BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept

As a plug-in full hybrid with a turbodiesel engine, upward-pivoting doors and radical styling, BMW’s 4- seat Vision EfficientDynamics concept car—now on display at the Frankfurt auto show—is packed with technology enabling it to be both frugal and fast.

Complementing the Vision’s futuristic exterior styling, the interior of the car has a flowing instrument panel and a seating arrangement designed to give the passengers a floating-in-air feel. The upholstery is mostly made with natural materials although Kevlar is used for the seats. New technology such as a 3- dimensional head-up display and BMW night vision is included.

The chassis of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept is constructed mostly from aluminum, with the roof and the exterior body made almost entirely from a special polycarbonate material. The car is 181.1 in. long, 74.8 in. wide and 48.8 in. tall. It has a 2+2 seating configuration that includes 5.3 cu. ft. of luggage space.

The Vision concept is powered by three sources: two electric motors (one at each axle, giving the car all-wheel drive in electric mode) and a turbodiesel engine (in front of the rear axle). The synchronous electric motor in front can provide a continuous output of 80 horsepower and peak torque of 162 lb.-ft. via a two-stage, single-speed reduction gearbox. For that extra kick needed when passing, the same motor can deliver 112 hp for up to 30 sec., and up to 139 hp for 10 sec.

In back, the second electric motor resides between the mid-mounted turbodiesel and BMW’s 6-speed DCT twin-clutch gearbox driving the rear axle. It is rated to serve up 33 hp continuously (51 hp peak) and maximum torque of 214 lb.-ft. Combined, the two electric motors can carry double duty in propelling the car, or serve as regenerative powerplants to recharge the onboard lithium-polymer batteries.

There are a total of 98 lithium-polymer cells that sit in the middle of the car running from front to back. Each individual 30 amp-hr cell can deliver 600 amps at 3.7 volts. And when that extra passing power is needed, each cell can ramp up to provide 1200 amps. The entire battery pack weighs about 190 lb. The onboard computer keeps the lithium-polymers at optimal operating conditions by using up to 80 percent of its discharge capacity (10.6 kWh total) when the car is in motion.

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept

The rear/mid-mounted direct-injection, 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbodiesel puts out 163 bhp and 214 lb.-ft. of torque. Combined with the electric motors, the total system output is 356 bhp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque, giving a level of performance that BMW says is “superior to anything provided so far by a hybrid vehicle.”

Not totally relying on the turbodiesel engine, the Vision EfficientDynamics also features a plug-in solution where the batteries can be recharged in 2.5 hours when connected to a 220-volt 16-amp outlet. With a 380-volt 32-amp electric source, the charging time can be as little as 44 minutes. Running in full electric mode, the car can travel up to 31 miles. With only the turbodiesel providing power, an approximate 400-mile range can be obtained using a 6.6-gallon tank.

In the European Union test cycle, aided by the car’s aerodynamic shape (its drag coefficient is just 0.22) and narrow tires for a sports car — 195/55s on 21-in. wheels—the Vision is able to achieve a fuel economy rating of 3.76 liters/100 kilometers (62.5 mpg equivalent), with CO2 emission recorded at a low 99 g/km.

Due to the car’s considerable power and relatively low curb weight of 3076 lb., BMW claims the Vision EfficientDynamics concept can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and easily exceed its electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Leave it to BMW to figure out a way to make hybrids exciting.

Crack open your wallet, pull out everyone’s favorite portrait of George Washington, and be prepared to learn about some odd symbolism that probably seemed perfectly normal in the 18th century. Here are the explanations behind some of the more baffling parts of our nation’s smallest bills.

What’s that weird pyramid drawing on the reverse of the bill?

The two circular drawings on the reverse of the bill are actually parts of the two-sided Great Seal of the United States. Although we don’t see the entire seal outside of our wallets too often, the notion of having a great seal is actually as old as the country itself. The Continental Congress passed a resolution on July 4, 1776, to create a committee to design a great seal for the fledgling nation, and heavy hitters John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson got the first crack at creating the seal.

Congress wasn’t so keen on the design these big names brought back, though, and it took nearly six years and several drafts to finally find a suitable seal. Congress finally approved of a design on June 20, 1782.

