Continuing my brand by brand coverage of NAIAS…

BMW introduced the ActiveE, an all-electric 1-Series coupe. It looks much like a 1-Series coupe with bizarre graphics. BMW claims 0-60 will be under 9 seconds and range will be 100 miles. I’ll be more excited when one’s available for purchase and I can drive one. Which won’t be this car, but some future production vehicle based on insight gained from this concept.

Buick introduced a likely high-performance GS variant of the upcoming new Regal. The GS was rumored to share a 335-horsepower turbo V6 with the top Opel Insignia. Though allegedly this engine was in the car shown, we’ll instead get a 255-horsepower version of GM’s 2.0-liter turbo four. More impressive: 295 foot-pounds of torque and, to handle it, all-wheel-drive. The 220-horsepower version of this engine already slated for the Regal is paired with front-wheel-drive. In either case a manual transmission will be offered in addition to the automatic dealers will actually stock.

I’ve seen the Regal before in Chinese trim. In U.S. spec it’s at least as attractive, both inside and out, with a flavor that’s more German than American. The key question in my mind: will the manual shift and steering have the direct feel I like in a performance car? I also hope the gearing is better than on the related Saab 9-3 Turbo X I had for a week last year.

The front seats in the regular Regal, the one we could sit in, don’t have much in the way of lateral support. The back seat barely fits an average-sized adult. For more room you’ll want the LaCrosse. As in the LaCrosse, the trunk is very narrow.

I found one nit to pick with this car: cheap-looking plastic caps over the lug nuts. I mentioned this to a GM engineer. His response: exposed chrome lug nuts like those on the LaCrosse tend to rust, and become difficult to remove. But is there no more attractive solution?