For some, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is an act of defying regulations and asserting their individual freedom. For others, riding helmet-free it enhances the experience by offering a stronger sense of freedom, sensory engagement, and connection with the road. However, this choice comes with significant risks and potential legal consequences in many places. That’s why BMW is on the road to resolving helmetless restrictions by adding a roll cage and harness to a CE04, which is said to keep occupants protected in the event of a crash.

BMW’s new concept is called the Vision CE, and it’s not the first of its kind. You may remember the BMW C1, a scooter that was equipped with a roof, windshield, and seat belts in the early 2000s. The C1 had an aluminum spaceframe that formed a protective safety cell around the rider. While some jurisdictions still required the use of helmets, authorities such as the German Federal Ministry of Transport and TÜV approved the C1 for helmet-free use due to its safety features.

Even so, the potential arrival of a roll cage-equipped BMW Vision CE electric scooter still raises safety concerns.

Freedom Of The Open Road Comes With Risks

BMW says the goal of the Vision CE is to “eliminate the need for a helmet as well as protective clothing,” but offers no images of real people sitting on the scooter. At first glance, we still have concerns about the possibility of arms and hands ending up outside of the “safe space” – look at how the handles are positioned outside of the roll cage. Plus, what about the rider’s legs and feet?

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm that legs and feet are the most commonly injured body parts in non-fatal motorcycle accidents, accounting for around 30% of all such injuries, often from direct impact with another vehicle or road surface. The severity of these injuries, which can include fractures, road rash, crushing injuries, and nerve damage, can result in long-term disability.

Interestingly enough, it has been proven that, with the addition of a roll cage, there’s a greater risk of your skull striking a solid, fixed object, which can cause severe brain injury. A helmet provides a crucial layer of protection against this type of impact.

BMW also claims the Vision CE can “completely balance itself when stationary,” which can prevent low-speed tip overs that are more common with new riders, the exact audience that BMW hopes to target with its new concept. However, the feature still leaves room for slip-ups, such as a rider skidding over slick road paint in the rain. The initial instinct of a beginner rider is to stick their leg out to regain stability, but the images from the press release don’t show solutions for such a risk.

While the idea to offer a product that allows riders to hit the road helmet and motorcycle armor free could find its own niche in the market, the Vision CE appears to pose similar risks when compared any other scooter or motorcycle. And realistically, will a rider with a helmet-free preference choose a bike with an unsightly roll bar? We suspect not. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.

The post BMW Has a Vision For Helmet-Free Motorcycle Safety appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

When Alfa Romeo folded its tents and left the U.S. market in 1995, its product line had been reduced to the 164 LS sedan and its upmarket sibling, the 164 Quadrifoglio. (The ancient Spider was withdrawn after 1994, but another 40 trickled off dealers’ lots in the following year.) Meanwhile, back in Milan, the company had been busy creating a new generation of cars that American Alfisti could only dream about. One of those was the 145.

This 1996 Alfa Romeo 145 2.0 that we found in the Hemmings Marketplace is a good example of the car we were denied 30 years ago, but are now allowed to import. It’s a three-door design — Europeans were always more accepting than Americans of the idea of a premium hatchback — and was the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 33, yet another model not sold here. In Quadrifoglio form, with the same 2-liter, Twin Spark inline-four that powers this car, it was Alfa’s hot hatch for the mid-1990s.

Although the design was shaped in the wind tunnel, resulting in a low 0.32 coefficient of drag, Alfa boasted that this was no jelly-bean shape, like so many of is contemporaries. “Such was the genius of the 145 design team that any temptation to let the laws of aerodynamics take control and produce a bland ‘jelly-mould’ shape was firmly resisted. The result is a visual triumph, an Alfa Romeo worthy of its illustrious predecessors,” the company said. That design team was led by Chris Bangle, during his seven years at Centro Stile Fiat before his departure for BMW.

Automotive critics found it hard to pigeonhole the 145, which featured wraparound glass behind the front doors, but it was generally agreed that it was a useful design that could be configured in a number of ways. Alfa Romeo themselves realized that there was a market for a more conventional body style on the same platform, introducing the 146 five-door seven months after the 145’s April 1994 unveiling. (Though the 146 looked like a conventional sedan, it, too, was a hatchback.)

