On the front page of the auto section of my local paper today, there were several pictures showing the different new cars introduced at the North American International Show (Detroit Auto Show).  Some awesome new cars are going to be introduced in the next few years.  Of course you all know about the new 2010 Toyota Prius, but it has some stiffer competition now that Honda and Ford are introducing more hybrid vehicles. 

Another car is the new Mini Cooper S convertible. This is an electric car that will be leased  to 500 drivers in Los Angeles and New York and has a range of 120 miles.  The Mercedes-Benz Concept Blue Zero E-cell runs on lithium-ion batteries with 124 miles on a charge.  This car can run 373 miles with a combined batter and fuel tank.   

Chevrolet says its Beat concept car, to be called the Spark when it comes to the U.S. in 2011, will get 40 miles per gallon.  It is about the size of the Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris.

Possibly the fan favorite will be the Audi R8 5.2 FSI .  It has a top speed of 195 mph with 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds. That’s fast!

I hope the public gets excited about the show that opened to them on Saturday. Hopefully the economy gets better quickly and people start buying these new cars when they become available.   

According to an article on detnews.com, there were many awards given out at the Detroit Economic Club’s 2009 North American International Auto Show luncheon.  The awards were the Detroit News Readers’ Choice Awards.  Most awards given out at the auto show are voted by the journalists and professionals, but the Readers’ Choice Awards are intended to “gauge the sentiments of the consumers.”  There were 100 reader-judges that toured the show on Thursday and chose the winners.  Here they are:

Best of Show - 2010 Ford Taurus                              

Future Fantasy - Cadillac Converj

Family Hauler - Chrysler Town and Country              

Best Curves - Chevrolet Camaro

Plushest Interior - Lincoln MKS                                 

Most Innovative - Smart Car

Most Earth Friendly - Toyota Prius                            

Most Luxurious - Maybach 625

Grooviest - Ford Mustang Shelby                              

Off Road - Ford F150

Best Value - Ford Fusion        

So, here are the Readers’ Choices!  Take the information and run!

The next few weeks, I will be writing a few different blogs about the biggest auto show in the world, the Detroit Auto Show.  The show opened yesterday and a few rewards were already handed out by the media.  The first honor went to the Hyundai Genesis as the North American Car of the Year award. It narrowly beat out the Ford Flex.  Another finalist was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. 

The other honor went to the Ford F-150, as the best truck of the year.  This truck beat out the Dodge Ram pickup and the Mercedes-Benz ML 320 Bluetec.  The good news is that Ford won an award and was competitive in the other one. That’s great news for the Ford company during these tough times!

There were 14 cars and 11 trucks that were considered for these honors.  Congrats to Hyundai and Ford!

General Motors financial problems may be someone else’s happiness this week.  According to an article by Tim Higgins of the Detroit Free Press, GM will be selling some of its most unique vehicles at auction this week.  Some lucky people will be able to be a part of the “U.S. auto industry’s history.”  The auction is part of an effort to raise money for GM, but also to “manage GM’s fleet of historic and unique vehicles.”  There will be more than 200 of these vehicles up for sale.  According to Tom Freiman, the manager of the Heritage Center (home of some of the historic vehicles), estimates that the sales could be around $5 million.  The auction runs from today through January 18. 

Some of the GM cars that will be auctioned will be:

-A white 1998 Cadillac Brougham convertible made for Pope John Paul II us use.  The vehicle has a step-up, throne-like chair and platform that rises and falls by hydraulic lift. 

-The 1967 GTO used in the action movie “XXX.” 

-A 1925 House Car.  It’s an early version of a camper made before RVs.

-A 1986 Presidential limousine replica that appeared in “In the Line of Fire” and “The American President.”

-A hand-built Buick Blackhawk that was built in 2003 to celebrate Buick’s 100-year anniversary. 

There will be a lot to choose from for you car buffs. By the way, the auction is being held at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Good luck.

www.autocrave.blogspot.com

Ford announced yesterday that their 2010 Ford Fusion will get the best gas mileage in the mid-size car in the U.S. market.  Ford says that the Environmental Protection Agency certified that the Fusion is equipped with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission and will get 34 miles per gallon on the highway and 23 mpg in the city.  This new Fusion will be in showrooms in March.  Ford is hoping that the Fusion can compete and take a share of the top-selling car in the U.S. - the Toyota Camry.  The Camry gets 31 miles per gallon on the highway and 21 mpg in the city. 

There is a hybrid Fusion coming this year as well.  It will get 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway, which according to Ford is the “most efficient hybrid in its class.”  The Honda Accord, the second leading seller in its class, gets 31 mpg on the highway and 22 in the city.  Hopefully the Ford Fusion can take a share of the market back and help Ford to get out of the red!  

