Ten things we learned this week: 1 July 2016 edition

What took them so long, quite frankly? A full four years after Toyota brought rear-wheel-drive coupes back to the masses with the GT86, it’s finally created a monochrome homage to manga series Initial D, which made the GT86’s grandson, the AE86, a drift legend.

It’s not just a cosmetic job either. The Initial D borrows suspension from the TRD limited edition and rides on 17-inch RS Watanabe F8 rims. A louder exhaust has also been bolted on for the flat-four to burble through. Tokyo Drift, eat your heart out.

Fiat has got together with legendary luxury speedboat makers Riva and made a special-edition 500C.

Nothing wrong with that. It even looks rather smart, in bespoke ‘Sera Blue’ livery, complete with chromed mirror cases, a new styling line down the, um, hull, and an exclusive design of 16-inch rims. You even get mahogany inlay for the dash, aping yacht decking.

Problem is, Fiat’s calling it ‘the smallest yacht in the world’. Which it clearly isn’t. It’s a soft-top city car. And one which should clearly be called the 500-Sea.

As of today, you’re banned from driving in central Paris – if you’re planning on taking a car made before 1997. Yup, in a push to cut pollution, cars over 20 years old will be barred from the French capital’s streets between 8am and 8pm.

Except, the French like an classic old shed as much as we do, so if your car’s over 30 years old, you can apply for an exemption sticker to maintain access to the city limits.

So, fewer 1990s Euroboxes clogging up the Champs-Elysses, but plenty of Citroen DSs and 205 GTis are still eligible. Bon.

US Patent office commissioner Charles H. Duell is alleged to have predicted, way back in 1899, that ‘everything that can be invented has been invented’. Certain newcomers have proved said statement a tad wrong since, with little inventions such as the aeroplane and the internet.

“But”, we hear you cry, “when will someone invent a system that sprays treated rainwater onto my car’s tyres to melt ice and snow, maintaining traction during winter?”

It’s the obvious string missing from Mercedes’s not-inconsiderable technology bow; a hole that appears to have been plugged.

This patent image appears to show a system that coats your tyres in an antifreeze solution to prevent snow building up in the tread. Tell you what, Mercedes – stick this on your F1 cars first. That’ll bring the viewers back, Bernie.

Bugatti has partnered up with Armani to “promote a vision of dynamic and timeless elegance”.

Or, in English, launch a range of clothes, bags and accessories of questionable style and taste. ‘Highlights’ of the collection include a handmade calfskin briefcase, calfskin trainers, and a ‘sports driver blazer’ in none other than crocodile skin. Prices are, predictably, on demand. 

An assembly planner at BMW’s South Carolina factory wants to give assembly line workers an exoskeleton to help reduce muscle fatigue. Yes, really.

Frank Pochiro says BMW has run trails with 30 employees at the Spartanburg plant, where it builds most of its SUVs. The workers were given “ekso vests”, a backpack-like device that renders objects effectively weightless.

Pity Iron Man did that deal with Audi...

Well, kinda. After a crash during qualifying at the Dutch GP, he nabbed a photographer’s moped from a service road so he could get back to the pits and grab his second bike.

He told MotoGP’s own site: “I made a mistake in qualifying and crashed on the second lap. The marshals were a bit far away, and I saw a scooter with a key in it and nobody around. When I took it, I saw that it belonged to a photographer, but he let me go. I wanted to get back to the pit as soon as possible, so honestly I would’ve taken it even if he said no!”

Attention terrible parkers. Yes, the six of you who don’t already own a car festooned with parking assists.

This is a reversing camera called, imaginatively, the RearVision. It’s the work of tech startup Pearl, which was founded by a trio of ex-Apple engineers, and it takes the form of a kind of frame that fits over and around your number plate.

For now only available in the US, Pearl promises fitting it is the work of but a moment. The solar-powered frame streams video from its two cameras to your smartphone when you shift into reverse.

Cool, but at $500, it ought to be. Cheaper than a whole new rear end, though...

Image: Pearl