9 MINUTES OF VIDEO OF THE NEW NISSAN 370Z

Nissan's 370Z replaces the 350Z that has been in place since 2003. It will  be quicker; it is better looking; and everyone has high expectations for the Z's handling.

Nissan has put together an extensive video for the new 370Z that you can watch below. For pictures and some recent Z talk, click here, or here, or here.

NEED MORE THAN PICTURES? VIDEO OF THE NEW FORD MUSTANG

Perhaps your excitement regarding a new Ford Mustang is so overwhelming that pictures just aren't enough. You want to see it drive by your office; sitting in the dealer window.... sending forth the smell of burnt rubber. 

Too bad. You can't do that yet. But you can watch the 2010 Ford Mustang in motion below. For pictures and a bit of commentary, check this post out.

MORE PICTURES OF THE NEXT MAZDA 3

As pictures of the next Mazda 3 slowly trickle out from Japan, disappointed looks are streaked across the faces of everyone who wanted a revitalized competitor for the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

With either 148 or 167 horsepower (fuel economy in the city from 25 down to 21 and 33 down to 29 on the highway), more standard features and a wonderful interior, the 3 will be competitive, to say the least. But it won't look good as it rises in the ranks.

Or should we say, it'll look decent.... but we expected more. When the first 3 was introduced, The Good Car Guy wasn't an auto blogger at GoodCarBadCar.net and thus wasn't sharing his opinion, but a brief look revealed the little Mazda to be a good looker and a good drive. Mazda stepped up the plate for generation two and hit a ground-rule double when we had all hoped for another home run. So while the 3 is "fine", it manages to be disappointing anyway.

2010 LEXUS RX350 AND RX450h - 42 PICTURES

'Space-age' was one term applied to the first generation Lexus RX. Indeed, the concept that many believed led up to the RX350 and RX450h you see below was space-age, as well. However, the RX has progressively grown more awkward. That's too bad, because in all honesty, the first luxury crossover is probably one of the best entry-luxury family vehicles available to North American buyers. It just happens to look a little dorky now. Lexus believes the stance of the RX has been improved along with a more powerful body. I'd suggest that they're wrong on both counts.

The popular hybrid version is now the RX450h, as you read above. This doesn't actually mean the engine is larger, but with more power (up 27-bhp) than before, Lexus has decided to bump its model nomenclature up a notch.

February should mark availability of the regular RX with the hybrid going on sale sometime in the spring. Buyers will be greeted by a few new features, one of which Lexus describes as a "Hard Disk Drive (HDD) navigation system has an all-new 'Remote Touch' controller that is both intuitive and ergonomic". New suspension design has opened up 5% more cargo space. For more reasons than just those two, owners can expect to enjoy their RX; even with its soft handling and its status as an obvious choice. 

Separate galleries for the RX350 and RX450h are embedded below.

BMW RECALLS BRAND NEW M3 WITH DOUBLE-CLUTCH GEARBOX

Fitment of BMW's first double-clutch gearbox (like Volkswagen's DSG, Nissan's GT-R tranny, and the SST in Mitsubishi's Evo X) went slightly wrong for at least 2,500 M3s, NHTSA concludes. "In a situation of rapid vehicle deceleration, the transmission software may perform a multistage downshift." Unanticipated stalling may occur; and that's dangerous.

(Check out all other recent Recalls here)

Updated software is the answer, unsurprisingly. BMW dealers will reprogram the engine and transmission control units. The M3s involved are from the 2008 and 2009 model year, and you surely know if you've not been rowing your own gears lately. Been having problems with downshifts, oh ye M3 owners? Your problem will soon be solved.