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It’s the BMW 7-Series ‘Horse Edition’ to celebrate China’s Year of the Horse

The BMW 7-Series Horse Edition (pictured) heading for the 2014 Beijing Motor Show China is a huge car market for premium brand, so with the Beijing Motor Show on the way we’ll no doubt be seeing a raft of China Specials revealed as car makers seek to appeal to China’s still deep-pocketed buyers. Cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia China Special Edition, Audi R8 China Edition, Porsche 911 Turbo S China 10th Anniversary Edition and Aston Martin’s ‘Dragon 88′ special editions of the DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S Coupe are just a few of the China Specials Western car makers have bolted together to tempt the Chinese to part with their cash. Now we have another with the BMW 7-Series Horse Edition, which might sound like a special edition Land Rover Discovery but which is in fact a titivated 7-Series to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

Spy photos: BMW i8 hits Swedish test track

Spy photographers caught the new BMW i8 testing on a secret track wearing the company’s familiar psychedelic camouflage. The test car pictured is a preproduction model rather than a concept BMW i8, similar to what should appear in 2013. As reported earlier, we’re expecting BMW’s 2014 i8 hybrid coupe to get a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine--essentially the same unit earmarked to head into the next-generation Mini and the front-wheel-drive BMW 1-series due out in 2014.

Ford lines up Mark Fields to succeed Alan Mulally

Ford Motor Co. has named Mark Fields its chief operating officer, putting him in line to succeed CEO Alan Mulally when he retires no sooner than the end of 2014. The appointment of Fields, 51, who has been president of Ford's Americas unit, was part of a sweeping overhaul of executive ranks unveiled Thursday.