BMW will use the 2009 NAIAS to debut their all-new Z4 sports car. The new Z-car (sorry Nissan) has grown a bit, softened the styling a tad, and has added a folding hardtop. Power will come from the existing 3.0 6-cylinder engines. The naturally-aspirated sDrive30i puts out 255 hp, and the twin-turbo sDrive35i offers 300 hp. The base model (I hate those silly names) will come with either a 6-speed manual of 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. The twin-turbo will be offered with the 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch tranny.

I've never been a fan of the Z3 or Z4 in terms of styling. This one, now with numerous 7-Series styling cues, is better than the past models, but it's still not my cup of tea. Hopefully  my mind will be changed once I see it in the flesh.

Full story here, including a bunch of images.

Here's Inside Line's take: 2009 Detroit Auto Show: 2009 BMW Z4

After last night's official introduction of the 2010 Ford Mustang, we were less than impressed. Except for a few obvious design changes, it looked too much like the current model. Judging by the number of emails we received on the subject, there's plenty of disagreement.

With that in mind, we sent our photographer out to capture a few more angles of the new 2010 Mustang. There are various colors, bodystyles and trim levels represented here, so if you can't make up your mind with this set of pictures, you probably never will. Still, the question remains: Is the 2010 Ford Mustang different enough to be called "all new", or is nothing more than an overhyped minor facelift?  

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor

On the eve of the LA Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated an in-car Internet system called myCOMAND in the company's ConceptFASCINATION vehicle. Unlike current in-car Internet applications, which have grown in the past few months from none to about a half dozen, Mercedes plans to use MyCOMAND to wage access to media, communications and navigation functions — and dump the hardware traditionally associated with those technologies.

Instead of CDs or even an iPod, music would be accessed from an online library. Instead of using a mobile phone, calls would be prefabricated via VOIP. Instead of directions and information from an outdated in-dash or portable nav system, drivers would use Google Maps. And instead of a DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system, passengers would watch videos on YouTube.

MyCOMAND would also bring all of the power and function of the Internet into the car, including searches for everything from gas to garage sales, reviews and rating for restaurants and other services and the ability to find parking spaces, the cheapest gas, movie show times or almost anything else that can be done on the Web.

Mercedes has no immediate plans to make the system acquirable in production vehicles. Dr. Ralph Guido Merrtwich, director of infotainment and telematics research and advanced engineering for Mercedes, said at the unveiling that myCOMAND won't be ready until cellular networks literally get up to speed, which he predicted will be "rolled out starting in 2012."

That's eons in the fast-paced world of technology.

When Honda lifted the cover from their FC Sport concept, someone behind me let out an involuntary "whoa!" We weren't expecting anything as extreme as this when Honda veep Dan Bonawitz teased the concept's unveiling as "something to think about and hope for."

This sports car exercise by Honda's Southern California design center was spearheaded by designer Jason Wilbur, who claims inspiration from "hexagonal cellular structures" superimposed on a more organic form. The result is stunning — the FC Sport is radical, like a Civic Si Transformer whose robot form is a stormtrooper.

Pictures don't do this concept justice, but I snapped a bunch of them so that your mind can try to get around it.

The Model T Ford debuted in 1908, making it exactly one hundred years old. What better way to celebrate and honor this oh-so-important vehicle, than to have a design contest aimed to create the Model T for the next century.

Can it be done? Is it doable to create another vehicle that will have the same profound impact over the next 100 years as did the original Model T for the past century? Wow, talk about a challenge!

Full story here.

I’ve always been a sucker for cool off-roaders, and here’s one more that’s gotten my attention. It the Fiat Bugster concept, and it will debut at the Sao Paulo auto show in Brazil which starts October 30.

The Bugster is powered by a zero-emission electric motor, and the outer body is built out of renewable fibers. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Full story here.

