We're not even up to the Paris auto show yet, but the 2008 Los Angeles auto show is coming up in the fall as well--and some of the launches already confirmed for the L.A. show are split on green trends and on horsepower.

2010 Ford Mustang: You've seen plenty of spy shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang--including some put out there by the company itself, as it tries to keep Camaro mania in check roughly somewhere short of the Obama lunacy. The latest word is that Ford will show off the Mustang at the L.A. show to avoid the collateral damage from Camaro Convertibles and Toyota Priuses and Volt production vehicles in Detroit.

2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ: Ford will show off the revamped 2010 Fusion sedan in Los Angeles as well, along with the new Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. The new Fusion has a new face and an interior with a large navigation-ready screen, not to mention a new hybrid version. The hybrid's for Ford and Mercury only; no Lincoln gas-electric version is planned.

2010 Buick LaCrosse: GM issued a tease photo of the 2010 LaCrosse last week, showing only its nose. We're expecting more details on the new sedan shortly; Bob Lutz says it's one of the nicest things GM's ever done, so who are we to be anything but breathless in anticipation?

2010 Nissan 370Z: There are pics floating around, but only the name's been confirmed by Nissan. The new Z car could be shorter and distinctly lighter than today's car--and European mags are suggesting a version will become the new Renault Alpine.

Nissan Cube: The new generation of the boxy Scion-alike city car emerges this fall at the Los Angeles show, and later, could be the platform Nissan uses to sell electric vehicles in the U.S.

Volkswagen Concept R: If it has any intent of following up on the sassy Concept R from 2003, Volkswagen could show a production version of the Elise-fighter sportscar in Los Angeles. A lightweight vehicle with class-leading fuel economy, according to Autocar, the new roadster would undercut the hardtop convertible Eos and would use small four-cylinders and diesels for power, as well as a new DSG transmission.

Mercedes-Benz concept: The details are near zero at this point, but a Mercedes concept due for the Paris auto show in October will be flown to the U.S. for an appearance at the November L.A. show. The German carmaker's also going to bring along the SL65 Black Series, after it flogs the car for the press in the next few weeks.

Green Car of the Year: The award, given by our friend Ron Cogan's Green Car Journal, names the vehicle that  most advances the cause of efficiency, while reducing the auto world's environmental footprint. Five finalists will be named between now and the delivery of the award in mid-November.

Press days for the Los Angeles auto show are Nov. 19-20, with public days through Thanksgiving. We'll update you on more intros as they're confirmed.

AMG engineers have begun hot-weather tests of a production-spec prototype of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLC gullwing supercar in the California desert.

It was just over a year ago that the Dodge-Viper-bodied mule made its world debut in California canyon country, and now the real thing has shown up, like clockwork. When all the camouflage is removed, the gullwinged SLC should be a striking follow-up to the colder and more clinical SLR McLaren. One thing we can attest to is the SLC's sound, which is positively beastly when driven in anger.

There's no word yet on the powerplants, but it's likely the new SLC will bow a year from now at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.--KGP Photography

We've all been there--cruising at 80 mph down a deserted highway, air conditioning full blast, stereo nearly the same, desperately trying to stay awake until a Starbucks appears in the distance.

Mercedes-Benz has spent some time studying those who nod off at the wheel, and it says it's developed a new "Attention Assist" technology that will help drowsy drivers stay alert.

The new system--which will be available in a new Mercedes-Benz in spring 2009, likely the next E-Class--monitors the flow of data from the car in motion--acceleration, braking and steering inputs. When minor inputs begin to vary from the established norm of that driving session, the Attention Assist system intervenes with an audible warning and a light on the dash that tells the driver to take a driving break.

Mercedes says 25 percent of serious accidents are caused by overtired drivers, and that drivers on the road for four hours react 50 percent slower than a fresh pilot. The risk of an accident is doubled in this time frame; after six hours of driving, it's eight times higher, they say.

Last week we told you the Volkswagen Jetta diesels were eligible for a federal tax credit because they get such good fuel-economy ratings. This morning it's Mercedes-Benz that has good green news to share, as its diesel lineup is also eligible for similar credits.

The VW and Benz vehicles, Automotive News reports, both fall under the new federal alternative-powertrain tax credit. The Benz SUV lineup gets credit for its new diesels, from a $900 credit for the ML 320 Bluetec (shown here) to $1,800 for the GL 320 diesel.

The News doesn't mention the E320 Bluetec sedan, but does say the credits are based on how much fuel these new diesel models save, versus similar models on sale in 2002.

Only 60,000 tax credits per carmaker are available, so it pays to be an early adopter here. The Benz diesels go on sale in October.

Mercedes-Benz might have to postpone--or even cancel--the arrival of the hybrid M-Class SUV, over a dispute with onetime battery supplier Cobasys.

The hometown newspaper for the M-Class, the Tuscaloosa News, says a dispute with Michigan-based Cobasys is triggering concern at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., where the M-Class and its bunkmates, the R-Class and GL-Class, are built.

Cobasys was supposed to supply battery packs for the new hybrid, but in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Birmingham, Ala., the Daimler subsidiary says Cobasys misrepresented its finances and refuses to honor a deal to make the batteries.

The lawsuit says no other source can be found. Production was due to start in June on the V-8 hybrid, with the diesel model pictured here carrying the burden for high fuel economy.