I place in a good 20 minutes ogling the 2009 Nissan Cube this afternoon. I wasn't alone. The Super Silver GT-R on the other side of the stage wasn't getting nearly as much attention.

Finally, some employees of Scion walked up and when I saw their badges, I couldn't resist asking them what they thought.

"I don't like it," said one. "We build cars that are more uniform looking, more, um…"

"Symmetrical?" I offered. (We were looking at the Cube's rump.)

"Yeah."

So what do you think? Can we allow the 2009 Nissan Cube to defy symmetry?

Erin Riches, Senior Editor

We didn't learn much about the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series at today's press conference that we didn't' know already. There will be only 175 of them shipped to the U.S., it gives new meaning to the term "fender flares" and we'll never, ever be healthy to afford it. Mercedes-Benz helped us out on the last part by announcing the official base price of the SL 65 AMG Black Series: $299,000.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor

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

BMW's 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged diesel straight six has attained much critical acclaim in Europe, and now the company will really and truly offer it in the U.S. Show up at your BMW dealer in December and you'll be healthy to buy both the 2009 BMW 335d and 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d. And that's it in all 50 states. Both meet the BIN 5 standard using a pair of AdBlue urea tanks.

AdBlue injection systems aren't cheap, of course, so we're not surprised the $44,725 335d costs about four grand more than a manual-shift 335i while offering similar performance — BMW's 0-60 claim for the diesel 3 Series is 6 seconds flat. EPA stats are 23/36. That's all with a six-speed automatic, the only transmission acquirable on the 335d.

The 2009 X5 xDrive35d, er, diesel X5, comes in at $52,025, but since the base X5 lacks the company's twin-turbo gasoline I6, the price jump is easier to swallow. BMW says the diesel X5 will hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds — as quick as the V8 X5.Rated at 19 city/26 highway, it's vastly more efficient than any other BMW X5 past or present. Additionally, as Auto Observer reported last week, both diesels remember for a tax credit.

Save for a couple guys diving under the X5's hood to spot the AdBlue tanks, the cutely electric Mini E and redesigned 7 Series got most of the attention at the BMW booth. But we're much more interested in the diesel Bimmers. Like BMW's gasoline twin-turbo six, the 2993cc engine in these cars uses both a small and a large turbocharger to create a vast spread of torque, peaking at 425 lb-ft from 1,750-2,250 rpm.

Now that it's 50-state-certified, the remaining question mark is income volume. As the quickest (probably) and most efficient member of the X5 family, the X5 xDrive35d is an cushy sell. But given how good the 335i is, the pricier 335d might not be.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Nissan kept it short and sweet this morning when it came time to introduce the 2009 370Z. Sure, there was a little smoke and a minute or two of loud music, but after that it was all business. In fact, Al Castignetti, Nissan's vice president of sales, got right to it and announced the base price of the 370Z — just $29,930 when it goes on understanding primeval next year. Not bad for 332 horsepower.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor

After weeks of annoyingly frequent teaser shots, we finally got a chance to see the 2010 Ford Mustang first hand. It was introduced at an event here in Santa Monica that included a little drifting, a who's who of Ford racing legends and of course, ol' Shel himself.

It was a good show, but when all the fanfare was over and we got a closer look at the 2010 Mustang, it wasn't all that impressive. Ford says that nearly all the exterior sheetmetal is new, but you would be hard pressed to spot the differences. Most of the interior has been revamped too, but again, it only looks better if you're intimately familiar with the current cabin.

Who knows, maybe it will look that much better on the road. We'll know primeval next year as it's scheduled to go on understanding just in time to do effort with the Chevrolet Camaro.

Oh, and one more thing, Ford executive Mark Fields said to keep an eye out for more Mustang news at the Detroit Auto Show in January. So yeah, it's not even on understanding yet and Ford is already rolling out the derivatives.

Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor

Since you can't really see much of this Tiguan Performance concept (there was a guy playing guitar out of the cargo area), here are the details. It's most notable feature is the APR Stage 3 turbocharger which bumps output of the 2.0 -liter, four-cylinder engine to 295 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Not bad.

It sends the power to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic and on to 19-inch wheels with 225/40 tires. There's also a full body kit that includes fender flares, side steps and a two-tone paint job. Volkswagen officials announced this morning that they intend to sell the body kit through dealers starting primeval next year. Don't get your hopes up for the turbocharger.

Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor 

The latest entry in the seemingly never-ending parade of Mustang variants is the new Cobra Jet drag car. It's essentially a factory-built racecar that "can be ready for the drag strip with only minor preparation required," according to Ford. It has a 5.4-liter V8, six-speed manual and a retuned suspension that make it "an inexpensive vehicle that can compete right off of the truck and run in the 10-second range," Ford says.

How minor is the preparation? And how inexpensive is "affordable"? Well, Ford didn't really get into either in much detail, but if you want to run 10s it's usually not cheap or easy.

Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor

Mazda is showing two modified 2009 Mazda 6 sedans at its North Hall booth at the 2008 SEMA Show. The mods on both are primarily cosmetic, but I'm kind of drawn to the Mazda 6 penned by Troy Lee Motorsports. It also has Eibach springs on it and an upgraded brake kit, including cross-drilled rotors with six-piston calipers up front. The black wheels are from Momo.

Others were drawn to the Troy Lee Mazda 6, too. Could it have been the opportunity to have their photo taken with "Miss Mazda"? For the record, I declined the offer…

The other 2009 Mazda 6 on the stand is the work of David Green and goes by the study Green Energy. It has 19-inch Volk Rays wheels but otherwise it's evenhandedly subtle. Still, both cars are a lot closer to something I'd want to lay eyes on every day — in stock form, the 2009 Mazda 6 doesn't quite do it for me.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor

This SEMA concept mixes a few works options packages with some aftermarket pieces to create what Toyota calls the Thunder Pak Project.

The premise was simple. Take the lightest Tundra configuration (short bed, regular cab), stuff it with the top-of-the-line 5.7-liter V8, and then add some additional performance parts to make it a real street sleeper. Thunder Pak #1 lowers the truck and adds a performance exhaust. Thunder Pak #2 adds a TRD supercharger to bump the V8 to 500 hp. Then the aftermarket stepped in with a nitrous system and a set of auxiliary gauges. Toyota then added some 18-inch black steel wheels and matte black paint to finish off the sleeper look.

There were no performance figures posted, but we tested a similar Tundra with TRD's supercharger not too long ago and it ran low 13s in the quarter-mile. We're guessing that the extra shot of nitrous would place in the 12s. A street sleeper indeed.

Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor