2013 BMW M3 offered in Frozen Red, White and Blue

Hot on the heels of the BMW 6-series Frozen Silver Edition coupe, the company says it will build a Frozen Edition of the M3 in three all-American colors: red, white and blue. Last year the company produced Frozen black and Frozen silver versions of the hopped-up 3-series. Standard equipment includes: --BMW Individual Frozen red, white, or blue exterior paint --Competition package including: --Matte black 19” light alloy wheels --Electronic damper control --Lowered suspension (-10 mm) --Sport mapping for EDC and DSC --Premium package --Black Extended Novillo leather with contrast stitching in exterior color on seats, headrests, door inserts, armrests, middle console and door pulls.

Readers chat it up live with AW associate editor Jon Wong

For those who have ever stared longingly at a Mazda RX-8, or who love the symphony of a Honda four-cylinder engine turning at 200 rpm short of the redline and the tactile joy of the shifter sliding flawlessly from gear to gear, you have a friend in AutoWeek associate editor Jon Wong. On Friday, readers took the opportunity for a virtual mind meld, as Jon fielded questions in an online chat at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Nissan Leaf electric vehicle headed for U.S. market in 2010

Nissan has taken the wraps off its production-bound electric vehicle, named Leaf, that is plans to sell in Japan, the United States and Europe. The Leaf seats five and measures 175 inches long--about the same size as a Versa sedan. It uses an 80-kilowatt AC electric motor and draws from a laminated lithium-ion battery pack--the same type of batteries used by cellular telephones and laptop computers.