When it was first spotted, this smaller than expected Porsche Cayenne mule was anticipated to be a new “baby” version of the popular German SUV. Now these new images and some fresh information have our spy photographers reporting that this vehicle is simply the next Cayenne, built smaller to meet changing demands in the marketplace. The search for better mpg numbers, along with the strangely buckled hood on the mule in these photos, has us wondering if the Porsche pictured isn’t the hybrid version that has been discussed.

Alternative fuel or no, we’re told that then newest Cayenne should be coming to market in the early part of 2010, beating out the next Volkswagen Touareg which shares a platform with the Porsche. Look through our gallery of spy shots above or scroll down to read the photographer’s own words.

Several automakers have contributed to the Olympic Games by having the official fleet use their hybrid or hydrogen powered cars, most likely due to China pushing the upcoming event as the "greenest ever." Even taxi drivers outside of the games have upgraded to new hybrid models.

Those to make the effort to travel to the Olympic Games held in Beijing will also have a chance to ride in one of their hybrid taxis, such as the Chang'an Jie Xun MPV, or the FAW Besturn B50 Hybrid. Though only in Beijing at the moment, the other Olympic cities like Qingdao and Tianjin may eventually have the hybrids as well.

+ China Car Times: Take a hybrid cab this August, thanks to the Olympic Games

When the Chevrolet Volt was unveiled to the public at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2007, one of the things General Motors claimed it had a 600 mile range by the use of a battery pack, and a 12-gallon fuel tank. The batteries alone would take the Volt 40 miles until a gasoline engine and generator would kick in.

Toyota has announced some production changes in response to the rapidly changing needs of auto buyers in the U.S. The company will look to address rising interest in its Prius hybrid sedan by beginning production of that vehicle at its plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi. North American Prius production will begin sometime in late 2010.

As car buyers research fuel-efficient vehicles in the wake of sky-high gas prices, more and more are asking if the price premium for a hybrid is worth the savings they'll realize in fuel costs. A recent study from NADAGuides finds "that only a handful of hybrid vehicles make financial sense." The group looked at ten different cities and a number of different driver mileage profiles to determine the true dollar value of hybrid savings.

Not surprisingly, hybrids pay for themselves faster when gas is more expensive. That being said, if you live in an area such as California, a hybrid makes more financial sense than if you lived in, say, Missouri, which has the lowest gas prices in the country as of today. But even given the local cost of fuel where you live, your commute distances should be taken into account.

"Drivers near major cities often have a wide range of commute distances, which means that the break-even point can be dramatically different from one person to the next," said NADA's Tara Baukus Mello, senior writer and lead market analyst for NADAguides.com. "For example, if a Houston-area commuter travels 12 miles one way to work, driving 10,000 total miles annually, while a Los Angeles-area commuter travels 25 miles one way, driving 15,000 total miles annually, the Los Angeles commuter recoups his investment almost 80 percent faster."

Even for the high-mileage California driver, however, only a few hybrids actually allow the driver to recoup the cost if they hold onto the vehicle for five years and track 15,000 miles a year.

The cars that have shortest time to break even are featured in the gallery above:

1. Toyota Camry Hybrid
2. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid
4. Toyota Prius
5. Honda Civic Hybrid

The Prius's spot at number four on NADA's list is somewhat debatable as they used the four-cylinder Toyota Camry LE as a comparison benchmark for fuel, whereas we'd probably compare it to a Toyota Corolla instead.

Out of the above choices, which one would you earmark if you were shopping on fuel savings alone?

+ Top Hybrids by Fuel Cost Recovery (NADA)

When Honda debuted its gas-electric hybrid Insight for the American public in 1999, our country was a remarkably differnt place. Fuel prices in the U.S. had been more or less stable for years, rising along with the cost of inflation but not raising many eyebrows in the process.

This fall, Chrysler will launch its new Durango and Aspen hybrids priced at $45,340 and $45,570 respectively. Compared to the four-wheeled drive SUV hybrids from General Motors, these two are roughly $8000 cheaper.

Perhaps still on a high from recent dealings as a possible engine supplier for the vaunted Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai CEO Dr. Kim Dong-Jin is making some bold claims about the company’s upcoming range of hybrids and fuel cell cars.

Autocar reported in its print magazine that the good doctor said his green line would be “more advanced than the Prius,