The Type 903A, as it was known in-house, was based on Fiat’s front-wheel-drive, unit-body Tipo Due platform, which was also the basis of the contemporary Fiat Tipo, Lancia Delta, and Alfa Romeo Spider and GTV models, among others. It could accommodate both Alfa’s horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engines, mounted longitudinally, and its inline-fours, mounted transversely. The most powerful of these engines was the 16-valve, DOHC, 1,970-cc Twin Spark inline-four, which was rated at 153 hp at 6,400 rpm and 138 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. This engine was borrowed from the Alfa Romeo 155, which was dominating European touring car championships.

As the name implies, the alloy head of the Twin Spark incorporates two spark plugs per cylinder. Getting dual plugs to fit in a combustion chamber that already held four valves was no small feat; the engineers put one in the center, for maximum efficiency, and a second, smaller-diameter plug on the edge of the chamber between an inlet and an exhaust valve. Though impact on overall performance wasn’t significant, the second valve let the engine idle more smoothly in lean conditions.

The 145 featured MacPherson struts up front and a trailing arm suspension in the rear. Buyers had a choice of one transmission, a five-speed manual. Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering was also standard equipment. The 145 was a sales success for Alfa Romeo, with some 221,000 produced between 1994 and 2000.

This 145 is being offered for sale by a classic car dealer in Brazil that has been in the export/import business since 1997 and can ship worldwide. The asking price of $10,000 does not include shipping fees. According to the seller, the 145 was refurbished at 80,000 miles by a local Alfa Romeo specialist, getting new paintwork and a variety of new components, including engine rings and pistons, clutch, shock absorbers, battery, brake discs and pads, and more. About 30,000 miles have been added since the work was done.

If you’re interested in a seldom-seen, fun-to-drive hot hatch with a great pedigree and that won’t break the bank, this 145 might be your cup of limoncello.

The post 4 Cylinders, 8 Spark Plugs, and Chris Bangle Styling: Meet the Not-Sold-Here Alfa Romeo 145 appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

It is low to the earth, a wedge-shaped Italian from the 1970s in a blinding shade of yellow. It looks like a car from an electric racing track set. The number gumballs, riveted-on flares and the sponsor stickers tell the tale: this is a racing machine that was destined to do more than be parked outside of a fancy restaurant. It’s a 1977 Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer that was modified by Carrozzeria AutoSport, and it looks ready to start cranking out laps at Monza. 

While there is no doubting a Ferrari’s racing pedigree, thanks to the course that Enzo Ferrari plotted for his company from the beginning through his end with the F40 program, there can be doubts placed on the road cars. Is it a racing car, or just a racy car? From the view of someone who doesn’t tread in the world of Italian exotics, it’s a proper question. Most Ferrari road cars are racy. They make the noise, they have the speed, but many times they exist as a status symbol. They are like a bespoke suit, a high-end watch, or a yacht; meaning, they exist to enhance the reputation and status of the owner more than any other reason. 

On the other side of the coin are the true racing machines from Maranello. Ferrari racing cars don’t make good pets. They are temperamental. They require an owner with deep pockets, a knowledgeable wrench well-versed in V12 wizardry and every quirk that comes with a hand-built Italian job, and a driver with solid brass ones who can wring every ounce of performance from the machine without parking the car in the weeds. Make no mistake, when race day comes around a skilled driver will struggle to find a better set of wheels. Few cars can perform in the way a Ferrari can.

Ferraris aren’t “middle ground” cars. They either are, or they aren’t. But in this case, we can see a proper exception for this Boxer. It is a street car, legal for the roadways, mild-mannered enough to live for a drive in the countryside or some winding road in the hills. We admit, the provided video of the car out on a romp helps a bit. Convincing yourself that the car is legal as you click-click through the gears, shifting at 6,500 RPM might be a bit harder than you first anticipate. The growl of that 4.9-liter twelve has the kind of exhaust note that can grab the ear of any anyone who is within earshot. 

Imagine settling into that seat. Strapping on those belts. Firing off that hand-built twelve and cracking open those Weber carburetors for a quick rev. Grab that shifter handle, drop it into first gear, and letting that heavy clutch out. For kids who played games like OutRun or the Rad Racer video games, the idea of hopping into a Ferrari and hitting the road sounds like a dream come true. In a Ferrari with a proper body kit, air intakes on the roof and better deep dishes than what you can find in Chicago, what’s stopping you from experiencing a little of that magic for yourself? Only 929 of the 512 BB were made, and only 2,323 total Berlinetta Boxers were produced by Maranello between 1973 and 1984. Rare, hand-formed by the artisans at Pininfarina, and decidedly angry, this Boxer needs a workout. Will you be the kind of owner who allows it?

