BMW's flagship, the 7 Series, is front row and center this year with a completely redone 2009 version.

It's bristling with technology -- and that shouldn't surprise anyone who's familiar with this hallowed brand. Your new 7 Series -- should you be financially blessed enough to buy one -- will have such wonders as a night vision system that can detect pedestrians, a side view camera to help with safety and rear wheel steering.

Another key feature is a new suspension system that allows you to dial in four different settings to provide vastly different array of ride and handling attributes, gear shifting timing and other functions.

And I'm thankful that a number of important improvements have been made to the iDrive, the mouse controlled computer system that operates the climate, audio and other car functions. Many a customer and many a journalist complained loud and long about iDrive, saying it was maddeningly confusing and often impossible to understand.

Now, the control for the system has been greatly simplified, allowing you to scroll down a list of functions and needs. That will work one heck of a lot better than moving the iDrive control knob every which way as you have to do now.

One backward step, though: BMW is installing its new electronic gear shifter in the 7 Series. I've tried this gearshift in every BMW I've driven this year and found it to be needlessly complex and complicated to use. More technology doesn't necessarily mean a better car. I think simpler is almost always better.

There's also a new 400-horsepower V-8 in the 7 Series.

But perhaps the best news is that major refinements in styling have been made. The car is a bit shorter, much sleeker and not quite so plump and overfed looking. Though the design isn't radically different, it is much prettier.

The 7 Series is due on the showroom floor in March or April. No fuel mileage figures are available, and prices have not been set yet.

The other big news for BMW is the coming arrival of a diesel model for the 3 Series. It's powered by a 3.0-liter, 265-horsepower twin turbo engine, and supposedly gets 33 miles per gallon. I don't have any price or other information, but should have it by the next buyer's guide set for June, so stay tuned.