What’s the story behind the Great Seal of the United States?

According to the State Department, which has been the official trustee of the seal since 1789, both the obverse (front) and reverse (back) of the seal are rich with symbolism. The obverse picturing the eagle is a bit easier to explain. The bird holds 13 arrows to show the nation’s strength in war, but it also grasps an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives that symbolize the importance of peace. (The recurring number 13, which also appears in the stripes on the eagle’s shield and the constellation of stars over its head, is a nod to the original 13 states.) The shield floats unsupported over the eagle as a reminder that Americans should rely on their own virtue and strength.

The symbolism of the pyramid on the seal’s reverse is trickier. The pyramid has 13 steps – the designers apparently never got tired of the 13 motif – and the Roman numeral for 1776 is emblazoned across the bottom. The all-seeing Eye of Providence at the top of the pyramid symbolizes the divine help the early Americans needed in establishing the new country. The pyramid itself symbolizes strength and durability.

The divine overtones don’t stop with the unblinking eye, though. The Latin motto Annuit Ceptis appears over the pyramid; it translates into “He [God] has favored our undertaking.” The scroll underneath the pyramid reads Novus Ordo Seclorum, or “A new order of the ages,” which was meant to signify the dawn of the new American era.

How did the seal end up on our dollar bill?

We can thank former Secretary of State Cordell Hull’s busy schedule for that one. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace had to wait for a meeting with Hull in 1934 and decided to kill time by thumbing through a State Department pamphlet on the Great Seal. The pamphlet contained an illustration of the reverse side of the seal with the pyramid, and Wallace was quite taken with the drawing. He took the seal to President Franklin Roosevelt and suggested the country mint a coin using the two sides of the seal.

FDR liked the seal, too. (Roosevelt and Wallace were both Masons and loved the all-seeing eye part of the reverse design, which echoed the concept of the Great Architect of the Universe.) He thought the seal should be on the reverse of the dollar bill rather than a coin, but he was worried the mystical imagery would offend Catholics. After Postmaster General James Farley assured FDR he didn’t think his fellow Catholics would have any problem with the design, Roosevelt approved a new dollar bill design that first appeared in 1935.

Did the Founding Fathers swipe any ideas from a magazine?

Possibly. The familiar E Pluribus Unum motto that the eagle holds in its beak underscores the union and togetherness of the 13 colonies. It might also underscore early Americans’ love of periodicals.

According to the State Department, recent historical research has indicated that this Latin motto may have been borrowed from Gentlemen’s Magazine, a London publication that ran from 1732 to 1922.

The magazine was popular in the colonies, and its title page always carried the E Pluribus Unum motto.

Why don’t the dates on the front of the bills change that often?

At the lower right of the portrait on the bill’s obverse you’ll see the word “Series” and a year. You might notice that these don’t change each year the way the numbers on minted coins do. Why not?

According to the Treasury, the series date only changes when there’s a new design for a bill, a new Treasurer of the United States, or a new Secretary of the Treasury. (These are the two officials whose signatures appear on either side of the portrait.) The series year itself changes when the Secretary of the Treasury changes, while a change in the Treasurer of the United States means that the series year remains the same, but a suffix letter gets tacked onto the end of the year.

What are the various other numbers on the obverse of the bill?

The bill’s serial number is the most prominently displayed set of digits on the dollar, but they’re not alone. If you take out a dollar, you’ll notice there are four large numbers in the corners of the bill’s open space. Like the encircled letter to the left of Washington’s portrait, these numbers tell which Federal Reserve Bank issued the note. (Each Fed’s number corresponds the letter of the alphabet assigned to the bank, with A=1, B=2, and so on.)

The tiny letters and numbers that appear on the top left and bottom right of the bill’s obverse indicate the position of the note on the Treasury’s printing plates. If your dollar bill has a tiny “FW” before this code, those letters indicate that it was printed at the Treasury’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, rather than in Washington, D.C.

The 30-year-old “Ugly Truth” star knows exactly what she wants and she’s not afraid to say so in the August issue of InStyle. Read on to see what Katherine Heigl has to say about:

Being Honest
“Now I’ve got this moniker that I’m the foot-in-mouth gal, and I keep thinking, In what way? Because I said something you don’t agree with? Because I said something you don’t like? I’m just telling you my opinion. I hate the idea that I can’t be honest about how I feel about things because it’s going to piss somebody off who feels differently. That seems preposterous to me.”

