If Motor Mavens legitimately got a call from a well-placed friend and truly snuck in to fiddle with a $400,000 car that's ostensibly in trustworthy care, we apologize, but it smells really staged from here. It doesn't matter, though, the LFA looks fantastic in this video, and the LCD gauges are cool to watch in action. That's the real value of this video, watching the interior come alive like the bridge of some kind of spaceship.

Damon talked about the way the gauges animate to display different information, but watching the display slide around makes us want to be the guy sitting in the driver's seat, twiddling all the buttons with meaty, indiscriminate paws. The entirety of the car is as worthy of "dude, check this out" as you'd expect from a supercar-class vehicle. Check it out after the jump, and let us know if we're being too suspicious.

We're just having trouble with details like interested-looking parties reflected in the window of the opening shot, and the fact that it's supposed to be poor quality, but looks pretty decent and apparently, when you drop everything and run out of the house, you take the time to call a cameraman. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go line our winter hats with tinfoil. Thanks for the tip, Michael!



Photos copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Motor Mavens]

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As General Motors suddenly finds itself in search for a new CEO to replace Fritz Henderson, it is also looking to secure a buyer for perennially troubled Saab. GM originally thought it had a new parent for the brand in Koenigsegg, but after that deal went sour, Detroit officials confirmed that it they would give themselves up until the end of the year to find a new buyer instead of simply shutting Saab down.

A number of parties have expressed interest in purchasing the brand since that time, and it has now been confirmed that the Swedish marque has another supercar-building pursuer: Spyker. The Netherlands-based exotic manufacturer has just issued a brief statement confirming that it – along with its shareholders at the Convers Group – has indeed "expressed an interest in Saab Automobile AB" (text available after the jump). Spyker has never been a brand short of ambition (remember its ill-fated Formula One effort?), but taking on Saab would be its most ambitious undertaking yet.

In related news, marque website Saab History is reporting that the US-based Merbanco group has not been chosen by GM as a possible purchaser. According to the SH, Merbanco CEO Christopher Johnston released a statement to the enthusiast group that says:

"As most of you know, we ride with the brand, the fit was good, and were up to the challenges ahead. It is now time for us to depart the field and support the company and its outstanding people.

We are grateful to all of you, fellow Saab enthusiasts and the Saab team for the support you have us. It will never be forgotten. Heartfelt thanks, Ryan and friends for your support."

(Saab History had previously conducted an interview with Johnston, the contents of which you can find here.)

Interestingly, UK buff book Autocar is reporting that yesterday's ousting of Fritz Henderson could stem from the exec's apparent desire to close Saab, a viewpoint that was evidently not shared by the rest of GM's board. We suspect there were a whole host of issues that led to Henderson's resignation, but it's likely that GM's trustees would prefer to offload the brand rather than incur substantial shutdown costs. Call it a "potential contributing factor," if you will.

Either way, do you think Saab will survive this tumult? Drop us a line in 'Comments.'

[Sources: Spyker; Saab History; Autocar; Automotive News]

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We're here in the City of Angels to watch Fritz Henderson deliver GM's keynote address to the all us media types here at LA Auto Show. Only thing is, Fritz resigned yesterday, and for some reason interim CEO Ed Whitacre will not be delivering the keynote. Which can only mean one thing -- GM's Vice Chairman of Marketing and Communications Bob Lutz will be delivering the opening address. Are you as excited as we are? We kinda doubt it. Make the jump to read our live blog.

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With Fritz Henderson's resignation termination as General Motor's CEO, the General's generals had to pull a last-minute swap with today's keynote speaker at the LA Auto Show. None other than Maximum Bob Lutz will be manning the podium in a few minutes and in addition to live-blogging the proceedings (coming in 5...4...3...), we've got streaming video of the address after the jump.

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With a starting price of $285,000, Bentley's newest flagship model won't come cheap. Nor should it, with its 505-horsepower, 725 lb-ft, gasoline-fed 6.75-liter V8 engine sitting behind the automaker's trademark mesh grille and four round lights.

Also included in that price will be an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, 16.54-inch front and 15.5-inch rear carbon ceramic brakes and 20-inch wheels. And lest we forget, it will also come with a 2,200-watt stereo and the brand's new Driver Dynamics Control system, which comes with "Bentley," "Sport," "Comfort" and user-definable "Custom" modes.

Want one? Production is slated to begin at the Crewe factory in England in the second quarter of 2010, and the first deliveries will make it to America later than year in the fall. Get yours in one of 114 available paint colors, 21 carpet shades, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, but get your order in fast – Bentley reports that early customer interest has already exceeded 2010 production targets. Click past the break for the official press release.



[Source: Bentley]

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If environmentally-friendly transportation is your thing, there's no place like California. Not only is the state home base to Tesla – the first company to genuinely demonstrate that hugging a tree and hugging the road needn't be mutually exclusive – it was also chosen by General Motors as the launch site for its EV1 and by Honda for the FCX Clarity. It should come as no great surprise, then, that GM has just announced that its latest earthmobile – the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt – will launch in California first before being introduced in markets across the country.

