By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

It's been a while since Mazda's refreshed MX-5 made its international debut (Paris auto show, last September), but now, the world's best-selling roadster - certified by Guinness World Records - is ready for its North America debut. It will be shown at the Chicago auto show, which starts Feb. 10.

Most of the MX-5's upgrades focus around refreshing the car's looks. The car's new nose is now in line with Mazda's latest models - most notably the new "smiling" Mazda3 and Mazda6. Our MX-5 is slightly different than the Japanese models in that it has amber corner markers located by the front fog lamps, rather than by the front wheels.

By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

With global production of the S2000 roadster scheduled to end this coming June, Honda has put together a special send-off for its performance roadster. Called the Ultimate Edition, it will be making its debut at the Geneva auto show in March.

Sadly, for North American fans, the S2000 Ultimate Edition looks to be a European-exclusive model. It is powered by a 2.0-litre engine, which makes 237 horsepower and 153 lb.-ft. of torque - the original engine the S2000 featured when it arrived nine years ago.

While North American-market S2000s were upgraded to a torquier 2.2-litre inline-four in 2004, Europe's cars carried on with the original mill, which is capable of revving to 9,000 rpm. As with all S2000s, the Ultimate Edition is paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission.

By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

Last autumn, Porsche's new and improved 911 hit Canadian dealerships. Available in coupe, convertible and Targa bodystyles with two engine choices as well as the brand's new double-clutch gearbox, the revitalized rear-engined icon is in good form. With the basics covered, Porsche has moved on to improve its high-performance GT3 model.

The GT3 is powered by a bigger, stronger heart. At 3.8 litres in displacement, the flat-six is 0.2L larger and has a 20-horsepower advantage over the outgoing model. Total power is 435 bhp. The engine is also more intelligent; it now features Porsche's VarioCam valve timing system on both intake and exhaust camshafts. This improves mid and low-end torque, reducing the previous engine's peaky character. This should make the GT3 a little less strenuous to drive on a day-to-day basis.

By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

With growing support for electric-powered vehicles, the idea of an electric sports car is turning out to be less of a novelty and more of a genuine business opportunity. Tesla's Roadster is already on sale, and the electric sports car league is expanding with the range-extension Fisker Karma, the JJAD P1-E, and the 700-hp Lightning GT.

It's great that electric sports cars are popping up, and that they're being taken seriously but for the time being, they're more or less toys for the wealthy. Not everyone can afford a vehicle that starts in the neighbourhood of $75,000 - $100,000.

Mitsubishi's latest concept is a response to this dilemma. It's called the i MiEV Sport Air Concept, and it will be shown for the first time at the Geneva auto show in March.

By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

Chevrolet is not a particularly large or strong brand in Europe. Though its cars and SUVs have been available in Europe on an off-and-on basis over the years, their yearly sales numbers have been extremely small - a fraction of what the brand sells in North America. Only in 2005 did General Motors officially bring Chevrolet over as an entry-level brand, backing it with a full dealership network.

Perhaps Chevrolet's biggest claim to fame across the Atlantic is that it is the maker of the Lacetti, which is used in Top Gear's "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment. That car was formerly sold in Canada as the Optra Sedan.

And while Chevrolet is having success in Europe, GM made the decision last year that it isn’t the right brand to purvey the Volt or its technology. As a result, Opel will be selling the vehicle instead, and it's previewing its version at this year's Geneva auto show.

By Justin Couture, Sympatico/MSN Autos

Following the US$17.4-billion lifeline that the U.S. government threw to the Detroit Three automakers, the Canadian government stepped up to bat and proposed its own US$4-billion federal aid package to prevent our auto sector from collapsing.

Of the sum total, General Motors of Canada was allocated US$3B, with US$1B set aside for Chrysler. But it turns out that GM of Canada doesn’t want the cash.

The Windsor Star reports that Stew Low, GM of Canada’s director of public relations said the company has taken steps to conserve capital in its ongoing restructuring. He also stated that it was important for the company to work with its stakeholders before turning to the government for help. Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed this information as well in an interview on the television program Focus Ontario.