[ Check Out Katherine's InStyle Pics ]

‘R’ Ratings
“I know this is going to sound bad but I’m really glad ['Ugly Truth' is rated] R. I didn’t want to do another PG-13 movie. [In any real-life contentious relationship with romantic underpinnings] … you’re probably going to say some things that are kind of harsh. And you’re definitely going to talk about sex. It doesn’t have to be so Snow White and Prince Charming.”

Making Movies She Loves
“Studios love stories about the man or woman who has had nothing happen to them other than their own bad choices. I’m much more passionate about the people who survive not the choices they’ve made but the s— that comes down in life that you have no control over. People who lose children or suffer great illnesses or disease and yet manage to come out of those experiences still passionate about life and joyful and grateful to be alive. Those are the stories I really want to tell.”

[ See How Katherine's Look Has Changed Over the Years ]

Living Life Despite Tragedy
“Here’s the deal: This is what my family and I have been through [her older brother died in a car accident and her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer], and although we’re not perfect, we are survivors…. No one in my family ever said, ‘Life’s not worth living because this happened or that happened to me.’ It’s always worth living, and living well.”

Knowing What You Want
“It’s hard — I think women have to struggle to define themselves, to find what they want. I keep telling my friends, seriously, write down what you want and make it specific. Like, I’m talking, do you want a beach house in Venice? Be specific and be creative and define not only what you

[ Read More of Katherine's InStyle Interview ]

Smoking
“I’m ashamed of myself, it’s so stupid.”

Getting Lucky In Love
“In my early 20s, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted I was fed up with trying to be somebody else, and got really lucky and met a great guy who loved me for me.”

Pleasing Herself
“Sometimes I’ll wear dark nail polish, but [my husband] Josh doesn’t like it. That’s just gonna have to be too bad.”

I’m a bargain hunter so I searched all over the net for the most reasonable replica watch I could find. The best price but in high quality was offered to me by  Replica Watches. The replica watch came in a timely matter and was everything I had expected. Most incredible online watch purchase I could imagine. Delivered fantastic product, just as they said they would. I will use this site again. I highly recommend .

Are you new to the replica watches industry? Did you hear your friends saying “I just got a grade 2 replica”, “Is this watch a grade 1 or 2 “Replica Watches and others like these ? Then you really should check out replica grades introduction below. Quick summary of the grades of the replica watches available, include: · Grade 1A Swiss Replica Watches (Triple AAA+ grade) · Grade 1B Swiss Replica Watches (A+ grade) · Grade 1A Japanese Replica watches · Grade 1B Japanese Replica watches · Asian Replica watches。

OK, all you nibblers – it’s time to test your snacking smarts. A few questions… When do most people snack? What are the most popular munchies? The ones hardest to resist?

Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart magazine surveyed 1,000 women about their snacking habits. So grab a quick healthy bite and check out the results:

ShopSmart’s Snacking Survey

Snack Time!
3% snack before breakfast
43% eat something between breakfast and lunch
74% snack between lunch and dinner
45% grab a bite after dinner
25% nosh before bedtime
23% munch in the middle of the night

• Big, Fat Lie: Snacking equals diet disaster

Why snack?
53% of women say snacking has kept them from gaining weight
24% say it has helped them with their diet

Portion Control
54% of women who snack buy portion-controlled treats
33% use plastic bags to control portion sizes

• 10 Make-your-own 100-calorie snacks

• Junior Junk Food

Problem Snacking
94% said they munch even when they are not hungry

Top snacks
Fruit
Chips/pretzels
Cereal/granola energy bars

Snacks we can’t resist
24% said chocolate
19% said chips and pretzels

I’m a big snacker myself, but I tend to stick to healthy bites. Some of my favorite munchies are carrots with hummus, whole wheat crackers with light cheese, protein smoothies, nuts, yogurt, popcorn, fruit – so many!

What are your snacking habits?

Don’t miss a thing! Sign up for FatFighterTV’s daily updates, get the FREE e-book, “Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals.”