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2010 VW New Beetle Final Edition video

I've been showing lots of love to the many fabulous new sports cars I scoped at the recently held 2009 International Auto Show, but it's not as if those were the only types of cars on display at San Francisco's Moscone Center. So I thought it was time "now for something completely different" like Monty Python's Flying Circus. But this car isn't British (although I'm a sucker for a Jaguar of any vintage). Instead I thought we'd share a pint with the 2010 VW New Beetle that made its presence felt … Read more

Modified rides at the LA Auto Show

It was no SEMA Show, but the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show featured its fair share of rides that had spent time under the knife to become something more than stock.

From race-prepped Fiestas and Mazda2s to a pair of crazy Scions that take tailgating to a new level, modifications at the LA Show took all shapes and forms. Suzuki brought out two examples of its new Kizashi sedan modified by Rockford-Fosgate and Road Race Engineering to deliver great sound and great performance.

Meanwhile, SMS Supercars showed us the meaning of "exotic muscle" with a pair of SMS … Read more

Small cars are big news at the LA Auto Show

Remember when the bottom dropped out of the economy and everyone was screaming for small, inexpensive, and fuel efficient cars? Well, they're here; and they're in Los Angeles.

Small cars ruled the roost at the 2009 LA Auto Show, with marquees such as the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda Mazda2, and the VW Up Lite attracting a lot of attention and stealing the spotlight from bigger more powerful cars.

Check out our gallery of small cars at the 2009 LA Auto Show for a closer look.

2011 Toyota Sienna packs two monitors in one

This week the 2011 Toyota Sienna debuted at the LA Auto Show and while the minivan's new Venza-esque aesthetic, 3.5- and 2.7-liter power trains, and available all-wheel drive are, well, kind of interesting, we're most intrigued by the new Dual View rear seat entertainment system.

Folding down from its hiding place in the Sienna's ceiling, the Dual View display appears to be a superwide 16.4-inch display. However, it is actually two smaller displays seamlessly butted against each other in one frame.

When watching a single source, the Dual View displays a single image. Choose … Read more

Honda wins for wackiest concept

In a time when most automakers limit their new production, Honda showed the most creative flair at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show with its Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) concept. The P-NUT explores new ideas for small city cars, using a 1+2 layout, with rear seats that can fold up, turning the car into a delivery cart. Honda has some interesting ideas for how the driver would interact with the car, and specifies a head-up display for the broad windshield.

Don't expect the P-NUT to ever hit production; it is pure concept. Honda merely suggests some ideas that … Read more

2011 Saab 9-5: The last hurrah?

A week before the Los Angeles Auto Show, GM's deal to sell Saab to Koenigsegg fell through, making the Swedish carmaker's future uncertain. But the company's plans for a future that might never come are evident in the 2011 9-5 sedan. This car incorporates much of the jet fighter design Saab used in its Aero-X concept from a few years ago. The pillars and roof of the 9-5 have a more angular design than previous Saabs, yet still maintain the Saab identity.

Saab also modernized the technology in the 9-5, going to a hard-drive-based navigation system and … Read more

2011 Ford Mustang: V-6 is no longer a dirty word

When Ford launched the revised Mustang last year, we were pretty bummed to learn that there wasn't a new power plant to go along with the improved aesthetic. At the 2009 LA Auto Show, this inequity has been rectified with a new 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 that boosts engine output to 305 horsepower while raising fuel economy to an estimated 30 mpg on the highway. For the first time ever, a V-6 Mustang is nothing to be ashamed of.

We've already taken a look at how the Duratec achieves such power and economy through a combination of weight … Read more

Infiniti's new M steps over the 5-liter line

Infiniti didn't make it to the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, but the company was near by, showing its 2011 Infiniti M56 in Beverly Hills. The update to Infiniti's top model is an attempt to stay competitive with luxury brands Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, while maintaining a performance focus. As such, the M56 gets a revised interior with some nice woodwork, new running gear, and a raft of driver-aid technologies.

Along with blind-spot detection and lane departure warning, Infiniti adds lane drift prevention, which keeps the car from crossing a lane line by braking the offside wheels a little. … Read more