Sharing the stand with the Shinari sports saloon concept at this month's Los Angeles Auto Show will be the North American version of the Mazda5 minivan. Shown for the first time to the public at the Geneva Salon this past March, the new Mazda5 gets a swoopier design with flared front fenders and a trio of three side creases starting from the front door and continuing all the way back to the tail lamps.

GM has revealed the production version of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show's Buick Regal GS concept but to our disappointment, the automaker has kept the 255HP 2.0-liter turbocharged engine instead of the Opel Insignia OPC's far more potent 2.8-liter twin-scroll turbocharged V6 with 325 ponies. The General's cost-cutters also ditched the OPC's four-wheel drive system as the GS is a front-wheel drive model only.

Buick says with the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the GS will accelerate from 0 to 60mph in less than seven seconds (*estimated). In comparison, the basic $28,200 VW Passat CC 2.0 Turbo with 200HP completes the standard sprint in 6.9 seconds, while the European Opel Insignia OPC in 5.8 seconds.

Later on, Buick will offer the GS with an optional six-speed automatic with Driver Shift Control.

The car rides on standard 19-inch alloy wheels and all-season tire, with 20-inch polished alloy wheels shod in performance tires being optional. Braking power comes from a four-wheel disc brake system featuring Brembo front calipers, while there's also a standard StabiliTrak stability control system with integrated, full-function traction control.

At this month's Los Angeles Auto Show (November 19 -28), Subaru will lift the wraps off a never-before seen concept model that is claimed to embody the firm's new global brand statement, called "Confidence in Motion". Aside from the single teaser image, we don't have anything else on the concept model as the press release concentrates on explaining the new slogan. So until we get more info and/or a better picture of the study, follow the jump to check out Suabru's P.R. and why not, speculate on the type of car that the company is preparing for the LA Show.

Last week, we told you about some of the new cars and concept models heading to the LA Auto Show in mid-November. Now we have news of Honda's plans for the motor show. The Japanese automaker said it will host the world premiere of an all-new electric vehicle concept as well as a plug-in hybrid platform showcasing the next-generation of Honda hybrid technology.

Another day, another new or in this case, refreshed Chrysler Group product. Enter the 2011 Dodge Avenger that has been overhauled with a completely new interior, better powertrain options, a revised suspension and a barely noticeable exterior facelift.

Unlike its Chrysler 200 brethren, the 2011 Avenger receives only a few minor exterior tweaks and in particular, the new signature Dodge Brand "split crosshair" grille and a redesigned bumper up front, plus new LED tail lamps at the back.

The big styling changes are found inside where the Avenger gets a brand new interior with a far more contemporary design and higher-grade materials that Dodge claims are "more pleasing to the touch but also to the eye".

Automakers are planning to unload a raft of new vehicles at the rapidly approaching Los Angeles Auto Show. According to the event planners, the LA convention center will host 20 world premieres and more than 30 North American debuts.

We already know about several world debuts such and Nissan's completely redesigned Quest minivan, Murano Cross Cabriolet concept and Ellure sedan study, but today the organizers [officially] confirmed a few more premieres.

These include -in no particular order- the well-received Mazda Shinari sports sedan [read the full story here]; the five-door version of the Land Rover Evoque; Saab 9-4X; Kia Optima Hybrid; VW Eos facelift, and the U.S.-spec Hyundai Elantra compact sedan and Fiat 500

If you haven't heard already, earlier this month, Volkswagen lifted the covers off the redesigned 2011 Eos Coupe-Convertible. And while here in the U.S., buyers will have to wait until next year for the revamped model, in Europe, the 2011 Eos is not only available for order but Volkswagen also introduced the Exclusive Edition package.

Available with all engine variants from the 140HP 2.0 TDI to the 210HP 2.0 TSI, the Exclusive trim adds a raft of features such as sports seats in two-tone Nappa leather upholstery and decorative elements in aluminum.

Here's our second part on the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show's "Design Challenge" with futuristic-looking lightweight concept models from Mercedes, Nissan, Smart, Toyota and Volvo. For the first group of concept studies, click here to check out our previous post.

For the past seven years, the most important automotive design studios in Southern California compete in a Design Challenge organized by the Los Angeles Auto Show. For this year's edition of the show, which runs November 19-29, the event planners decided to add an international flavor to the contest by inviting studios from Germany and Japan to join the competition for the very first time.

The theme for the 2010 Design Challenge is the creation of a super-efficient and lightweight four-passenger car: "The objective is to envision an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle (not to exceed 1,000 lbs.), that is both comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the styling consumers demand. "

Follow the break for the first group of concept models by Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda, and stay tuned for the second part.

As absurd as it may seem to spend $75,000 for what is essentially a luxed-up edition of the forthcoming mass production 2011 Camaro Convertible, it took only three minutes earlier today for 100 people to put their name down for the Neiman Marcus special edition cabrio. The new owners claimed their 2011 Camaro SS ragtops through a special telephone reservation process, a few hours after the car made an appearance on NBC's Today Show.

Saab's rejuvenation continues with the presentation of the production version of the long-anticipated 9-4X ahead of its world premiere at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show. One of the last projects developed under the ownership of GM, the 9-4X shares its Theta platform and major drive components with the Cadillac SRX, and like its American brethren, it will be built at GM's factory in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

The 9-4X's shape and styling will familiar to most as the crossover model was previewed by the 9-4X BioPower concept at the 2008 Detroit Show. On the outside, changes over the 2008 study concern some minor details such as the smaller front fog light openings, mirror caps, tail lamp color combos and smaller (and less impressive) alloy wheels.

The same can be said about the interior, with differences limited to the air vent designs and the less flashy decorative trim.

The North American market version of the revised Nissan GT-R supercar will make its first public appearance on this side of the Atlantic at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17th, the Japanese automaker announced today.

Semi-revealed at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month, the latest version of the GT-R gains a barely noticeable exterior makeover with a new front bumper featuring some rather tacky LED daytime running lights, a revised rear diffuser and new alloy wheel designs. Nissan says the exterior revisions improve the car's aerodynamics.

Four years after it hit the market, Volkswagen is giving the Eos coupe-cabriolet its first cosmetic makeover. The facelifted model, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November before going on sale in January 2011, receives an updated design and a host of new features.

The exterior restyling brings the Eos in line with VW's latest models such as the new Touareg, Passat B7 and Jetta. At the front, there's a new, and less prominent, upper grille which is now completely separated from the lower. Also new are the headlamps that incorporate horse-shoe shaped LED running lights, the bumper design and the more chiseled side mirrors.

After the auction of the first publicly available production model of the 2011 Camaro Convertible that sold for $205,000, and the release of a single official press image last week, Chevrolet continues to drum up interest for its new topless Camaro with the announcement of a new special edition version that will be showcased in the annual Neiman Marcus "Christmas Book".

The General plans to build only 100 examples of the Camaro Convertible Neiman Marcus Edition, each priced $75,000, with first deliveries set to take place in the spring of 2011.

Taking a short break from our Paris Motor Show coverage, General Motors surprised us this morning with the release of the first official picture of the production 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible.

Here are some snapshots of the next Saab vehicle to help justify the brand's survival, the 9-4X crossover. Seen here in production guise before its LA Auto Show debut in November (unless Saab surprises us in Paris...), what we've got is a nice, safe, smart step in the right direction for the brand.