The Chevrolet Spark (née Daewoo Matiz) is a cheeky little ultra compact sold by General Motors and partners nearly everywhere in the world save the U.S. While the General’s ad tactics for the little Spark may involve playing on the rebellious nature of the youthful market the car is positioned to be sold to, we were still a little baffled by the message offered in this Argentinean spot. Perhaps there’s something lost in the translation but the Chevy ad is seemingly in strong opposition to the institution of marriage—as evidenced by this literal destruction of a strong symbol. Still, the Spark has never looked more delicious.

+ Ad Freak: Chevrolet Spark | "Cake"

Allegedly designed to alert the driver/rider any time the modified vehicle is emitting enough carbon monoxide to be harmful to the environment—which would be an awful lot if we had to guess—this original tailpipe trumpet certainly gives added credence to the term, engine note. Creators Allora & Calzadilla are most likely more interested in making a social statement than tuning (sorry) exhausts but the concept makes for, at the very least, a fascinating visual effect. The next attempt had better be a French horn.

+ Lisson Gallery    

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The Infiniti G37 Convertible has been speculated and teased for quite some time now, but the official details about the drop-top G have finally been released. A three-piece folding hardtop allows this G37 to do battle with the likes of the Saab 9-3, Mercedes-Benz CLK, and BMW 3-Series in the premium cabriolet market. The G37 Convertible can either be mated to a six-speed manual (in the G37S) or seven-speed automatic transmission, though unlike the coupe and sedan, no all-wheel-drive G37x version is available.

Infiniti has added a few technological goodies that make this convertible even more attractive, including an available Bose Open Air sound system that dynamically changes sound equalization based on outside noise, top position, and vehicle speed. On top of that, there's an adaptive dual-zone climate control system that adjusts the fan's speed depending on vehicle speed and whether the roof is on or off.

We do love convertibles here at Winding Road and NextAutos, and we're eager to get some seat time in the latest addition to the convertible segment. We're also happy to see that the folding hardtop hasn't ruined the G's sleek shape too much, either.

Scroll through our gallery of images to see the G37 Convertible in all its glory and click through the post to read Infiniti's press release.

With new models of each car being announced this morning by Porsche, our early conversations revolved around the specific merits and downsides of the Boxster and the Cayman. With power, pricing, and performance all within fighting distance of each other, which Porsche would you rather park in your garage? Cayman or Boxster, you make the call, in comments. 

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Now that the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan have been completely refreshed for the 2010 model year, it only makes sense that their platform-mate, the Lincoln MKZ, would get a couple of updates. The styling has indeed been influenced by that of the larger MKS sedan, though we don't find it to be nearly as attractive as its Fusion and Milan siblings.

Under the hood is a 3.5-liter V-6 which produces 263 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque mated to a six-speed automatic. The MKZ is said to sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in 7.1 seconds, or six-tenths of a second quicker than the previous model. Both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are available.

The interior gets a slight update with a handful of useful features like Ford's updated navigation interface with Sirius Travel Link, Sync, rain-sensing wipers, and a reverse camera system.

Click through the post to read the official press release from Ford and have a look through our gallery of images, as well.

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With around 1.8 million units sold so far and some 90 awards won, the Mazda3 has been treating the Japanese automaker quite well ever since its initial release five years ago. So to keep the favorable trend going, Mazda will show the all-new Mazda3 sedan at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.
 
The styling has been nudged towards what the automaker likes to call a unified Mazda global "family face." This translates into a lower air intake, and a modernized and 'instantly recognizable' five-point grill. The lines have also been tweaked and molded on the body for a more coupe-like shape, featuring a similar the C-pillar profile as the one on the 2009 Mazda6.