The post Straddle The Line Between Street Car And Racing Machine With This 1977 Ferrari 512 BB appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

I love junkyards, and have since I was a kid. There are fewer of them these days, but on occasion I still see a promising one on the edge of town, and I take the time to have a look. It all started when I was in the third grade in Santa Monica, California. To get to my elementary school I had to walk through an industrial area that included a tire shop, a lumberyard, and most importantly, an automotive salvage yard.

On occasion my pals and I used to sneak through the gate, past the small trailer that housed the proprietor, who was a hugely overweight fellow with a red face. We would climb in the cars and pretend to be chasing bad guys or running from the police, and we would check glove compartments for treasures such as bottle openers—that is until the owner spotted us and chased us out. We were young and agile, and he was the size of a Buick Roadmaster, so there was no danger of being caught.

My family moved away the next year, and things got tougher at salvage yards with the advent of junkyard guard dogs. Later, in my teens I remember going to Cavin’s Wrecking in Long Beach, California, to get yet another transmission for a friend’s 1949 Ford. (My friend Frank was hard on gearboxes.) We arrived when they opened, but before we could go out into the yard, Mr. Cavin had to place two big bowls of dog food in a large cage in his office, and then raised a trap door that allowed his two maniacal Dobermans with evil yellow eyes to come rushing in.

By the early 1960’s most junkyards had guard dogs, and they meant business. One salvage yard nearby was even reputed to have an old circus lion to protect the inventory. I also heard about a salvage yard in Detroit that acquired a full-grown chimpanzee for such duties. Unfortunately, the chimp decided to explore other parts of the city, and escaped. He was out for a week before he could be subdued. And then there is a friend in Indiana who told me about being chased onto the hood of a car by a junkyard guard hog.

That is all in the past now, thanks to cameras and electronics, and the fact that it is no longer acceptable to inconvenience thieves. Also, old-style junkyards are disappearing due to environmental concerns. But there are still a few good ones around. For example, in my area there is Pick-a-Part in Wilmington, California, where you can still get under and get dirty.

You need to be properly attired if you are going there. And I am not talking about a tuxedo. Overalls or blue jeans are appropriate, as are a long-sleeved shirt, leather shoes and leather work gloves. I would also take a pair of safety glasses and a small tool box full of hand tools such as combination wrenches, a Crescent wrench, a socket set, and maybe some WD-40 to loosen rusted parts. A multimeter is also handy if you are looking for electronic components.

Going to salvage yards for parts is old-school though. That’s because we have the internet, and of course, Hemmings Motor News, where parts for just about every car ever made are available by mail. I have used both for many years now, and have never been cheated or mistreated.

I call vendors and talk to them to find out if they have what I need, and sound reputable, before giving them my credit card number. Many of them ship worldwide. The only time I ever experienced credit card fraud in my life was at a restaurant in San Francisco many years ago.

Though I no longer frequent junkyards for parts, I still stop and look when I see a promising one. You never know what you’ll find. The last time I stopped at a salvage yard in the desert east of Los Angeles I found a 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, and an American Motors Gremlin. And all of them were restorable.

Junkyards aren’t as common as they used to be, but you can usually enter them without sneaking in, and there are no longer berserk Dobermans to tear you from limb to limb. For me it’s kind of like touring archeological ruins and seeing what once was. In fact, I have even been known to tour junkyards in other countries.

In New Zealand there is a super salvage yard called Horopito Motor Wreckers on the Central North Island that goes way back, and has cars and parts from all over the world. It is the Louvre of junkyards, with acres of cars from every era, plus a couple of huge warehouses. I can spend half a day wandering through their offerings. But that’s just me. If you don’t enjoy such pursuits, stay home and let your mind wander, and browse Hemmings, while sitting in your comfy chair with a cup of coffee.

The post Weekend Wrench: Show Me Your Junk appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

The era of the Wagon is coming to an end. Volvo, the company which built its reputation on the legacy of its full-size estate cars, has confirmed the discontinuation of its famed V90 wagon and its lifted variant, the V90 Cross Country. The death of the Volvo V90 marks a significant shift for the brand as it shifts away from its traditional long-roof vehicles in favor of the more profitable and popular crossover SUV segment.

The End of an Era

The V90’s cancellation follows a predictable narrative in the current automotive landscape, where low-volume niche models are sacrificed in favor of more profitable offerings.

The current generation of the V90, based on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, was introduced in 2016. For the final model years in the United States, only the more rugged V90 Cross Country was offered, while the standard wagon was already discontinued.

The discontinuation has been foreshadowed by previous statements from Volvo leadership. Former CEO Jim Rowan hinted at a future without wagons, and current management has proceeded with a product strategy focused on SUVs. The company is doubling down on more profitable, high-demand segments to reduce complexity and costs.

