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Super Bowl commercials are big business, with multimillion-dollar 30-second spots and productions that seem to get more costly and elaborate every year. General Motors bucked that trend by giving independent film makers the opportunity to make their own 60-second spot, with the winner having their ad played in front of an estimated 110 million viewers during The Big Game.

Long Island, New York resident Zach Borst is that winner, and his first place entry is available after the jump. Borst decided to show what would happen if a new graduate was given a brand-new Camaro convertible as a graduation present – except the grad is really getting a mini fridge. Sounds like a bit of a letdown to us, but Chevrolet marketing boss Joel Ewanick says the ad "clearly shows the passion that Chevrolet elicits."

Hit the jump to read the GM press release and stay to watch the minute-long video.

A new Lexus LX 570 is going to set you back nearly $82k after you add $875 delivery to its $80,930 base price. The luxury version of the Toyota Land Cruiser wears a new Lexus spindle grille, one that's big enough to make Rumplestiltskin proud, and it has revised front and rear fascias among the other upgrades that Lexus says justify its 1.9-percent price increase.

Among the other new-for-2013 features are an updated Crawl Control mode and terrain-select for the all-wheel-drive system, because what Lexus owner doesn't enjoy serious rock-crawling? A new multimedia system with the next-generation Lexus Enform system is also part of the deal, which seems much more in line with real-world customer behavior, as Enform allows drivers to use Facebook and Yelp, among other services.

For those LX 570 buyers who just must have it all, there's also a $1,510 luxury package that adds some higher grade trim and features, and a backseat entertainment system for $2,005.

Toyota only sold 3,167 units of the Lexus LX last year, down by about 20 percent.

To read the full release, click past the jump.

The demise of the Dodge Viper in 2010 was sad enough on its own. But as if to twist the knife in the wound, the end of the Viper also meant the end of the Devon GTX.

A project of independent entrepreneur Scott Devon, the GTX gave the Viper a decidedly more upscale fit-and-finish worthy of its superlative performance. It got an entirely fresh body – complete with exotic upwards-swiveling doors and two-tone chrome/matte finish – and a more polished cabin. It was also treated to a boost in output, the Viper's 8.4-liter V10 producing 650 horsepower in Devon GTX trim. The result didn't just look sleeker, it also went faster, posting lap records at Willow Springs and Laguna Seca.

Unfortunately the demise of the Viper – not to mention the half-million-dollar asking price – meant that the GTX never really got off the ground. In the end only two examples were made, and now one of them is up for auction by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week.

Still titled as a 2008 Dodge Viper, serial #1 – in black and chrome – is being offered without reserve, and would certainly take a place of pride in any collection of rare supercars.

Our friends at Engadget got up close and cozy with the new Ford Sync Applink interface at CES 2012. Ford has put plenty of time ironing out some of the wrinkles in the voice-command system, and the company's work has paid off. Sync Applink is designed to allow users to access certain applications on their compatible smartphones without ever having to take their hands from the wheel. It sounds nice in theory, but Ford has had its fair share of issues getting the technology to produce desired results. Judging by the quick video, that's a thing of the past.

Ford demonstrated how the revised system easily pulls up the new NPR app and how users can easily shuffle through the application's various features. The app even lets users chose any NPR station in the country. How's that for snazzy?

Click past the jump to see Applink do its thing.

We normally associate with Roush Performance with the Ford Mustang, as we've tested several examples over the year from the race-ready 427R Trak Pak to the current 540 horsepower RS3. The Michigan tuner is now looking to expand, though, and has recently introduced a new line of performance products aimed at another segment of the Ford product line, the F-150.

The F-150's new powertrains are the main focus of Roush's product blitz, with supercharger systems available for both the 5.0-liter and 6.2-liter V8s. Roush has also developed cold air inductions kits for the entire powertrain lineup with the exception of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Additionally, Roush is offering a stainless steel cat-back exhaust for most of the F-150 lineup that produces a more aggressive tone than the stock system.

You can read more about the new F-150 products from Roush in the press release after the jump, and you can get a closer glimpse at the supercharger and the exhaust system in the gallery above.

Few things make us happier than the notion of turn-key race cars. In a world where large corporations are increasingly risk-averse when it comes to their products, we take private glee in knowing that if we had the means, we could go out and buy a ready-for-battle race car straight from Ford. We aren't talking about some high-strung quarter-mile Mustang, either. The Ford Focus ST-R is built for laying waste to your favorite road course as you do battle with the bruisers in the Grand-Am ST and SCCA World Challenge TC series. Now Tanner Foust has set out to give the five-door a quick thrash around Homestead-Miami Speedway.

