It's the week ending November 20, and we've browsed our favorite automotive ...

Mazda will introduce its award-winning Mazda2 subcompact to North America at the LA Auto Show. It is offered in sedan, three-door hatchback, and five-door hatchback body styles in other markets, though it looks like it will be the five-door that makes its American debut. The Mazda2 shares its platform with the much promoted Ford Fiesta, another international import being unveiled for the first time in American trim in LA. (Read: " Ford Fiesta to Arrive in 2010 .") Overseas, the Mazda2 is offered with diesel and gasoline powertrains, though it is anticipated that it will have a traditional 1.6-liter gas engine for the U.S. market. Details will be revealed in a few days, but it will likely have a 120-hp four-cylinder with a choice of six-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmission. The Ford is relatively refined for a small car, agile, and generally rather entertaining. We would expect the Mazda2 would be, as well. And we look forward to verifying that assertion. See our highlights from the 2008 LA Auto Show .

Los Angeles kicks off the North American new-car auto show circuit on December 2nd when the LA Convention Center opens its doors to the media, ahead of the public days later that week. Among the unveilings being teased is an array of high-tech models from Mercedes-Benz, including the SLS AMG supercar, the fuel-sipping E350 BlueTec and the fuel-cell-powered F-Cell. Mercedes will also show its first hybrid SUV, the ML 450 Hybrid, and its SplitView dual-content viewing technology that allows the driver and passenger to see something different on the LCD screen. The model expected to insight the most salivation is the SLS AMG, the modern reinvention of the classic mid-1950s 300SL. This new version features a lightweight aluminum space-frame body with gullwing doors and a 563-horsepower dry-sump V8 engine. With its front-mid engine and dual-clutch seven-speed, the SLS AMG has a balance weight distribution and track-honed dynamics. See our highlights from the 2008 LA Auto Show .

Adjustable shock absorbers are readily available today. If you haven’t seen or touched them first hand, you’ve no doubt heard about them. Typically, these shocks are fitted with adjustment knobs on the outside of the absorber body. That means anyone can make a simple modification to the way a car or light truck handles. And most of these adjustments can be made without the use of hand tools. Fair enough, but what do these adjustments accomplish? More than you might think. Good, quality adjustable shock absorbers can have 12 separate adjustments (single adjustable) to more than twice that number that in some double adjustable shock absorbers. Where one knob looks after bump and rebound settings in a single adjustable shock absorber, the bump and rebound settings are individually set in a double adjustable shock absorber. So you have different (and in some cases, complex) setting capabilities, but what does the adjustment really provide? It allows you to tailor the way your car or light truck functions under specific conditions. Having a vehicle with adjustable shocks means you have control on how your car is set up to handle the type of driving you'll be doing. While the adjustments...

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has announced 19 car and eight SUVs as Top Safety Picks for 2010—far less than the 94 vehicles that earned the accolade for 2009. The IIHS has made the requirements to be named a Top Safety Pick more stringent by adding a roof strength test to measure protection in a rollover accident. In addition, the Picks also factor performance in front, side, and rear crashes the Institute performs, as well as the availability of electronic stability control. Subaru again shines in IIHS tests, being the only manufacturer that has winning products in all four categories for a total of five awards. Ford and subsidiary Volvo have six winners, and Volkswagen/Audi has four. Chrysler earns four awards, continuing recent trend of improving the crashworthiness of its vehicles. This marks the second time the Institute has raised the bar for Top Safety Pick status since the awards were introduced in 2005. As with its other tests, it is expected that the rollover rating will push automakers to improve their vehicles ahead of federal mandates. And there is good motivation; The Institute estimates rollovers kill more than 9,000 people in passenger vehicles each...

Ford has announced a replacement for venerable Crown Victoria full-sized sedan will see service in 2011 as a police interceptor. Though details are slim, Ford has declared that it will have a purpose-built car ready for duty when Crown Vic production ends in late 2011. Ford has owned the police cruiser market for years, commanding 75 percent of the U.S. business. Chevrolet and Dodge have sold cars in spurts, but both the Impala and Charger have compromises compared to the roomy, rear-drive Crown Vic. Each year, Ford sells approximately 45,000 police vehicles, plus even more taxis. In developing the new car, Ford engineers have prioritized key vehicle attributes, such as safety, performance, durability, driver convenience, and comfort. The final shape and specs will be revealed next year, in ample time to court municipal business and allow for third-party outfitters to develop the essential gear to equip the sedans. This will also provide highway hooligans a chance to commit a new grille to memory. In the meantime, read " Drive Lika a Cop, Save Driving Tips ." See our last Ford Crown Victoria review .

Motor Trend Executive Editor Matt Stone will be at the Petersen Automotive Museum Saturday, November 21 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm signing his newly penned book, Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman , an in-depth look into Paul Newman's storied life as an automotive enthusiast and racecar driver. In his book, Stone writes about Newman's late but intense start into auto racing, his partnership with Chicago racing entrepreneur and team owner Carl Haas, and his colorful collection of cars. One such car, a one-of-a-kind race-prepped Volkswagen Beetle, with a Ford 351 engine and a Corvette radiator, will be on display at the museum, and as part of the book signing. Admission to the Petersen Automotive Museum is free with purchase of the book at the Museum Store. The museum, founded by the late Robert E. Petersen, who also founded Motor Trend , Hot Rod and several other automotive magazines, is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. www.petersen.org .

Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the 2010 Green Car of the Year; for the fifth consecutive year, this prestigious award will be announced at the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show on December 3....

The best anti-DUI message ever. “If you drink and drive, everyone will see you on a moped.” That’s the message the state of South Carolina is unintentionally sending. I think it’s the best anti-DUI message ever. (“Buzzed driving is drunk driving” is another good anti-DUI slogan.) All the rest are a waste of time and effort, especially among regular and serious drinkers. “Do you want your friends to see you on a moped?” is the only anti-DUI message that takes the glaze from teenagers’ eyes. In South Caroline, first-time DUI offenders (and others who have had their licenses suspended for six months or less) don’t need a license to ride a moped. Drunk-cycles, some call them. The law says mopeds can have no more than two horsepower and not be capable of more than 30 mph on a level road. Moped manufacturers: I’m sure your vehicles are wonderful for getting around major metropolitan areas and other uses I can’t imagine. On the positive side, mopeds allow offenders to continue going to work and do the things our automobile-centered culture requires. For other motorists, the vehicle’s license plate—MOPED—gives fair warning that the rider may be a DUI offender. On the negative side, the slow...

Volkswagen is launching its newest GTI using an exclusively online campaign featuring a free downloadable racing game highighting the car and a contest giving away six real 2010 VW MkVI Limited-Edition GTIs....

It's the week ending November 13, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each....

Buick will reveal the 2011 Regal sport sedan to Los Angeles journalists on Thursday evening with a private performance by singer Colbie Caillat. Touting its turbocharged horsepower, driver-selectable suspension system, and a firm, European-tuned chassis, General Motors promises it will deliver a driving experience intended to rival the best import sport sedans in the segment. "The 2011 Buick Regal is like nothing you've ever experienced from this brand," says Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick GMC. "The Regal is the next chapter in Buick's transformation and will expand the portfolio to include a sport sedan." It will be powered by the 182-horsepower 2.4-liter Ecotec direct injected four-cylinder engine found in its sibling LaCrosse , with a 220-horse/2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged version available late-summer 2010. Both engine choices will be mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission to provide an estimated 30 mpg on the highway with the 2.4-liter, or 29 mpg on the highway with the 2.0L turbo powerplant. The driver will enjoy thick-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel, standard heated leather seats, Bluetooth capability, XM Satellite...

Ford CEO Alan Mulally told Automotive News recently that the company would not be importing its global Ford Ranger pickup truck and Ka minicar into the United States, as previously thought. The Ranger built in Thailand, and sold throughout the world, is different and significantly newer than the model sold here, which has roots back to the 1990s. The Ka is considered too small for our market. Unstated, the Ka may also be too inexpensive to be profitable given transportation costs and exchange rates. Word of the Ranger not coming hurts. The current model is due to be phased out in 2011, and this news suggests there is no imminent replacement. The American Ranger fits an increasingly important niche beneath the full-size truck category, but it feels decidedly long in the tooth. An updated model design to from the onset to deliver significantly improved fuel economy could likely find its place. (Read our Ford Ranger review .) That may still be in the cards, though sourced locally. Pickuptrucks.com has reported that the long-speculated F-100 project may live on. Past rumors have suggested it would be a lightened F-150, though more likely it would be an unique design built for lighter-duty...

Volvo is continuing its recent tradition of giving very early looks at upcoming models with this 2011 Volvo S60 preview. The relatively curvaceous styling was first seen at the 2009 Detroit auto show , where the concept gave a clear indication of the production styling. (See the S60 concept .) From the front, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the XC70 , and it is aerodynamic enough to forever erase the connotation that Volvo design equates to the classic, darn-near-bulletproof 240 boxes. The production model will make its debut in March 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show, and the factory will begin building the new sedan the following summer in Belgium. Volvo previously indicated that the new 2011 S60 will be powered by a 1.6-liter/180-horsepower turbocharged, direct-injection engine. As seen on the concept car, the S60 is expected toboost fuel economy by using an auto start/stop function; twin manual gearboxes that work in tandem; electric steering; grille shutter to reduce aerodynamic drag; a DRIVe-Mode economy function that prioritizes a variety of functions to emphasize fuel economy; and flat under-chassis panels. The S60 will tout a new, potentially life-saving Volvo safety...

Word has spilled from the Motor City via The Detroit News that General Motors will produce the Cadillac Converj extended-range electric car. For industry pundits, it seemed predestined that GM would offer a luxury sibling to the much ballyhooed Chevrolet Volt. By packaging the innovative drivetrain in a Cadillac model, GM can amortize the investment across more sales volume. Just as significantly, a Cadillac sports car can absorb the cost for the expensive battery packs, and it will make the Volt seem like an affordable, practical alternative, rather than the most expensive Chevrolet in history. First shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit , the Cadillac Converj served as the automaker’s grand finale. Product czar Bob “Maximum” Lutz at the time said if greenlighted, the production Converj would closely resemble the show vehicle. As you can see here, the Converj bears more than a family resemblance to the CTS Coupe , and it puts a sharp edge on luxury sportsters in general. Going green is fast becoming cool. The Volt is expected to go on sale by late 2010, so don’t look for a Cadillac version till 2011 at the earliest. Also see: Driving a Chevy Volt Test...