We already know that Fisker will be unveiling the production version of its Karma sport sedan at the Detroit Auto Show, but now there's proof that another concept will be making its way to the Detroit stage: the Karma S, or Sunset. (Sources at AutoblogGreen say that while the S stands for Sunset, Karma S will be the official name.)

Fisker says that the Karma S will have similar architecture with the production Karma sedan and that the two cars will share the same powertrain. Aside from this little bit of information and a very cropped teaser shot, no other details were released about the Sunset, so we'll have to wait until its Detroit Show debut. Speculation suggests that this could be a coupe or convertible variant of the Karma sedan, since the vehicle seems to lack a B-pillar in this photo. As always, we'll keep you posted with more details once they arise.

+ AutoblogGreen: Fisker set to debut new Karma S "Sunset" concept in Detroit

The Detroit Auto Show is right around the corner, and in addition to its all-electric city car, Toyota will be unveiling the next-generation 2010 Prius. In this latest teaser video, the infamous Blue Man Group checks out the latest Prius, though we'll have to wait until next month to get up close and personal, ourselves.

+ YouTube: 2010 Toyota Prius

Toyota must be in shambles. Not only have they just reported their first annual loss in ages, but the Ford Fusion Hybrid now bests the Camry Hybrid in fuel efficiency, making the Fusion America's most fuel-efficient mid-sized car.

EPA testing has shown that the Fusion Hybrid can achieve 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, besting the Camry by 8 mpg and 2 mpg respectively. In fact, the Fusion gets 1 more mpg in the city than the smaller Honda Civic Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid can travel over 700 miles on a single tank of gas and can travel up to 45 miles per hour solely on electric assist.

Click through the post for Ford's official press release.

Nikolai Fomenko, a noted Russian celebrity and racecar driver, has just launched his own sports car company called EMM.

The company's first project will be the rather stunning Marussia sports car, which features an environmentally friendly hybrid drivetrain. On top of that, Fomenko hopes that the company will produce a completely electric car, possibly something similar to the Tesla, later on. For now though, hybrid technology is a lot more viable.

Russian media is reporting that the car will have a 3.5-liter Nissan engine, possibly from the existing 350Z, churning out around 240 horsepower on the entry model, and 298 hp on the premium version. Though this power output may not seem very supercaresque, the car will also use its electric motor at the back to boost its power. Adding in a feather-light curb weight of about 2000 pounds means that the car should be able to hit 60 miles per hour in around 5 seconds.

Apart from its drivetrain, other details on the Marussia are scarce. There are details on the interior however, as the car will have a 4G Yota network, which uses WiMax technology and will be able to wirelessly transfer 10mbps of data to ensure high-speed internet access. The Marussia will also feature three LCD screens in the car, a Bluetooth telephone system, and three cameras. One of these cameras will monitor the car in a “black box” manner for insurance companies.

+ Motor Authority: Marussia sports car born out of Russia

Each year, a jury of well-seasoned automotive personnel give out the International Car of the Year awards in a big ceremony to kick off the North American International Auto Show festivities. This year will be no different, and the final nominees have officially been announced. The Dodge Challenger, Ford Flex, and Nissan GT-R will do battle for the International Car of the Year title, while the Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F-150, and Subaru Forester duke it out for the International Truck of the Year honors.

In addition, the jury will be presenting their first-ever Earth, Wind & Power awards, showcasing cars that help to reduce global warming and promote a cleaner environment. For this new award, the BMW 335d, Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and Jetta SportWagen TDI are the nominees for Car of the Year, and the BMW X5 35d, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec are in the runnings for Truck of the Year.

Which cars will reign supreme? We'll have to wait until the official awards ceremony set to take place on January 10 at Detroit's MGM Grand casino. In the meantime, click through the above gallery to see all of the nominees and stay tuned for the winners.

+ ICOTY

If there was one positive factor about 2008's energy crisis, it's that it forced consumers to put more weight on fuel economy when making car-buying decisions. And while we may have moved away from $4-per-gallon gasoline, fuel efficiency still places high on the "must have" list for a lot of new car shoppers. Now that we know how easily these price hikes can happen, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

We've seen major manufacturers expanding their ranges of hybrid offerings, and for the first time, clean diesels are starting to make their way onto American soil, proving that you don't have to sacrifice performance for the sake of fuel consumption. Scroll through the gallery above to see out list of the ten most fuel efficient cars for 2009.

Note: This information is based off of the 2009 FuelEconomy.gov listing.

While it’s well known that BMW’s new Z4 roadster is well down the development path at this point, new rumors indicate that the German automaker may also be contemplating a smaller, 1-Series-derived convertible called the Z2 (speculative rendering above).

Such a Z2 would most likely eschew the 1-Series’ straight-six lineup for a four-cylinder engine, with a hybrid drivetrain reportedly also in the mix of possibilities. Any hybrid system would probably of the “mild” variety, taking tech from the 7-Series hybrid that’s due out this summer. The system uses a small electric motor positioned between the engine and transmission, directing power from a lithium-ion battery.

The Z2 would seem to offer a fine mix of top-down BMW driving dynamics, great fuel economy across the engine range, and the kind of packaging that has made the Z range a huge hit for the company.

+ AutoblogGreen: BMW may build hybrid Z2 compact roadster

Just a few days after Ford debuted the all-new 2010 Fusion, official pricing has been released. The Fusion can be had in five different model trims: S, SE, SEL, Sport, and Hybrid, with a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines and manual or automatic transmissions, depending on the model.

The base Fusion S rings in at an MSRP of $19,270 while the top-dollar Fusion Hybrid can be priced from $27,200. Rounding out the middle of the range we have the SE at $20,545, SEL at $23,975, and Sport at $25,825.

Click through the post to see a more detailed list of some of the features found on each model.

We just caught some images of BMW’s X6 Active Hybrid mule, captured in a trim that seems to be very near a completed product. Though the mule seen here differs only slightly in appearance from the standard X6, the game is given away by the rather bulgy lump on the hood of the vehicle—ostensibly needed to contain some of the new hybrid-style running gear.

The hybrid X6 will be a full, two-mode affair as previewed by the X6 Hybrid SUV concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, and will make use of two electric motors powered by nickel metal hydride batteries. The configuration is said to deliver 20 percent better fuel economy, in part because it offers a fully electrically powered mode.

The production car is likely to make its world debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January. Scroll down below to read the spy photographer’s own notes.

At last year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chinese automaker BYD surprised industry pundits by bringing an advanced concept for a dual mode hybrid to its stand. Now the battery specialist (BYD’s parent company is also one of the world’s biggest suppliers of rechargeable batteries) claims to be moving the game on even further, saying that it will bring a plug-in hybrid vehicle to the U.S. market by 2010.

BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu has said that the new hybrid, which is most likely to come in the form of the F3 sedan pictured above, will be able to travel up to around 68 miles on electric power alone.

In addition to its previous hybrid concept experience, the plug-in plans are also being greatly bolstered by an alleged investment of $230 million from rich guy Warren Buffet, which should go a long ways towards developing the safety features needed for U.S. regulations. BYD is reportedly getting help with the safety standards via “third-party consulting and engineering companies.”

Despite the fact that BYD doesn’t currently sell any hybrid in its home market, the company has lofty sales goals for the plug-in already—hoping to make the car available not only in the U.S. and China, but eventually in Europe as well.

+ Motor Authority: China's BYD to sell plug-in hybrid in U.S. by 2010