Interior upgrades include a sharper and more contemporary look than the previous generation, with keyless entry and push-button start as its standard party piece. Options will include rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, leather upholstery, and heated seats. While these changes are nothing too special, it does come with a Bose 10-speaker premium surround sound system, a dock for iPods, Sirius satellite radio, and connectivity for cell phones and portable media players. These additions should happily satisfy anyone with a techno-accessory junkie within.
 
The power comes in the form of either a 2.0-liter inline-4 capable of generating 148 horsepower and135 pound-feet of torque, or a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that produces 167 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque. To transfer power to the wheels, there is yet another list of choices ranging from a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission, as well as a five-speed electronically controlled Sport-AT autobox.
 

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Images of Nissan’s all new 370Z sports coupe are nothing new (though we’ve never had this many all at once before), as pics of the newest Z have been leaking out for some time now. But with Nissan’s launch of the new car at L.A. we have learned much more in the way of specifics regarding the 370.

For starters, the new Z is looking at pricing along the same lines of the current car (not a bad thing) with a base MSRP starting just below $30,000. That $30K now buys a more powerful sports car, with the new generation of Nissan’s VQ Series 3.7-liter V-6 making 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque against the old 3.5-liter engine’s 306 and 268 respectively.  Nissan also tells us that the newly powerful engine will have less to tote around, as considerable weight saving measures have helped to cut the curb weight of the 370Z by an estimated 225 pounds.

We’re also pretty excited by the first images we’ve seen showing the 370 interior up close, as the outgoing car always felt a bit let down in that department.  The driver’s seat has been the product of a great deal of thought and revision with revised lower seat cut-outs, a more secure frame, and a lower hip point than in the previous car. Materials seem of a higher grade throughout the cabin.

We’re anxious to get our hands on the new 370Z and report back with driving impressions sometime next month, stay tuned.

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Like its hardtop Cayman sibling, the Porsche Boxster also gets a few upgrades for the 2010 model year, specifically direct injection and Porsche's new PDK dual-clutch gearbox, along with some minor styling tweaks.

The base Boxster's 2.9-liter flat-six now produces 255 horsepower, an increase of 10 horses over the previous model, while the direct-injected 3.4-liter engine in the Boxster S pumps out 310 horsepower -- an increase of 15. The Boxsters should achieve fuel economy numbers in the range of 25 to 26 miles per gallon.

Scroll through the gallery for photos of the updated Boxster, and click on over to our earlier Cayman coverage for the official press release.

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Already one of the sexiest cars on the planet, Lamborghini has gone topless with its Gallardo LP 560-4 and created a new Spyder supercar to debut at the L.A. Auto Show.

While the specific details surrounding the Spyder won’t be known until the launch later today in L.A., it’s fully expected that the car will carryover most of the same mechanical bits from the fixed-roof LP 560-4—no bad thing in our humble opinion. That means that the 5.2-liter V-10 will still be churning out 560 horsepower, and will no doubt be turning heads with its sonorous goodness where ever it goes. 

The new Gallardo Spyder will offer a power-folding soft top that will likely go up or down in roughly 20 seconds. From the few top-up photos we’ve been given however, we’d recommend that the roof be raised only in the direst of emergencies, as it makes the otherwise stunning car look a little silly.

+ Autoblog: LA 2008: Lamborghini unveiling Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder

China’s Guangzhou Auto may not be on most car enthusiast’s radar screen right now, but should the upstart automaker choose to build something like this slinky concept roadster, we believe that a few more people would sit up and take notice.
 
The roadster concept was found at the GA stand at the company’s home auto show in Guangzhou, China, and very little is known about it yet—save that it look really, really good. GA has is currently a working partner with both Toyota and Honda though, so some kind of big backing for the concept is at least a possibility.

Trouble is, the GA concept does bear at least a passing resemblance to the Honda OSM concept from this year’s British auto show. We can’t really see the point in cribbing a concept vehicle from someone it’s already in business with, but then again, there are a lot of things on the China side that we don’t fully understand.

+ China Car Times: Guangzhou Roadster Concept - We want one.