What did the racer-turned TV personality think? Foust spends plenty of time expounding on the virtues of the Ford Racing program and the importance of having a small-displacement race car in the company's stable. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

We're not sure what you were into at 17, but if you're anything like us, odds are it wasn't bombing around Infineon Raceway in a Renesis-powered race car. This would be the primary difference between young hot-shot driver Zach Veach and the rest of us goons. Despite his tender young age, Veach has made a name for himself as one of the more talented personalities in the current Formula Car Challenge. The series pits cars in multiple classes against one another as drivers vie for their respective wins. Veach campaigns in the Pro Formula Mazda class, and took home wins during both races at Infineon last year.

Now the team has partnered with our friends at Replay XD to work up a quick video of the young racer's exploits. Veach doesn't mess around on track, and his clean passes and tidy lines make short work of the competition. Hit the jump to check out the action for yourself. Just make sure you've got a hand on the volume as the screaming rotaries can be a bit much.

The all-new 2012 BMW 3 Series is scheduled to hit U.S. BMW dealerships in February, which makes now a good time to option up our dream Bimmer. The 3 Series configurator reveals 15 different 3 Series models from which to choose, including coupe, convertible, sedan and Wagon variants, plus a choice of a four- and six-cylinder gas engines, along with a diesel model and available all-wheel drive. However, only the 328i and 335i rear-wheel-drive sedans are new 2012 models, while the coupes, diesel-powered 335d, any all-wheel-drive model and the M3 are all still based on the prior generation 3 Series and listed as 2011 models.

The all-new for 2012 328i Sedan starts out at $34,900 (plus $895 destination), but just a few options sends the MSRP skyward. Buyers can choose from the Luxury Line model ($2,100), Modern Line ($2,100) or Sport Line ($2,500), plus six option packages that offer everything from enhanced safety technology to an upgraded sound system.

Step up to the 335i Sedan and expect to pay $42,400 (plus $895 destination). The 335i also comes with the choice of Sport Line, Modern Line and Luxury line, but the price tag for those trim levels falls to $1,700, $1,400 and $1,400, respectively. The diesel-powered 335d starts out at $44,150, and the 328i and 335i coupes (still based on the outgoing model generation) start at $38,700 and $45,100, respectively. Head over to the BMW website to price out a new 3 Series for yourself.

UPDATE: Clarification added about which 3 Series models are all new for the 2012 model year.

Morgan may not be the first brand to come to mind when you think of cutting-edge racing technology, but the small British automaker has a deep and rich heritage in motorsports. Particularly at Le Mans, where Morgan scored a class victory in 1962. That was fifty years ago this year, and so, for the first time since last running the Aero 8R GT2 back in 2004, Morgan is planning a return to the famous French endurance race.

Rather than develop one of its existing sportscars (Three Wheeler, we're looking at you, buddy) into a GT racer, however, Morgan is teaming up with independent racing team OAK Racing to build a Morgan LMP2. The car will be based on a Pescarolo chassis, OAK Racing and Morgan (whose chief executives are pictured above) running one factory-backed car in the new FIA World Endurance Championship (which includes Le Mans) this year, with additional examples to be made available for customer teams interested in getting on board. Details in the press release after the jump.

TrueCar has attracted much unwanted attention recently, drawing the ire of Honda and torquing off regulators in several states. In response, the company has announced a series of changes to its business model, designed to address the legality of its service, according to a report in Automotive News.

The biggest change is that dealers in some states will now have to subscribe to the lead service rather than paying a per-vehicle fee for sales closed from a TrueCar referral. Consumers will now have to sign up with TrueCar, providing contact information in the process. Additionally, TrueCar will drop the term "invoice" when describing the deals it offers.

While these changes are expected to mitigate TrueCar's biggest problems, the company also says it will be making its service more dealer-friendly, according to AN. One of the contentious aspects of the TrueCar business model for some dealers has been the requirement that TrueCar have access to the dealer's computers, such that the company can mine sales data. TrueCar says it will be limiting this in the future, along with establishing a national dealer council to procure feedback from its partners.

With the Olympic Games coming up this spring, BMW is keen to leverage its sponsorship. And since they're taking place in London, England, the German automaker wouldn't miss the opportunity to include its more youthful, retro British subsidiary. And so it has released today not one, but two new special editions of the classic Mini hardtop hatchback, both named after London neighborhoods.

