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Driving BMW's three-cylinder prototype

One of the motoren in the titular Bayerische Motoren Werkeis about to get smaller. How small, you ask? The three-cylinder in the cherry-red hatchback shown above is in fact one of BMW's legendary inline-sixes, albeit chopped in half with the proverbial Sawzall.

Toyota to launch 2 Prius variants in U.S. by 2013, report says

Toyota Motor Corp. reportedly plans to launch two variants of its Prius hybrid in the United States by 2013 as it ramps up plans to leverage its gasoline-electric drivetrain technology to meet stricter emissions standards. One of the new hybrids will be bigger than the Prius, the other smaller, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified dealers who attended this week's national dealer conference in Las Vegas.

Excessive accessories are on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon

The Japanese tuning industry may finally be emerging from the economic slump if this year's Tokyo Auto Salon is an accurate barometer. The three-day spectacular--Japan's equivalent of SEMA--attracted nearly a quarter-million visitors, all eager to get a glimpse of the latest cars and the newest excessive accessories for 2011. Here's a recap: The Honda CR-Z was, without a doubt, the car of the show, and some versions were tuned to deliver up to 300 hp, thanks to turbocharging or supercharging kits.