Not only with the Volt be available in the nation's largest car market before any other, but The General is also partnering with a number of local electric companies to accompany the rollout. Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, together with the non-profit Electric Power Research Institute, will help demonstrate the benefits and practicality of the Volt's hybrid powertrain, thanks in part to a $30 million grant from the federal Department of Energy's Transportation Electrification Initiative. Follow the jump to read all about it in GM's full press release.



[Source: General Motors]

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It's been a long time in the making. It has changed names several times along the way. But it's finally here. Well, almost. It's the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and it's coming to the Geneva Motor Show this March to coincide with its phased market launch across Europe next year to coincide with the marque's centenary.

Positioned just above the MiTo in Alfa's lineup (and, tellingly, below the anticipated upcoming 159-succeeding Giulia), the Giulietta replaces the 147 as Italy's answer to the Volkswagen Golf. Since Alfa's parent company Fiat already targets the Golf with its own Bravo, though, some might consider this more of an aggressively-priced competitor to the Audi A3. The hatchback takes its styling cues from the sumptuous 8C Competizione, but carries it off in a decidedly more aggressive way than implemented on the MiTo. Plenty of glass also make the cabin more airy, with a body-colored panel running across the dashboard.

A range of transverse four-cylinder engines – both gasoline and diesel – will be on offer, producing between 120 and 170 horsepower until a 230 hp Quadrifoglio Verde model comes along. They've all got start-stop engine management and Alfa's DNA adjustable suspension system as standard equipment. Fiat's cutting-edge MultiAir valve-actuation system will eventually find its way into all of the engines, while the selection of five- and six-speed manual gearboxes is set to be joined by a new dual-clutch transmission as well.

The new Giulietta marks a pivotal product launch for Alfa Romeo, as the company is hoping to make this its volume offering the most prolific model in its history – with production targeted for an ambitious 100,000 units annually. Check out the trifecta of images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for full details.



[Source: Alfa Romeo]

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Although the 2011 Infiniti M was the star of last night's show, as suspected, the wraps came off the 2010 Infiniti G37, a mid-cycle refresh of the automaker's bread-and-butter model.

It's far from a radical redesign, but as previously spied, the fog lamp clusters moved further down the reworked fascia, a new grille sits front and center and a tweaked rear bumper joins a new set of 17-inch, five-spoke wheels.

Inside, it's more of the same, with a nip here and a tuck there. White gauges and an LCD screen are the most obvious changes, along with a new center console, aluminum trim and available Maple accents. Real-time traffic and weather are included in the navigation system (XM subscription required), and everything's accessed through a seven-inch touch screen monitor that carries forward for 2010.

While we didn't see the new QX, Infiniti announced that its redesigned SUV is due to hit the U.S. early in 2010 and execs re-confirmed Infiniti's plans to offer a fully-electric vehicle in the future. They were mum on details, only saying that the EV would be ideal for a "dual vehicle family." Expect to see the all-new EV within the next year or two, but in the meantime, you can check out the 2010 Infiniti M at dealers in a few weeks after you've gotten an eyeful in the galleries below and read up on the details in the press release after the jump.

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For car buffs one of the more interesting aspects of Google Maps has been checking out the high resolution satellite imagery of race tracks and manufacturer test tracks around the world. Aside from the engineers who work at those facilities and selected outsiders like the media, the proving grounds are typically tightly guarded places and regular people can't just wander in.

Ever since Google augmented maps with the street view function several years ago, users have have been exploring and finding all kinds of neat places they've never visited or sometimes just checking out their own neighborhoods to see if they got caught on camera. Recently Lotus invited one of the street view camera cars inside its headquarters at Hethel near Norwich in south east England.

The results are now visible on Google maps when you go to the home on Lotus on Potash Ln and start zooming in. When you zoom all the way down, you can take a virtual drive through the front gate, past the factory and engineering buildings and right out onto the track. The street view car circulates the track with a Lotus Evora, a 2-eleven and a methanol fuel experimental Exige 265e. You can get directly to Lotus via http://3.ly/LotusCarFactoryGoogleStreetView

[Source: Lotus]

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As we slowly emerge from our Thanksgiving food comas, we can start gearing up for more holiday food, family, and fun in December, with an automotive twist. We can also look forward to the real beginning of the auto show season with the first major American show, the LA Auto Show. There are also some smaller shows like the New England Auto Show in Boston, and the conclusion of the San Francisco International Auto Show at the Moscone Center.

All of the major motorsports seasons have concluded, but there will be plenty of silly season news to cover. There are small concours and special events going on in December as well -- The 2nd Spirit of Competition Awards Dinner at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, East Coast Indoor Nationals at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, Gulf Coast Motor Sports Holiday Cruisin Southern Style, 8th Annual Kustom Kulture Show in Anaheim, CA, and the 4th Annual Family Picnic and carnival at The Petersen Automotive Museum in LA,

There will also be a slew of Toys for Tots-type charity car shows as we head into the Holidays. We'll be returning to two of our favorites, the 6th Annual Motor4Toys event, and the 6th Annual Toys for Tots Drive hosted by the Schnuerer family in Huntington Beach, CA, but there are many more such events going on all around the country. Check your local paper for more and if you come across any, feel free to post details and links in the comments.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please use the comments section to add or modify listings.

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