Saturday night, Inside Line accepted an invitation to a party celebrating the grand opening of Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), the newest part of Galpin Ford, opened in 1946 and the world’s largest-volume Ford dealership for the last 18 years. GAS bills itself as a huge new customizing facility, healthy to customize or modify any vehicle to a customer’s wildest imagination. On hand are a huge selection of customizing options, including more than 200 special leather selections, 200 wheel designs, and 50 different gearshift knobs, as well as specific upgrades and options organized by make. There are also numerous performance upgrades, ranging from 500-horsepower Ford Racing crate engines to Roush engines to several supercharged options. The audio/video room features a central console where customers can use a touchscreen console to sample any combination of front and rear speakers, amps, subwoofers and the like to find just the right combination. Also included is a shop with car books and apparel inspired by the designs of George Barris and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.

The event was a stunner, with closed-off streets, huge tents and complimentary food and drink, including a full hosted bar and numerous buffets offering everything from tri-tip to clam chowder and delicious cupcakes. There was no shortage of automotive eye candy on site, including a flat-black Ford GT, an Aston Martin racecar, and a few selections from the Barris garage, including the original Batmobile and the Barber Car, and from Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, the Rat Fink customized motorcycle and the Orbitron, a spectacular bubble-top car designed by Roth in 1964 that was recently re-discovered and restored by GAS after being lost for nearly 35 years.

The entertainment line-up was as impressive as the rest of the proceedings. As GAS is the official garage of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride,” one of the performers was the show’s host, rapper Xzibit. He was followed by Camp Freddy, an all-star rock band including Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney from Jane’s Addiction, Matt Sorum from Guns and Roses and singer Donovan Leitch. They were joined on stage by such special guests as Macy Gray and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray. If that wasn’t enough, there was an auction of rock memorabilia on hand including guitars from the Rolling Stones and Neil Young, a drum kit from System of a Down, a week at Jimmy Buffet’s house in Key West, Florida, all to benefit the organization Friends & Helpers (here), which helps people safely escape and recover from abusive relationships.

More images after the jump.

Mini will offer 500 electric-powered Minis to those folks living in California, New York and New Jersey. The car will be targeted at corporate buyers, as well as private buyers.

The car features a lithium-ion battery pack and a 201-horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-stage helical gearbox. The motor will produce peak torque of 162 pound-feet and will enable the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 95 mph, and the car can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge.

In order to make this conversion, the standard Mini was prefabricated into a two-seater to fit the battery pack, which can be recharged from any standard power outlet. The Mini E will also come with a special “wallbox” charging unit that will enable the batteries to fully charge in 2.5 hours.

Here’s Inside Line’s take: 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mini E

You can add one more rumor to the “As the Chrysler Turns” auto industry soap opera: that being that Renault has expressed interest in acquiring the Jeep brand.

This raises more questions than it provides answers: If Jeep goes to Renault, what would that mean for a GM-Chrysler deal? Isn’t Jeep one of the primary carrots being offered by Chrysler LLC–to any new buyer, be it GM or anyone else? Without Jeep, would a GM-Chrysler (or ?-Chrysler) deal be less likely to happen?

Full story here.

Speaking of a GM-Chrysler deal, AutoObserver adds one more “no vote” to this silly idea.

GM-Chrysler Deal to Save $10 Billion - From Where?

It’s commonly assumed by many (and incorrectly so) that for larger vehicles diesels make more sense than hybrids. That’s probably because this site is so focused on cars, rather than big trucks. The fact of the matter is, that hybrid technology is making headway with larger trucks as well. There are number of city buses that are hybrid powered, as well as commercial trucks. It should also be noted that all these large hybrids are diesel-hybrids.

Navistar, maker of International trucks, has been building diesel-hybrids for some time. They have just introduced a new Class 7 (up to 33K GVW) diesel-hybrid tractor in their DuraStar line.

The new DuraStar diesel-hybrid can wage a fuel savings of 20-25 percent on standard in-city pickup and delivery applications. In addition the vehicle emits up to 33 percent less hydrocarbon emissions and 35 percent less nitrogen oxide emissions as compared with standard diesel trucks.

Full story here.