The 3 Series refresh is out and the 2009 7 Series is on its way, so the 2011 BMW 5 Series is the next logical step in the automaker's product plan. We've seen various 5-Series sedan prototypes before, but this is the best look yet at the wagon.

There's nothing unexpectedly different about the shape. It follows the same path it always has with nicely rounded D-pillars and relatively thin C-pillars which keep it from looking too bulky.

In profile, it appears as though this 5 Series will have some evenhandedly spacious rear seats. The roof looks tall and the doors appear larger than usual. We know that BMW is also working on what it calls its Progressive Activity Sedan which takes the tall-roof intent to the extreme, so it's doable that some of the same thinking has been incorporated into the 5 Series wagon.

Don't expect to see the final product for quite some time. The 2011 BMW 5 Series is still at least a year away from an official unveil, so this auto may not show up until late 2010.

According to Japan's Nikkei business daily, Suzuki has delayed its upcoming midsize sedan. Originally planned for a 2010 release, the new four-door is delayed indefinitely as the Asian car company deals with the worldwide automotive meltdown. 

Previewed by the Kizashi 3 concept shown in New York last year, the new four-door was designed to near Suzuki into the same arena as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Not exactly an cushy segment, but Suzuki promised a V6 as big as 3.6-liters and possibly even all-wheel drive. Combined with a promising exterior shape, the new family sedan seemed like a solid entry for the company known more for its low-end econoboxes.

Nikkei via Reuters

Well this seemed almost inevitable. After watching Tesla and Chrysler suck up all the glory for electric cars that are basically Lotuses with batteries, the British sportscar builder has announced that it plans to build an electric car of its own. In a report in yesterday's Financial Times, Lotus CEO Michael Kimberley said, "Don't be surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly."

Flyinpig, the NASIOC resident Asian polyglot and Subie news guru par excellence, has dug some interesting stuff regarding Subarus that will show up in 2012-15 time slot.

By 2012 they're expected to lose 10 percent of their current weight. By 2012 the weight should be down by about 15 percent. This is all due to a greater use of high-tensile steel, as well as the increased usage of resin parts. This is all in an effort to increase fuel mileage.

So that means, in comparing the weight of the current STI:

2009 STI = 3395 lbs

2012 STI = 3055 lbs ??

2015 STI = 2885 lbs ???

Full story here.

More racing teams are to be cut, thanks to the global economic fiasco. Suzuki has just announced that they're pulling out of the WRC (here).

Here's Inside Line's take: Suzuki Getting Out of FIA World Rally Championship

A little over a week ago Honda announced that they were dropping their F1 team (Audi and Honda drop racing teams), and now they have announced that they are also pulling out of AMA road racing with their bikes (here). With the bikes there is a sub-plot in that there are a lot of cycle teams upset with the new AMA road-racing governing body (Daytona Motorsports Group), so I guess this financial mess was the last straw.

Porsche too; and Subaru, maybe!

After the declaration of Audi pulling out of the American Le Mans Series, we now have learned that Porsche too is pulling out of this racing venue (here).

Rumor has it Subaru is about to leave the WRC as well (here and here). Wow, talk about a collapse of the racing industry!

I slipped into SEMA primeval today. The show officially starts tomorrow and the press isn't really allowed in until then.

One of the cars I wanted to see was the 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe GXP modified by GM Performance Parts for the show. I wrote a story on this car last Friday for Inside Line News and was excited to see it in person.

What a letdown. It's not that the Solstice Coupe looks bad in person. In fact, it's one of the coolest designs around. But an automatic transmission? At SEMA? In a little sports car? Bummer. — Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

On Monday we reported that GM and Opel are developing a cost-effective car-to-car communication system that could be implemented crossways various vehicle makes and models. The system would allow vehicles to share information such as location, speed and direction of travel to potentially refrain accidents and speed traffic.

The other critical component to creating "smarter" vehicles is car-to-infrastructure (aka car-to-x) communication that allows your ride to become a "data probe" that sends information about road and weather conditions, accidents and such to authorities.

But it could also communicate everything about your driving habits, perhaps telling the heat and your insurance company when you've been hooning your Honda.

Some in the industry are saying that this could happen, and if so, could be a good thing. We’re talking about the Dodge Ram 1500, Durango and Siouan here. Interesting, however, the Dodge Ram HD models may not be part of this deal should it occur. That leaves you with the obvious question: what happens to these trucks?

We already know the Next Nissan Titan will be Ram 1500-based. The Detroit News report here suggests that the next Armada might be Durango-based, but there’s no mention of what might happen with the Dakota. Will the next Nissan Frontier be Dakota-based? Don’t know. Also being reported, if this comes to pass, is that the next Infiniti QX56 might be based off the (not imported) Nissan Patrol.

As to the fate of HD Rams, this is another question mark. A future HD Nissan Titan will likely come from the new commercial-duty Nissan platform, which Nissan already has plans for.

Sure to become the “next big thing” (well, maybe…), technologist has launched Car2go, which is a fleet of 50 Smart cars, that can be “hired” as needed to make a quick crossways town commute, or whatever. This will first be tested with technologist employees, and then, once the kinks are ironed out, offered to the public.

Yeah, I know we already have similar companies–and for some time (Car Sharing: Part-Time Ownership, Full-Time Savings), but I suspect this intent will soon catch on, and it could be a big moneymaker for those entrepreneurs smart enough (pun intended) and quick enough to cash in on this idea.

Here’s Green Car Advisor’s take: Daimler to Launch Vehicle-on-Demand Pilot Program in Germany Using Smart Cars

Saturday night, Inside Line accepted an invitation to a party celebrating the grand opening of Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), the newest part of Galpin Ford, opened in 1946 and the world’s largest-volume Ford dealership for the last 18 years. GAS bills itself as a huge new customizing facility, healthy to customize or modify any vehicle to a customer’s wildest imagination. On hand are a huge selection of customizing options, including more than 200 special leather selections, 200 wheel designs, and 50 different gearshift knobs, as well as specific upgrades and options organized by make. There are also numerous performance upgrades, ranging from 500-horsepower Ford Racing crate engines to Roush engines to several supercharged options. The audio/video room features a central console where customers can use a touchscreen console to sample any combination of front and rear speakers, amps, subwoofers and the like to find just the right combination. Also included is a shop with car books and apparel inspired by the designs of George Barris and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.

The event was a stunner, with closed-off streets, huge tents and complimentary food and drink, including a full hosted bar and numerous buffets offering everything from tri-tip to clam chowder and delicious cupcakes. There was no shortage of automotive eye candy on site, including a flat-black Ford GT, an Aston Martin racecar, and a few selections from the Barris garage, including the original Batmobile and the Barber Car, and from Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, the Rat Fink customized motorcycle and the Orbitron, a spectacular bubble-top car designed by Roth in 1964 that was recently re-discovered and restored by GAS after being lost for nearly 35 years.

The entertainment line-up was as impressive as the rest of the proceedings. As GAS is the official garage of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride,” one of the performers was the show’s host, rapper Xzibit. He was followed by Camp Freddy, an all-star rock band including Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney from Jane’s Addiction, Matt Sorum from Guns and Roses and singer Donovan Leitch. They were joined on stage by such special guests as Macy Gray and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray. If that wasn’t enough, there was an auction of rock memorabilia on hand including guitars from the Rolling Stones and Neil Young, a drum kit from System of a Down, a week at Jimmy Buffet’s house in Key West, Florida, all to benefit the organization Friends & Helpers (here), which helps people safely escape and recover from abusive relationships.

More images after the jump.