The new direction BMW showcased Wednesday with the North American debut of its i8 plug-in hybrid and i3 all-electric concept cars combines the efficiency of a ho-hum commuter with the exhilaration of a sports car.

Both concepts will be going into production. The i3 will have the distinction of being the first premium electric vehicle to come to market in 2013. The i8 is scheduled to follow one year later.

Both cars use something called LifeDrive architecture, which divides the car into two so-called modules. One piece is the aluminum chassis, or Drive module, which holds the battery, drive system and crash devices in a lightweight, high-strength compartment. Packaging the heaviest part of the car — the battery — as part the vehicle’s structure helps lower the car’s center of gravity and improve handling.

The second piece of the puzzle is the Life module made from lightweight and strong carbon fiber, which holds the driver and passengers. Carbon fiber is as strong as steel but 50% lighter.

The all-wheel-drive i8, a version of which can be seen speeding and skidding in the new “Mission Impossible” film,  is skinned in carbon fiber. A twin-turbocharged, 3-cylinder 220-horsepower gas engine is positioned over the front axle and coupled with a 170-horsepower electric motor in the rear. The car can travel about 20 miles on electric power alone. Together, the engine and motor can reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour and make 390 horsepower. BMW anticipates the car will get 78 miles per gallon.

The i3, also wrapped in carbon fiber, uses a drivetrain that’s currently being proved in BMW’s soon-to-be-available-for-lease Active E electric car. The i3 will be able to travel up to 100 miles on a charge and reaches a top speed of 93 miles per hour. Its electric motor is positioned above the rear axle and makes 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

BMW will make both cars at its plant in Leipzig, Germany, which is powered with renewable energy, the company says.

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As often happens with model updates, the 3 Series gets larger, increasing length by 3.6 inches. But the good news is that BMW also increased the front and rear track, at the same time lowering overall weight by 88 pounds. And BMW insists it maintained its traditional 50/50 weight distribution.

The wind farm should be able to produce the necessary energy by late 2013, the company said.

BMW said it wants its Leipzig factory to become an example of green energy production, one that could eventually be followed in assembly plants worldwide.

The Leipzig factory is forecast to produce about 200,000 vehicles in 2011 at a rate of 740 a day.

The measure, SB 28, was authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), and grew out of what he thinks is the success of similar laws he wrote and that have taken effect, according to a statement released Monday.

“While the numbers show that compliance is good and that California’s hands-free law is working, we can do better and save even more lives,” said Simitian, following the bill’s passage.

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Here’s a breakdown of the proposed new law:

• Increase the base fines for violation of the hands free cell phone and texting-while-driving laws from $20 to $50 for a first offense, and from $50 to $100 for subsequent offenses;

• Make a violation of the hands free cell phone law, the texting law, or the teen safety law a driver’s license “point” on a second or subsequent offense;

• Apply these distracted driving laws to bicyclists at a lower total fine level of $20 for a first offense, and $50 for each subsequent offense;

• Use a portion of the increased fine revenue to establish and fund a cell phone related distracted driving education program in the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS); and;

• Allow the state to qualify for anticipated federal funding on cell phone related distracted driving.

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One of the BMW products moving off lots quickly is the redesigned X3. Sales of the compact crossover rose 193.2 percent, which equates to 9,763 units finding a new home in July. The X5 also helped total volume numbers by improving 51.7 percent in July, with 24,196 examples sold.

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Sadly, each day 15 people die and 1,200 more are injured as a result of car accidents caused by distracted driving. Studies have also shown that people using a cell phone while driving are nearly four times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers not using phones.

In July 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the results of a study demonstrating the dangers of distracted driving. The CDC study analyzed cell phone use and texting in the United States as well as seven European countries.

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A national safety group is urging states to stop making laws banning them. The Governors Highway Safety Association is telling 41 states, including Virginia, that there just isn’t enough evidence right now that banning cell phones from behind the wheel is keeping you safe out on the roads.

With two children Sarah Williamson lives behind the wheel of her car, so she has seen plenty distracted driving. One look inside her car and you’ll see her cell phone is close by her too, but she said she takes using it very seriously.

“I will end a phone call if I feel like I’m in rough spot,” Williamson explained.

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If you’re behind the wheel and the car begins to slide, knowing what to do can prevent the vehicle from leaving its lane, spinning out, and potentially crashing. And this video will demonstrate how to control a sliding car.

You might have heard advice such as “turn into the skid” or “countersteer if the car begins to fishtail.” But words are not very helpful without first-hand experience behind the wheel. If you feel your car sliding, you’ll want to turn the wheel where you want the front of the car to go. But if you turn too abruptly or too slowly you might not be able to get the car back under control. Unfortunately, the first time you need use this skill is when you need it most.

Things can get exciting during a slide, but it is important to ease off the accelerator. Dramatic throttle lift in a turn can make a bad situation worse.

This is a lot of theory to take in. We heartily encourage drivers, especially less-experienced ones, to practice these techniques at a formal driving school. One-day programs can be found locally and are well worth the time and money.

At the Tire Rack Street Survival School held at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center last month, we gave teens a chance to learn and skid control in a safe and controlled environment. The teens drove their vehicles on a wet surface at increasing speeds, as seen in the video. At first the teens had difficulty controlling their cars, but after attending the day-long school, the teens came away with new-found driving skills and the confidence to put these techniques into practice.

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Although we can’t quite make out the lower front bumper bar, we could hazard a guess that it will showcase the new ‘M’ design language, sporting aggressive front ducting on the lower corners and a deep and low scoop and chin spoiler in the middle, like the recently unveiled M5 and 1 Series M Coupe.

Headline features, of course, include the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, also seen in the new M5. Power outputs haven’t been officially confirmed but it is highly likely the engine will produce the same 412kW of power and 680Nm of torque as the new M5. Performance figures are also likely to be very similar, sprinting from 0-100km/h in around 4.4 seconds.

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Young driver, Emily Scripps said, “It’s kind of like a rollercoaster almost, ya know? You feel like your stomach goes up into your head.”

The twists and turns in this safety driving course were a bit of a challenge for Emily Scripps.

She said, “At first I was really, really nervous, and it was like nerve wracking.”

Scripps has had her license for just under a year.

She said she came out to the Street Survival program to learn more about the real life obstacles she may face as a young driver.

“Showing you how to push your limits, and when you push your limits, what to do in those situations,” she said.

All 24 drivers were paired with a high performance driving instructor.

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