A 5-Door 2012 BMW 1 series has been spied and photographed during winter testing, recently. It’s a good thing that the site isn’t called American Car Fans because North American dealings with this model will be on a look but don’t touch basis. There will be no true 1-series on this side of the Atlantic until at least 2014, from what I’ve heard. And, even then don’t expect the 5-door to make the trip. This is very disappointing news to someone with an affinity for stylish, sporty hatchbacks. If you’d like to know what driving a hatchback BMW is like without going to Europe, your best bet might be to get behind the wheel of a Mini. Or, maybe a competitor will fill the void with their own luxury compact and try to give North America what BMW won’t. A production version of the Lexus LF-Ch could serve that purpose if that doesn’t end up as a Europe only model too. By the way, if this is your first encounter with the term “5-door”, I’m talking about a 4-door hatchback (Don’t laugh – it confused me the first time, too!).

The production version of the 2011 Honda CR-Z has made its debut at the 2010 Detroit auto show, and the company believes the car will combine the sportiness of the CRX with the eco-friendliness of the original Honda Insight. The output of the engine and the electric motor combine for 122 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. When power is routed through the standard six-speed manual transmission, the CR-Z is said to achieve 31 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Opting for the CVT bumps fuel economy to 36/38. As a reference, the Honda Fit is rated as high as 28 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. CR-Zs should be hitting dealerships by the end of the summer, and starting prices are expected to be less than $20,000.

Click here to view the latest 2011 Honda CR-Z pictures!