Carscoop lived up to their name by scooping an image of the upcoming Nissan 370Z. The image was taken by someone with a camera phone at a recent Nissan event.

As you might expect the new Z will be powered by a 3.7L V6 with horsepower well north of 300. It is expected to debut at the next LA auto show next fall.

Full story here. The smaller image has been enhanced via Photoshop, and can be found here at NASIOC.

This past Saturday Edmunds' Inside Line and Nissan teamed up to throw a GT-R party. If you were there you got to hear and touch the year's most anticipated car. If you missed it, well, you'll just have to wait and read all about it on Inside Line. We shot so many photos and so much video you'll get to feel like you were there even if you weren't.

Well almost, Nissan brought out two GT-Rs, one silver and one red, and most of the 175 attendants even got to sit in the silver car and mess with its touch screen. We can't exactly recreate that for you, but it'll be close.

Of course, everyone came to see the new GT-R, but it wasn't even the only attraction. We told the Nissan crazies of Los Angeles to bring out their cars and they did. Silvias, 510s, Zs and Skylines all packed the place. In fact, more than a dozen Skylines showed up, ranging from a 1972 GT-R to wicked R34s. Nissan even paid for the pizza and handed out free GT-R t-shirts.

Here are a few pics and a You Tube video of the party to whet your appetite. There's also plenty of photos on the North American GT-R Owners Club site (www.nagtroc.com). Just remember the big payoff will be on Inside Line in a week or two. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

 

The LA Auto show is the latest target of the Freedom from Oil folks, as they are staging demonstrations at the show entrance. The activists plan to show up automakers by converting a traditional hybrid to 100-mpg plug-in electric hybrid at the LA Auto Show.

Press release after the jump:

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The Porsche exhibit was light on excitement this week, except of course for the basic fact it was filled with Porsches. Unlike all the other manufacturers, Porsche had its own large exhibit hall to itself including a pretty nifty entry way. Instead of describing it to you, though, here is the final Martin Scorcese short from the 2007 LA Auto Show. I think Marty outdid himself on this one. - James Riswick, Associate Editor

I don't know how they did it and there were no displays I could see explaining it, but this Volvo C30 2.0's windows have been replaced by video screens displaying snowboarding scenes. I thought it was one of the cooler displays at the show. Considering Pimp My Ride once put a 30-inch plasma screen UNDER a 4Runner, it's only a matter of time before they try something like this. Why do I need to see the road when I can better spend my time watching the Flying Tomato? - James Riswick, Associate Editor

 

Given its roughly $1.4 million price tag, you wouldn’t think the Lamborghini Reventon would travel much. Well, one made the trip to LA for today’s press conference, and there was a good reason according to Stefan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini. California is the single biggest market in the U.S., and the U.S. is the single biggest market in the world. In fact, of the 20 Reventons that will be made, 11 were sold to U.S. customers. That's still only .22 Reventons per state, so don't expect to see one in traffic anytime soon. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Tired of the usual this and that, I wandered down into the bowels of the 2007 LA Auto Show in search of something interesting. I found it in Kentia Hall. Essentially, the basement of Los Angeles Convention Center, Kentia Hall is where the show organizers put all the weird, the wacky and the aftermarket. It's a mini SEMA Show down there, from wheels to funny cars to helicopters. No, I'm not kidding. Here's what I found. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

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YOU CAN DRIVE 200 MILES FOR $3

The sign caught my eye so I wandered into the American Roadster booth at the 2007 LA Auto Show. Mistake. Built by Eco-Fueler of Oregon (www.eco-fueler.com) the Roadster is a three-wheeler that runs on compressed natural gas. It also might be the ugliest thing this side of a pancreas.

Power comes from a 100-hp 1,450cc air-cooled VW engine and a four-speed VW transaxle. The man at the booth told me you can fill her up at home overnight and drive the Roadster to work in the morning. Yeah, with a bag over your head. At least you can take the HOV lane, which is certainly a selling point, and you won't be hot or cold as the Roadster has both heat and air-conditioning. Other features include a removable hardtop, too, steering, brakes and seating for two -- one in front and one in back. Add in the Roadster's 450-mile range and it's easy to see why this trike has found an audience.

According to the man, Eco-Fueler has delivered 18 Roadsters to happy customers, each of which paid $19,900 to be the laughingstock of their neighborhoods. He also said 1,182 other folks have put down $100 deposits for the privilege of being ridiculed by their peers.

But they'll have the last laugh. That VW engine is about to be replaced by a 125-hp 1,650cc three-cylinder. It's essentially half a Mitsubishi V6 and it should make the American Roadster the it car for 2008. Between that and Hillary heading for the White House I think it's time to reevaluate. I hear Canada is nice. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

We wouldn't be surprised if the crowd that was circling the Ferrari stand had been following the 2008 430 Scuderia since it made its worldwide debut at the Frankfurt auto show. It's just that kind of car.

At 2,975 pounds, the 430 Scuderia cranks 503 horsepower from its 4.3-liter V8.

During the press conference, Maurizio Parlato, president and CEO of Ferrari North America, boasted that Ferrari's production volume is now at a whopping 6,000 cars per year worldwide, with many thanks going to the wealthy auto aficionados in the Far and Middle East.

Several of whom are likely waiting to take delivery of a new limited-edition Scuderia next year. -- Kelly Toepke, News Editor

Think the 2007 LA Auto Show is all about subcompacts and supercars? Think again. We went looking for something interesting and found this. It's the Hoss Fly V8-powered barstool and I'm thinking it would be a nice addition to our long-term test fleet.

Built by California Boss Hoss in Harbor City, California (www.calbh.com), the Hoss Fly makes perfect sense from a company that makes motorcycles with small-block and big-block Chevy power. The Hoss Fly is also mouse- or rat-powered, and it comes as a turnkey toy for the completely deranged or as an assemble-it-yourself kit for the completely deranged with power tools and free time.

Prices range from $8,000 without an engine to $13,500 ready to kill. Which sound pretty good. Check the hardware: aluminum radiator, a reverse gear, aluminum cylinder heads, a 5-gallon fuel tank and a 25-mph top speed at 5,000 rpm in its single forward gear. Ear plugs, helmet and desire for self destruction must be supplied by the owner.

And brakes. Brakes? I'm not even sure it has brakes. But I am sure I want one. Big-block powered. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief