While the gs and other BMW motorcycles enjoy a large and loyal following, two-wheel enthusiasts are less familiar with the German vehicle maker’s nonmotorized bikes. The BMW M Bike, which debuted in June, is the latest product of the company’s occasional efforts in the realm of performance bicycles, a tradition that dates to the 1950s. The new bike features an aluminum frame coated with matte anthracite, a form of hard coal that lends an understated silken sheen to the cycle. A front suspension from Wisconsin-based Manitou provides a smooth ride, while a gear system from Japanese manufacturer Shimano offers 27 gears for a broad range of pedal control. Priced at approximately $1,800, the M Bike is available through BMW’s online store and select BMW dealerships.

The Fisker Karma aims to be a green-conscious supercar. A four-door sedan with an exotic car profile, its designers say the Karma will run on electric power all the way to its electronically-limited top speed of 125 mph, and boast a 0-to-60 time of less than six seconds. If, that is, the Karma is succesfully built.

The man behind the car has a track record. Henrik Fisker is the designer who penned some of the world's most beautiful cars -- the designer behind the BMW Z8, for instance, and the Aston Martin DB9. Now, he hopes to bring the world an advanced green supercar under his own name.

The Karma will reportedly carry a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, used only to recharge the car's batteries when they are depleted to a pre-set threshold. The combination, the company says, is good for more than 100 miles per gallon.

Fisker has begun accepting pre-orders for the car, and contracted with a Finnish factory to build it. Delivery is expected to begin in the second half of 2010.