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BMW's Megacity Vehicle is finally taking shape with these official sketches that tease the electric car well before its 2013 arrival. Until now, BMW's Project i has merely been vague talk about future mobility concepts and electric vehicles for major urban areas. The sketches reveal the first car that will come out of BMW's electrification program as a dynamic but practical hatchback. For now, it's called the Megacity Vehicle (MCV). BMW says the edgy shape reflects a commitment to building fun and engaging cars, while the ultrashort overhangs emphasize a minimalistic design that optimizes vehicle efficiency and range. To complete the picture, our contacts in Munich have slipped us significant information about the car's powertrain, packaging, and pricing.

The Up!, Volkswagen's ambitious new minicar, has not been earmarked for North-America. But in the most recent planning round, we find the E-Up!, also known as NSF BEV (New Small Family, Battery Electric Vehicle), scheduled to hit select U.S. cities for 2013. Technology and range are still to be determined, but the concept E-Up!, which debuted at last fall's Frankfurt auto show, featured a 60 kilowatt-hour electric motor and could go a distance of about 80 miles, per Volkswagen claims.

If we buy into the cliché, the sleek, glitzy concept vehicles sitting on revolving turntables at auto shows across the globe are supposed to be the cars and trucks of tomorrow. What happens, then, if the company that sunk millions of dollars into the project turns insolvent shortly thereafter?

It seems that small car icons always come from Europe-the Volkswagen Beetle, the Fiat 500, the Mini Cooper. But looking at the Ford Start, one begins to wonder whether an American car company also could make a truly enduring small car. We think this coupe-and it is a coupe, not a hatchback-is supercool, which is not surprising given that the design team had a 1956 Porsche Speedster and a 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato in the studio while they worked on the Start. The concept is built on a shortened Fiesta platform and features a direct-injected, 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, Ford's smallest powerplant yet to get the EcoBoost treatment. The tiny turbo is headed for production, but the Start isn't. That's too bad, because the Start definitely deserves a go.

Could internal politics endanger the Volkswagen Group's trio of mid-engine compact sports cars -- the Porsche 356, the Audi R5, and the VW BlueSport? VW launched the mid-engine BlueSport concept at the 2009 Detroit auto show. The car was a runner, the engineers had done much more than their routine homework, and, in principle, marketing had given it a thumbs-up. Almost eighteen months later, however, the two-seater is still on hold.

As the sleek Mercedes-Benz CLS is to regular four-door sedans, so is the recently unveiled Shooting Break concept related to traditional "shooting brake" station wagons. Never mind the concept label: this low-slung, high-style wagon will be a companion model to the redesigned CLS four-door coupe that debuts this fall. The production version of the Shooting Break should appear one year later, but U.S. sales are unlikely.

The proverb telling us that all good things must end contains no exclusionary clause for truly great automobiles. One that will soon pass from the production rolls is the Dodge Viper, a vibrant example of the all-American sports car if there ever was one.

Every once in a while, a car comes along that makes you scratch your head a little. Look at the pictures of the 2011 Nissan Juke and stop scratching your head. If you've ever complained about all cars looking alike, here's your big, Nissan-badged can of shutyourmouth.

Warning: the information and images on the following pages might antagonize you to no end. As you read about the most anticipated cars of the next four years, you might become frustrated by wanting what you can't yet have. Just remember -- good things come to those who wait. For now, dig in to the details, the spy photos, the informed illustrations, and the future-teasing concepts of our annual Sneak Preview. Thanks to our probing questions and well-placed sources, there's plenty to dream about.

The Countryman is a big one for Mini - in size, certainly, but even more so in concept. As Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht, Mini brand manager, explains: "For Mini it's a huge step - four doors, four-wheel drive, higher seating position. We weren't sure it was the right direction."