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The new BMW 5-series Gran Turismo is (almost) here - displayed as a thinly veiled concept in Geneva. The nearly identical production version is scheduled to make its debut in Frankfurt this fall; it should be in showrooms before the end of the year. But that's not the entire BMW GT story. The company isn't talking about it yet, but we'll see the same theme again with a 3-series Gran Turismo coming three years from now.

In the past, the traditional German rivals in the mid-size sedan segment - the Audi A6, the BMW 5-series, and the Mercedes-Benz E-class - played specific roles and carved out their own places in the market. BMW positioned the 5-series as the dedicated driver's car, Audi was first to offer four-wheel drive and direct-injection engines, and Mercedes emphasized comfort and prestige.

No longer can we call the BMW X6 unique. Acura's ZDX concept, shown at the 2009 New York auto show, also mixes sports coupe DNA with that of a sports-utility.