First up is the Mini Baker Street (pictured at right). Available on the Mini One (the entry-level model overseas), One D (the diesel version), Cooper and Cooper D, the Baker Street edition lays black V-shaped bonnet stripes over a light gray (or available white or black) base color, complemented by glossy black 16-inch alloys and mirror caps. Inside, the cloth and leather seats are finished in a diamond-pattern with gray trim and chrome accents. A whole mess of optional extras are bundled as standard, and include of course, there are the requisite special badges.

The Bayswater edition (shown above) – available on Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper D and Cooper SD models – takes a more sporting approach, with an exclusive shade of metallic blue (or optional black or gray) with a black roof, centered blue and gray stripes up the hood, with 17-inch alloys in glossy black with polished rims, and door mirrors that, well..."mirror" the racing stripe: blue on the right, gray on the left. Leather seats come in an exclusive shade of anthracite with blue and gray bolsters and top-stitching, complemented by piano lacquer trim, stainless steel pedals, bundled optional equipment and special badges.

No word just yet on whether these models will be available internationally (read: in America) or whether they'll be exclusively British editions, but you can check them out in the pair of high-resolution image galleries and the press release after the jump.

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik has confirmed that the Korean automaker will supply Chrysler with transmissions for its new Dodge Dart, according to Car and Driver. While the two automakers may seem like odd dance partners, the tie-up makes plenty of sense. Both companies use engines born out of the now-defunct Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with Mitsubishi. As a result, 2.0- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines found in the Dart share more than a few strands of DNA with the same displacement engines found under the hood of vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata. Needless to say, it shouldn't take too much effort to get the Hyundai gearbox and Chrysler engines to play nice.

We say "shouldn't" because according to Car and Driver, the American manufacturer is reportedly having issues getting the transmission properly calibrated to obtain the lofty fuel economy numbers necessary to satiate the powers that be in Washington. Chrysler hasn't confirmed the move as of yet, and Hyundai is keeping its lips sealed on which transmissions are headed to the Dart line. Even so, if Chrysler's engineers are struggling over calibration, chances are it's a six-speed automatic.

So... what about those lofty 40 miles per gallon claims claims Chrysler was bandying about at the Detroit Auto Show? C/D hypothesizes that figure may be reliant on a specific engine and transmission combination, be it turbocharged 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder and a dual-clutch gearbox or a 2.0 and a six-speed manual. Curiouser and curiouser.

If Aston Martin wants to make a sexy commercial, there probably doesn't need to be that much thought involved. All the ultra luxury brand needs to arouse the typical auto enthusiast is a collage of shots of the company's Vantage, Rapide or DB9.

That didn't stop Aston Martin from stocking its latest video creation with women, however, but it's not what you think. Hit the jump to watch Aston's 87-second-long featurette, which is titled "Aston Martin Loves Women. Women love Aston Martin."

The spot illustrates that women don't need a mini skirt to be featured in an exotic luxury car commercial, and that you don't have to be a guy to appreciate automotive beauty. And while the DBS rolling through the majestic twisties is a real looker, it's the sound bites that really get us going. Aston Martin may love women, and women may love Aston right back, but men are rather fond of 'em, too.

Look who's back on top again? Just 30 months since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the Detroit-based automaker can once again call itself the world's largest. GM sold just over 9 million vehicles globally in 2011, its highest sales total ever, while chief rival Toyota may slip as far as third place, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, which reports that Volkswagen will pass Toyota to claim the runner-up spot.

Led by a record-setting 4.76 million sales year from Chevrolet, GM saw sales rise in all four of its reporting regions. The company says it now claims 11.9 percent of the global market. Sales in the U.S. were up 13 percent with 1.7 million vehicles sold.

It wasn't a good year for Toyota, the largest carmaker by sales volume for the past three years, since unseating GM in 2008. The Japanese manufacturer experienced production interruptions from the earthquake and resultant tsunami in Japan in early 2011, and then again when Thailand experienced widespread flooding later in the year.

While GM's legion of critics will no doubt point to the natural disasters in an attempt to diminish the significance of GM reclaiming the top spot, the company has to be feeling pretty good about its accomplishments last year. Not that being number one matters that much. As analyst Aaron Bragman of IHS Automotive tells The Bureau, "Being biggest in the world is not necessarily an advantage to anyone."

But it's certainly good for bragging rights and positive morale. As they say in sports, "scoreboard, baby." To read GM's full press release, click past the jump.