The BMW M5 is back!

BMW's M division has gone back to the drawing board with the M5, giving the fifth generation of the iconic four-door a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine—the first time Munich's class-defining performance sedan has gone without a naturally aspirated powerplant since its introduction in 1984. Further changes see it adopt a dual-clutch gearbox as part of a complete driveline rethink that resigns the old model's sequential manual transmission to the history books. Revealed here officially for the first time, the new M5 is planned to make its world debut in concept-car guise at the Shanghai motor show later this month.

Aston Martin DBS Volante set for Geneva debut

Aston Martin will take the wraps off its fastest-ever production convertible at the Geneva motor show when the muscular 2010 DBS Volante makes its global debut. The soft-top version of Aston's beefy DBS will top 191 mph, the company says, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds, figures that put the DBS Volante in the top echelon of open-top supercars. The development of only the 16th convertible in Aston's 95-year history has been eased by dipping into the parts bin.

Ferrari to revive GTO name

Ferrari is set to return the evocative GTO (Gran Turismo Omolagato) name to its lineup on a limited-edition, two-seat version of the F599 Fiorano GTB. The new car, conceived to run bodywork and mechanical components from the Italian carmaker's race-bound 599XX, is expected to make its public debut at the Paris motor show in September--marking the first time the GTO badge has been applied to one of Ferrari's road cars since the launch of the much-revered 288 GTO in 1984. Among the changes brought to the new car is a series of carbon-fiber exterior panels, a stripped-out interior and specially developed alloy wheels--all aimed at lowering the weight by 132 pounds from the 3,718 pounds of the F599 Fiorano GTB.