eBay Find: 1981 E23 BMW 735i Touring Prototype [with Video]

Yep, that�s not a typo: BMW did actually build an E23 735i Touring and it showed it at the 1980 Frankfurt Auto Show to gauge the public�s reaction. Unfortunately (or not), the car didn�t make it into production and was slowly forgotten, up until ten years ago. That�s when this example, one of only two custom built prototypes, first surfaced on eBay with 8,179 miles (13,163 km) on the odometer. Now, it has been posted on the auction site once again, for an opening bid of US $7,000.

The collector who originally imported it to the U.S. sold it three years later and the current owner bought it last November. At that point the car had clocked up 9,002 miles (14,487 km) but wasn�t running.

However, this ultra-rare 7-Series, boasting an interesting green paintjob, tan cloth interior, manual sunroof, roof rack, alloy wheels and automatic transmission, wasn�t in a disastrous condition. A quick service brought it back to life and onto the road and, according to the seller, it has a Massachusetts December 2011 inspection sticker and was driven for only 40 extra miles (64 km).

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Beijing to Restrict Car Usage, Chinese Automakers Anticipate Market Downturn

Beijing is a city in crisis. It is, more or less, a microcosm of the world at large: smog and traffic congestion are choking China�s capital. This year, 4.7 million cars were sold in Beijing alone; nearly twice the number sold just five years ago. Despite a new subway system, the roads remain gridlocked, and the Beijing municipal government has had enough. From 2011, radical changes will be introduced to the city�s traffic and vehicle registration laws to make it the city that bit more livable.

This year, roughly 720,000 new vehicle registrations were issued for microvans and cars. In 2011, this number will be slashed to a third. Only registered Beijing residents will be able to purchase a license, and only Beijing registered vehicles will be allowed in the city during rush hour. Parking fees are also set to increase.

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VIDEO: Dangerously Foolish Hooning-Hour on Mulholland Drive

While a twisty road and a good sports car are a match made in heaven, public hooning is never a good idea, especially if you don�t possess adequate driving skills. Unfortunately, most people don�t think about the consequences and repeatedly act out in high traffic areas, such as California�s Mulholland Drive (or at least that's the road listed on Youtube).

Seeing these amateurs almost bite the dust might be temporarily amusing, but on second thought, imagine being involved in an accident caused by this kind of reckless driving. Yeah, it�s not funny anymore. Video after the jump.

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First Maybach 57S Cruisero Coupe by Xenatec Listed for Sale in Saudi Arabia

The very first example of the Xenatec Maybach 57S Coupe has been put up for sale by Saudi-Arabian-based luxury car dealer, AutoKingdom, which is one of two companies outside of Germany listed as an official dealer of the limited production model, the other being the ArmorTech Group from Russia.

The Maybach-endorsed coupe, which carries the 'Cruiserio' nametag, is priced by AutoKingdom at �715,000, or about US$943,000 at the current exchange rates, according to Jameslist. Previously, Xenatec had announced that the �ber-luxurious coupe will be offered at an ex-works price of �675,000 (US$890,000) excluding local taxes.

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High Demand for German Luxury Cars in the U.S. and China

Germany�s car market has definitely seen better days, as sales in the first 11 months of 2010 are down 25.2% compared to the same period last year. However, strong demand for luxury cars in the U.S. and China is keeping premium automakers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz busy during the holiday season and, most importantly, profitable.

�2010 was expected to be a tough year all round� John Lawson, a London-based analyst at Citi Investment Research, wrote in a report. �But rich China sales have leapt (and) foreign exchange has been very supportive�.

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