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It's amazing how a few visual tweaks can totally change the character of a vehicle. Whereas our Four Seasons 7-series is an old world Q-ship with its beige paint and smallish eighteen-inch wheels (yes, I just called eighteen-inch wheels "smallish" - welcome to 2010), this particular model looks like a taut four-door sports car. M-sport twenty-inch wheels visually shrink the body, while the gunmetal gray paint brings out the 7's high-tech, modern side. I also prefer this model's darker interior, as it again hides the car's girth.inline_mediumwraptextright28598395/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_bmw_750li_xdrive_sedan1003_z_04+2010_bMW_750Li_xDrive_sedan+front_fascia.jpgTrue

Alpina debuted the new B7 sedan at this year’s Chicago auto show and the big news was the car’s availability in either short- or long-wheelbase configuration. The previous B7 was only available as a SWB car in the U.S. and ended up stepping on the M5’s toes as a result. With significant revisions to BMW's standard 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 that include new pistons, larger intercoolers, and increased boost pressure, the B7 was said to be good for a well-rounded 500 horsepower and a full 516 pound-feet of torque. Hook that type of power up to the B7's rear wheels and the improvements were good for 4.5-second 0 to 60 mph launches when the sun is shining and roads are dry. So what about when conditions aren't quite so good?inline_mediumwraptextright26744771/features/news/1003_2011_bmw_alpina_b7_xdrive2011-bmw-alpina-b7-front-three-quarter-1.jpgTrue

We were already pretty familiar with the sixth-generation 5-series sedan before we drove it. The eight-speed automatic, the single-turbo in-line six, and the chassis design shared with the 7-series were all present in the Gran Turismo hatchback that we reviewed in the December 2009 issue. Although we found the 5-series GT to be sufficiently agile, deputy editor Joe DeMatio noted, "There does come a point where the GT's higher center of gravity will remind you that you're not in a 5-series sedan or wagon."inline_mediumwraptextright32536860/reviews/driven/1004_2011_bmw_535i1004_01_z+2011_bMW_535i+emblem.jpgTrue

In the lofty niche of high-end four-seat convertibles, few stars shine brighter than the new Maserati GranTurismo. With the heater on high, the bum warmers on max, and the polished twenty-inch wheels shod with go-anywhere Pirelli SottoZero tires, it was a real pleasure to thumb a nose at winter from behind the wheel of this drop-dead gorgeous Maserati. There's no doubt about it: Maserati made the right decision when it halted the production-ready retractable hardtop in favor of this roomier, prettier, and more involving softtop.

The GranTurismo convertible (which will be known elsewhere as the GranCabrio) is the third and final iteration of the Quattroporte platform that was first unveiled in 2003. Although this component set was originally not meant to go topless, Maserati is now claiming best-in-class torsional rigidity as well as unrivaled rear leg- and headroom. The latter is an important asset: after all, 72 percent of convertible buyers order cars with more than two seats. Predictably, the numerous reinforcement measures required increased the weight to 4365 pounds. That's 220 pounds heavier than the GranTurismo coupe and almost 300 more than a Jaguar XKR convertible but about 30 pounds less than a BMW M6 softtop. Despite strengthening efforts, cowl shake is an issue when driving on undulating surfaces.inline_mediumwraptextright28218757/features/great_drives/1004_2011_maserati_granturismo_convertible1004_02_z+2011_maserati_granTurismo_convertible+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue