Back in the 70s, the first great oil shock threatened to obliterate the fun in driving. This time around, that’s not the case. Modern electronic management systems and highly efficient engines are allowing engineers to create drivetrains that provide outstanding fuel economy and performance. Combine those two elements with a great chassis and you can have a blast behind the wheel — without draining your wallet or your conscience.

Such was the case with AutoGreen, which had the opportunity to spend a few days thrashing some European unobtanium, courtesy of Bosch Automotive Systems. The MINI Cooper D (as in diesel power) combines 177 lb.-ft. of torque with the already competent MINI chassis, and delivers driving thrills while returning a massive 47 mpg!

The new Nissan Cube will be unveiled the morning of November 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and the automaker has begun the buildup to its arrival. The Cube now has an official website, where you can count down the days and see more on the Cube art cars that design students prepared for the ‘08 New York Auto Show, among other things. Nissan’s covering all the bases, also getting the Cube set up on Facebook and other social networking sites in the meantime.

We like the Cube a lot, and hope the new version keeps the character of the current Japanese car intact while delivering power and fuel economy geared to appeal to the U.S. buyer. We don’t think Nissan’s going to botch this, so and shoppers looking to get their geek ought to have a strong candidate from Nissan. Not that it’ll be without competition — the Scion xB, Honda Element, and Kia Soul will all be vying for peoples’ attention, too. Let the geekmobile deathmatch begin. Thanks for the tip, Turkey Pie!