Nissan isn’t scheduled to hold a press conference at next month’s Los Angeles show, but the Japanese automaker’s Infiniti luxury division appears to have big plans for the SoCal show. Infiniti will reportedly debut two new models at the LA show.

In a turmoil stricken year for the automotive industry it will likely come as no surprise that there was a monumental shift in the Total Value Award winners compared to just a year ago. Strategic Vision announced their new list of winners and it is hard to find much in common with last year’s list that was dominated by Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long been a hotbed for automotive innovation, and the large German sedan will continue that tradition at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. Following its world debut last December, Mercedes-Benz’ Splitview technology will make its U.S. debut next month.

Based heavily on the smaller of Toyota’s two world market Land Cruisers, the 2010 Lexus GX 460 will arrive in showrooms at the end of 2009 and will replace the outgoing GX 470. Significantly upgraded from its predecessor, including a lower displacement but more powerful V8, the GX 460 slots in above the RX 350 but below the hulking LX 570.

Following an earlier image leak, BMW has officially taken the wraps off the all-new 2011 5-Series Sedan. The 2011 model marks the sixth-generation of the venerable sports sedan. The 2011 BMW 5-Series Sedan will make its public debut at next month’s LA Show.

Ford may have selected Chinese automaker Geely as its bidder of choice for the up-for-sale Volvo unit, but that’s not stopping a consortium led by a former Ford executive from making a bid. As we reported earlier, Crown, as the consortium is called, has expressed interest, but we’ve since learned that the group’s bid could exceed Geely’s offer.

The R8 moved the Audi nameplate a few rungs up on the performance car ladder, but an even bigger shift forward could be in store for the German automaker. Audi is reportedly readying a supercar to slot above its flagship R8 model.

Now that the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is officially out in plain view, Cadillac engineers have turned their attention to the coupe’s high-performance V sibling. Our spy photographers recently caught up with the CTS-V Coupe roaming the streets of Michigan.

Lexus’ all-new LFA promises to be one of the hottest supercars you can’t own. In a bid to prevent speculators from buying up the LFA’s limited production run of 500 units, Lexus announced on Monday that it will only be leasing the six-figure super coupe.

Cadillac’s CTS Coupe has been a long time coming. First shown in concept form nearly two years ago, the car was originally expected to be launched earlier this year. But the May 2009 on-sale date was pushed back during GM’s restructuring. Now, the General has finally spilled the beans on the production CTS Coupe ahead of its official reveal at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show next month.

In a move that could make it the first American automaker to go public in over half a century, Tesla Motors, the California-based electric car startup, is said to be preparing an IPO filing. To date, the company has received $268 million in venture capital, a $50 million investment from Daimler, and a $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy.

After flip-flopping on their decision to bring the new microcar to the US market several times, Chevy is now claiming that the US market will likely see the Spark in 2011.

We first saw it at the New York International Auto Show. Looking every bit the part of a cast member from the Mad Max movies, the GMC Terrain seemed like a futuristic armored car with hidden panels that would cover the tires and wheels in case of attack. Mr. Brinks, Mr. Wells and Mr. Fargo: Your vehicle awaits.

Confirming earlier reports, Volkswagen announced on Friday that it will buy assets of German coachbuilder Karmann. Volkswagen also announced that its new Karmann subsidiary will produce at least one new model for the German car maker.

Lamborghini has the scissor door, Lincoln popularized the suicide door and Ferrari may soon have a unique door design of its own. Leaked patent drawings from Europe have revealed the Italian automaker is readying a new door design to aid in ingress and egress.

Following the most recent trend in the luxury segment, Lexus could be planning a compact mode for the United States market. If Lexus goes ahead with the compact model, it will likely be based on the LF-Ch concept first shown at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

It’s no secret that General Motors has never made a profit on its Saab brand, but the amount of money GM has lost on the Swedish brand is quite astonishing. General Motors became the sole owner of Saab’s automotive operations in 2000.

As reported a few weeks ago, Toyota is believed to be working on a convertible version of its FT-86, the long-anticipated Subaru joint-venture sports car unveiled in concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show. Our team has since put together an illustration of what such a vehicle might look like.

The Tesla Roadster is the ideal vehicle for any environmentally-conscious driving enthusiast, but the EV is also proving to be a perfect fit for the video game world. Thanks to its silent operation, Microsoft Game Studios has selected the Roadster as its sound effects generator of choice.

Acura’s new ZDX “four-door sports coupe,” as the company chooses to call it, will be priced from $45,495 plus destination when it goes on sale on December 15. Three trim levels will be available: The base ZDX, ZDX Technology Package and ZDX Advance Package.