The big discussions and highlights at the Detroit Auto Show later this month will be green, hybrids, and more green!  Toyota will be debuting a concept version of a battery-powered electric vehicle and its redesigned 2009 Toyota Prius hybrid.  General Motors and Ford will have hybrid vehicles that will be a “core part of the vehicles” they display at the show.  Honda will be unveiling it’s Honda Insight hybrid.  GM says that their Chevrolet Volt  will take center stage at the show. 

Another green aspect of the Detroit show will be the test track for green vehicles.  It will be a 70,000 square foot test track inside the Michigan Hall.  According to an article on autoweek.com, there will be about 12 vehicles available to journalists to drive during the auto show’s press preview, and consumers can drive in them as well.  This track will be available because according to Rod Alberts, the NAIAS executive director, says that “no other time is more critical for the nearly 6000 international journalists of the world to see the future and strategy of the automobile industry.”  The future is in green vehicles, so I’m not surprised that this will be the highlight at the Detroit Auto Show.   

Hyundai launched a program last Friday that allows customers that purchase their cars to return them to the dealer if they have problems making payments.  Sounds crazy, right?  Well, I would think so too, if I hadn’t seen an article about it on Autoweek.com.  Hyundai is trying to get buyers that have been too nervous during this economic crisis to purchase a vehicle to do so.  How the program works is as follows:  Hyundai will cover the depreciation on a returned leased or financed vehicle for those people that find themselves unable to make their car payments.  Now, before you run out to buy a Hyundai, there are stipulations to why you can’t make the payments.  The reason has to be beyond your control.  For instance, losing your job, becoming disabled, or losing their drivers license for medical reasons.  Another stipulation is that you must have made at least 2 payments and Hyundai will only refund the depreciation on the returned vehicle up to $7500.  This program is also only good for the first 12 months of leasing or financing.  I want someone to actually participate in this “return program” and see if it works out as Hyundai says.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28494068/

General Motors is counting on this new 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover vehicle to bring some luxury buyers to this new model.  This new design is replacing the SRX from 2004, and it will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show next week.  The Cadillac SRX should compete with the Lexus RX, Acura MDX, and the BMW X3 and X5.  The designers of this vehicle took things from other Cadillac models, and put them into one, the Cadillac SRX. 

Here are the specs of the new Cadillac SRX.  A 3-liter direct-injection V-6 engine comes standard, with the option of buying a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6.  GM estimates that the fuel economy for highway will be in the mid-20s.  The 2010 model will be available in mid-2009 for buying.        

According to MSNBC.com, Ford is planning on debuting this self-parking technology on their 2010 Lincoln MXS sedan and the Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle.  Ford plans to put this self-parking technology in 90% of its Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles with this electric power steering by 2012. 

This technology uses ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear of the car, combined with electric power steering to angle and guide the vehicle into snug parking spaces, all by just pushing a button.  Lexus has a a special parking technology too, but it is a video camera parking system that can tell you whether you have enough room to park in a certain spot.  According to Ford, their new self-parking technology is ”easier to use and works in downhill parking situations, unlike competing systems.” 

Here’s what you have to do as the driver of this new system.  You need to shift the transmission and operate the gas and brake pedals, as a person would do for you if they were standing outside of your vehicle.  The driver never touches the steering wheel.  Pretty neat!  I would love this, since my parallel parking has much to be desired! 

This self-parking technology also monitors blind spots, and it warns the driver with a indicator light that something is detected or traffic is approaching.  This new electric power steering can help to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions, because it is powered by the battery in the car.  This self-parking technology will be featured at the Detroit Auto Show next week. 

www.luxuo.com

Wouldn’t you love to clean out your relative’s garage and found a rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante?  That’s what happened to relatives of Dr. Harold Carr, an orthopedic surgeon that was an “eccentric hoarder” according to his family.  I found this story on yahoo.com.   

The Bugatti is a rare two-seater that has been unused since 1960.  There were only 17 made in 1937, and when it’s cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month for approximately $4.3 million or at least 3 million pounds.  That’s a good piece of garbage that the family found!  I wish I could find something like that! 

The Bugatti was a supercar (at the time) and ahead of its time by having the capability of going 130 mph, when most other cars topped out at 50 mph.  What was particularly special about this Bugatti was that it was originally owned by Earl Howe, a British race car driver, and the car has its original equipment, so it can be restored. 

This man also had a Aston Martin, that was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in poor condition.   Geez, I wonder what my relatives will find???  Maybe $10…….