BMW's on a bit of a roll at the moment. The German bike firm is expanding its range of road bikes, and many of them are selling well. It's also just launched its four cylinder superbike which has formed the basis of a 2009 WSB campaign. The blue and white roundel is rolling well and in the right direction.

But BMW hasn't forgotten the purists. And though it's now using singles, twins and fours to power its bikes, the venerable flat twin-cylinder powerplant will probably remain in place for some time yet. The versatile trademark Boxer motor has been used in sportsbikes, sports tourers, tourers and adventure sportsbikes. Now the most powerful version of all has been fitted to the most exclusive BMW to date, the HP-2 Sport. Essentially a road-going replica of its endurance racer, the 130bhp limited-edition model was first seen at the Paris show late last year. And by the time it reached the dealers, the vast majority had been sold. It's still possible to buy an HP-2 Sport, but you'll need to get a bit of a hurry on if you fancy one.

Everyone knows that it is unlikely that the future of the automotive industry relies on cars running on petrol or diesel. In fact, it is fair to assume that the coming few years or decade will probably spell the beginning of the end for all cars that depend purely on these environmentally unfriendly fuels. What we aren't so good at predicting, however, is what will replace this technology. We know it will be something greener and more energy efficient (as our sources of fuel are fast running out on this poor planet), but as for more than that we simply can't decide.