While the V90 was a well-regarded model, its sales figures were dwarfed by its high-riding stablemates. The V90’s fate is a direct result of market demand, which has heavily favored SUVs like the top-selling XC90.

The legacy of the Volvo wagon

For dedicated automotive enthusiasts, Volvo has long been synonymous with the station wagon, or “estate” car. Volvo’s wagons embody the brand’s belief that “people come first,” prioritizing user experience, safety, and utility, which has led to their status as functional yet stylish vehicles.

Volvo wagons began in 1953 with the Duett (“two cars in one”), a dual-purpose vehicle for both work and leisure. Other key wagon models include the more elegant Amazon in 1962, the classic 1962-1969 122S station wagon, and the iconic, long-running 240 Series from 1974 to 1993, which was a best-seller known for its durability and safety innovations. Volvo’s approach emphasized safety and utility over style, a philosophy that continues to define its “people-first” estate cars and has resulted in iconic models like the V90.

The latest V90 was praised for its elegant design, luxurious interior, and its ability to blend the utility of an SUV with the more engaging driving dynamics of a sedan.

A final farewell

The death of the V90 is a sad but pragmatic business decision. While it catered to a passionate audience of enthusiasts, the low sales numbers made its continued production unsustainable.

With the V90’s discontinuation, the smaller V60 Cross Country remains as the last Volvo wagon in the U.S. lineup. While Volvo confirmed its ongoing production for the near term, its long-term future in a segment with declining demand remains in question.

For those who still appreciate the uniquely Scandinavian, understated elegance and practicality of the modern full-size Volvo wagon, you’ll need to check with your local Volvo dealer for any remaining V90 stock. Or, for the lovers of gently used classic cars, check out Hemmings Marketplace, where you might just find your perfect Volvo wagon.

The post Volvo V90 Discontinued: A Look Back at the End of an Era appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

Ever since Nissan first rolled out its high-performance Z Nismo model, we’ve heard cries of protest circulating the internet. Upon its release, the 2024 Nissan Nismo disappointingly left out a manual transmission option, only offering a less-than-thrilling nine-speed automatic. Luckily, Nissan has been listening, and we’ve just heard confirmation that a manual transmission is coming to the Nismo model in the near future.

The current Nismo Z model sends power to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Nissan said a manual transmission would not be an option because the majority of its customers desire a quick-reacting track car, and its proven that good modern automatics shift quicker than even the best manuals. Even though the automatic transmission, also  equipped with a launch mode, was optimized to provide quicker shifting for a more “aggressive” feel, customers still crave the incomparable feeling of clutch action, hence Nissan’s change of tune.

A Manual Transmission Nissan Z Nismo is Coming

Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier recently confirmed during an Automotive News podcast that the company will soon add a six-speed manual option to the Z Nismo. This eagerly awaited update will bring the Nismo model in line with the standard Z’s available manual option, although we anticipate that the transmission will be specially modified to handle the Nismo’s extra 20 horsepower and 34 pound-feet of torque offered by its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.

In total, the Nismo pushes 420 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque, which allowed Car and Driver test drivers to accelerate from zero to 60 miles-per-hour in a quick 3.9 seconds with the automatic transmission. Naturally, the manual transmission is likely to be a smidge slower, a small sacrifice for a more engaging driver-focused experience. The Nismo Z also gains a limited-slip differential, a stiffer suspension setup, stronger brakes, and more aggressive bodywork when compared to the standard Z.

The exact date of the manual transmission Nissan Z Nismo model’s release is unknown, though it is speculated it could arrive by the 2027 model year, so get ready for an even more engaging driving experience.

Nissan is Cranking Up The Fun

Nissan has been on a roll lately. Not only is it bringing back the manual transmission to the Z Nismo, it’s also working on reviving the iconic Silvia sports car, likely in hybrid or electric form. The company is also bringing back the Xterra, putting its Pathfinder back on a body-on-frame chassis, is reportedly coming out with a manual Infiniti sports sedan, and has reimagined the Leaf as a compact SUV EV for the 2026 model year.

Nissan also recently reimagined its mid-engine hot hatch concept from 2002. Meanwhile, students from the Nissan Automobile Technical College completed one-off custom creations in time to be displayed at the Tokyo Auto Salon. And, while the R35 generation Nissan GT-R production has ceased, the automaker assures us that the nameplate is here to stay.

The post Nissan Z Fans Rejoice: Nismo Manual Transmission Option Confirmed appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.