While BMW had pretty much ruled out the possibility of creating a successor to the M variants of the Z3 and the previous Z4 with its new hardtop roadster, no one from Munich ever said that there wasn’t going to be a faster and more focused version than the Z4 sDrive35i.

That car is the Z4 sDrive35is -the ‘s’ is what makes the difference- and it will make its world debut at next month’s 2010 Detroit Auto Show before going on sale worldwide in Spring of the same year.

Bypassing BMW’s ridiculous naming system (Z4is or Z4 35is would have been just fine), the range topping Z4 features a more powerful version of the company’s 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six and M-Sports styling and chassis packages.

At the heart of the Z4 sDrive35is is BMW’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six that benefits from optimized air supply and increased boost pressure. Output is lifted from 306HP to 340HP at 5,800 rpm while peak torque is increased to 450Nm or 332 lb-ft and is available from 1,400 rpm all the way to 4,500 rpm.

Furthermore, the modified engine management on the Z4 sDrive35is also allows the use of an Overboost function briefly increasing engine torque under full load by another 50Nm or 37 lb-ft to 500Nm or 369 lb-ft.

Power is driven to the rear wheels through a revised version of the firm’s seven-speed double clutch transmission with BMW announcing a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 4.8 seconds (0-60mph in 4.7sec) and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h or 155mph.

BMW says that despite the increased performance over the standard Z4 sDrive35i, the ‘S’ model delivers the same fuel economy averaging 9.0lt/100km which is equal to 26.1 mpg US with CO2 emissions rated at 210g/km.

Aside from the powetrain upgrades, the Z4 sDrive35is also comes as standard with an M Sports Package including the M Aerodynamics Package and adaptive M Suspension.

The M Suspension, which features electronically controlled dampers, lowers the entire car by 10 mm or almost 0.4-in. The top-Z4 also gets a reprogrammed electronic power steering system that promises to offer increased feedback.

On the outside, the M package adds unique 18-inch alloy wheels with 19-inch rims available an option, a new front bumper, re-trimmed kidney grilles, matte silver exterior mirror caps, a new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and specific tail pipes.

Finally, the interior has been enhanced with several features such as the M leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, M footrest, sports seats, aluminium carbon trim, BMW Individual roof lining, M entry strips and footmats with coloured piping.

The revised instrument cluster with grey faces on the dials and the “sDrive35is” model designation complete the package.

The BMW 7-Series’ smaller brother both in terms of size and styling, the new 5-Series, was officially launched today. Key highlights include a less controversial exterior design that’s more muscular and draws heavily on the Bavarian firm’s flagship limousine and the return of the BMW’s driver orientated center console and the classic four circular gauges on the instrument panel. Add to that an increased length of 4,899mm or 192.9” (previous model: 4,841 mm or 190.6”) combined with a wheelbase of 2.968 mm or 116.9” (+80 mm or +3.15”) and a revised engine lineup that includes turbocharged inline-six and V8 units.

The increased length and what BMW describes as the largest wheelbase in the segment, are said to translates into an extra 13mm of knee room for the rear passengers, compared to the previous 5 Series, while the sedan also get a 520-litre boot with the option to specify 40:20:40 split folding rear seats.

The new 5-Series, codenamed F10, is based on the same platform as the 5-Series GT and the latest 7-Series sedan. The double wishbone layout up front is combined with a multilink axle at the back while for the first time, the 5 Series comes with Electric Power Steering with Servotronic assistance.

Those that specify the car with Variable Damper Control or Adaptive Drive packages, the Drive Dynamic Control (DDC) chassis configurator allows for fine tuning of the chassis with the choice of Normal, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ with each mode changing the levels of steering assistance, throttle response, gear change characteristics, degree of Dynamic Stability Control interaction and, courtesy of adjustable dampers, the ride and handling characteristics.

All models will come equipped with a Brake Energy Regeneration system that recharges the vehicle’s battery during engine over-run while the 520d is the first 5 Series to come with Auto Start-Stop.

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So the Germans were wrong about the market’s desire for hybrids, and now they are trying hard to catch up. Proof? Even the 1-series, BMW’s self-proclaimed "spritual successor" of the 2002, is slated to gain a hybrid powertrain. As these spy photos show, prototypes using current 1er bodies are on the road. And while we don’t expect the 1-series to become available as a full hybrid, the next generation is almost sure to get an electric motor and a pack of batteries to allow owners an extra degree of eco-smugness.

While this 1-series hatch may seem unfamiliar to you, it is the standard body style for most other markets. Pretty it ain’t, but it provides a nice, flexible cargo area and works well in urban habitats. The next-generation 1-series will be based on the 3-series platform, as it is today, and it will be available with several body styles again, including hatch, coupe, and convertible.

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Among the flurry of fast-roofed and four-door hatchbacks coming to market over the next couple of years, one interpretation clearly stands out: the 2010 BMW 5-series Gran Turismo. Indeed, the unusual, tall proportions of the Bimmer set it far apart from Audi’s more conventionally shaped A5 Sportback and A7, as well as the more low-slung Porsche Panamera and rakish Aston Martin Rapide. But it doesn’t look the way it looks simply to stand out. When the idea for the car first began to take shape, BMW executives decreed that it should offer the legroom of a 7-series and the rear headroom of an X5.

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Just when we thought BMW’s “Sports Activity Coupe” couldn’t make any less sense, BMW announces official details on the 2010 ActiveHybrid X6, proudly proclaiming it “the most powerful hybrid vehicle in the world.” Um, okay? Seems a bit like striving to be the most foul-mouthed nun in the world—it’s not really the point.

But if we’ve come to expect anything from the weird, off-road, four-door coupe/sports car, it’s that we won’t understand it but we will appreciate it. And, truth be told, there appears to be much to appreciate about the upcoming hybrid X6. It’s powered by the 400-hp, 450-lb-ft twin-turbo V-8 from the (relatively) normal X6 xDrive50i, supplemented with two electric motors: the first makes 91 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque and the second produces 86 hp and 206 lb-ft. If calling it the “ActiveHybrid” seems contrived, consider that, compared to the X6 hybrid’s combined system power of 480 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque, most other hybrids will indeed seem sedentary. In addition to a 20-percent increase in fuel economy in the European cycle, BMW claims a 0–60 time of 5.4 seconds. That’s just one tenth behind the company’s 5.3-second claim for the nonhybrid V-8 X6 (although we’ve clocked that version to 60 in just 5.1 seconds). That the more powerful hybrid is slower is likely due to the significant weight of the hybrid equipment. Top speed is governed at a very environmentally unfriendly 130 mph.

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