Fiat 500 1957 Edition revealed ahead of LA Auto Show

While American teenagers were cruising around in finned interstate crushers, Europeans of all ages were discovering the wonder of automobile ownership thanks to the tiny, affordable Fiat Nuova 500, introduced to a car-hungry public in 1957. The little two-cylinder city car was a smash hit, with 3,893,294 built before production ended in 1975. Fiat 500 production resumed in 2007, but the new car was vastly different from the original: Its engine gained two cylinders and moved to the front of the car, while its footprint, though diminutive by American standards, positively dwarfs that of its predecessor.

Dodge debuts a collector's-edition Mopar Charger

Banking on the success of last year's Mopar version of the Dodge Challenger, the company is now ready to launch the high-performance 2011 Mopar Charger. Chrysler's Hemi V8 powers the four-door sedan, pumping out 370 hp and an upgraded 395 lb-ft of torque. The specially equipped Charger includes the Super Trac Pac option that adds the performance-calibrated engine controller, larger front and rear stabilizer bars, specific 20-inch wheels and upgraded brakes.

Mission: Impossible 4 movie gets green action with BMW electric supercar

BMW is casting a green starlet for its automotive role in Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol, slated to hit theaters in mid-December. Behind the wheel, Tom Cruise will probably continue to defy all realities of city driving--but this time he'll at least be sending fewer emissions into the atmosphere. He'll be driving a BMW Vision EfficientDynamics electric supercar, a concept vehicle that the company claims will evolve into the BMW i8 before it hits series production in a few years' time.