The third week of January promises an exciting series of events in Detroit as the 2008 North American Auto Show opens. According to the Auto Channel, the occasion will take place at Cobo Center from January 16-17 from 7a.m. to 9 p.m. You wouldn't miss this for the world… definitely!

Here are the scheduled events during the NAIAS 2008 Industry Preview courtesy of my source:

• 15th Annual AutoWeek Design Forum - Exploring the theme "Designed for Fun" the daylong forum celebrates design as the ultimate differentiating factor between products.  Attracting more than 70 attendees, the forum also will feature the 2008 Editor's Choice Awards and attendees will tour the show floor.  The forum will be held in Cobo
• Center's Riverview Ballroom on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Jesse James of the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage and owner of West Coast Choppers will be the keynote speaker.
• Inforum's Annual Auto Show Breakfast - Themed "Beyond Green: Unraveling Sustainability Mystique," the annual breakfast will focus on the various environmentally friendly auto choices that are beginning to emerge in the market.  The breakfast will take place on Thursday, Jan. 17 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.

"Each year we look forward to hosting this exclusive opportunity for industry professionals to get a preview of the many fantastic attractions at the NAIAS," said Carl Galeana, the senior co-chairman for the NAIAS 2008. "Industry Preview provides a unique occasion for industry insiders to network, attend informative special events on design and automotive trends, and get a sneak peek of the show before it opens to the public."

 

So you think the present time is full of bad news. Just bad news. To break the ice, let me tell you that there's something to be happy about in the auto industry.

Now, there's more to choose from...

Thirty-four vehicles garnered the highest safety rating of 5 stars in the latest crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The figure is up from 13 a year ago. Asian automakers grab the biggest slice of the top-rated vehicles, with 17. Detroit automakers, meanwhile, had 6 vehicles on the list, while Germany and Sweden had 6 and 5, respectively.

The results, which were released Nov. 15, arrive as automakers strive to augment their safety ratings. They do this by adding airbags, crumple zones s well as crash-avoidance electronics. This is also the automakers effort to respond to consumers clamor for innovative safety features.

Toyota's Tundra is the first pickup truck to make the list. Subaru's Impreza is the first small car since more dogmatic criteria were introduced last year. The automakers join Hyundai's Entourage minivan, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV and Ford's Volvo XC90 SUV, which were also present on last year's list.

Vehicles have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC) and garner a top score of "good" in front-, side- and rear-impact crash tests to be able to receive top rating. Other ratings include "acceptable," "marginal" and "poor."

Yahoo reports:

Drivers have long been drawn to vehicles that have more horsepower, luxury amenities or conveniences than the competition. But as creature comforts such as heated leather seats, CD changers and navigation systems have proliferated even among budget-priced cars, drivers and car makers have begun to focus on safety features. As a result, attributes such as side-curtain air bags, which cushion occupants in a side collision, and stability control systems, which help drivers avoid accidents, are now among the latest must-haves.

The test results also show that automakers are moving faster than ever to make vehicles more appealing to consumers through safety improvements. Some cars made the list only after their makers quickly made changes to improve their safety ratings. Making such design changes in the past could take several years.

"Consumer demand and government regulations will continue to make safety more of a core element in vehicle design," said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with at Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. "As fuel-economy standards increase, for example, some cars will become smaller and lighter, necessitating new safety features."

"Federal mandates will drive some of this, but it's also happening because of consumer demand," she concluded.

Yes, the talks have collapsed! Just as we thought they could result in productive ventures, talks were dropped by Proton Holdings Bhd.

Malaysia dismissed the need for its national carmaker Proton to form an alliance with either Volkswagen AG or General Motors Corp. in the near future, the government said Tuesday, reported Houston Chronicle. State investment arm Khazanah Nasional, which owns a controlling stake in Proton, said that the company has "discontinued negotiations" with both companies.

"It's a big set back for Proton,'' said Raymond Tang, who oversees $5.4 billion at CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. "The company needs new technology from a partner. They don't have the resources to make it on their own.''

Proton, which has reported 5 straight quarterly losses, had been looking for a partner to help produce fresh models and revive sales. While demand for a new Proton rolled out in August beat company forecasts, that won't be sufficient to allow the 24- year-old carmaker to go it alone, some analysts said.

"Although management has done a commendable job at turning around the company, it probably won't be enough,'' said Vincent Khoo, head of research at Aseambankers Malaysia Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. Proton still needs a partner, he said.

The company lost 589.5 million ringgit ($175 million) last fiscal year. The search for a partner followed the end of an alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in 2004, and the loss of half of Proton's market share to competitors such as Toyota Motor Corp.

The struggling company had been in talks with the U.S.-based GM and Germany's VW about a possible partnership to reverse its fortunes. But Khazanah said Malaysian officials have recently seen positive developments in Proton, especially improved domestic sales and exports.

"Proton's management should be allowed to continue with its plans to further strengthen the company," he added. "The issue of strategic alliance, if necessary, can be considered at a later date."

Separately, Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said that Proton, which saw a loss of 591 million ringgit ($169 million) in its 2007 financial year, is expected to narrow its loss in the current year, the national Bernama news agency reported.

Still, the new Persona sedan, introduced in August, notched up 22,000 bookings by the end of October, Nor told reporters late yesterday. Proton, which planned to sell 4,000 of the vehicles a month, may report a profit in 2009, reported Bloomberg.

"We must give Proton management the flexibility to move on and carry out its turnaround plan,'' Nor noted. "We are not saying there will be no strategic partnership. It's a very attractive idea, but we also have to look at the interest of the country.''

This isn't a surprise actually. I was expecting something great from Ford. I just knew it. I bet you were assuming as well. Fortunately, our hopes were heard! We already know that the Ford SYNC created a big bang in the industry, but this time, another industry-first was carried out by Ford which promises a ground-breaking boom. It's The Virtual Ergonomic Technology...

Ford.com stated that the company is the first ever North American automaker to combine advanced motion capture equipment with human molding software to formulate work that are less physically nerve-stressing on employees.

"The benefits are fewer injuries, lower cost of tooling changes, higher quality and faster time to market. We're seeing improvement in every one of those metrics, and I know that our virtual technology is a factor," says Allison Stephens, the Ford ergonomics technical specialist with Vehicle Operations Manufacturing Engineering.

"Among the project objectives are to predict the ergonomic impact of long-term repetitive motions and to better predicts complex human motions," said Stephens. "The impact on quality is tremendous - as recent results are showing. This is helping us strengthen our leadership position in virtual manufacturing for assembly ergonomics and resulting in higher quality vehicles."

The LA Auto Show is soon coming, and just as much as are excited for the doors to open, the cars.com staff expresses their great interests and expectations of the upcoming car event. Kicking Tires was able to catch them with these quotes:

Mike Hanley, Cars.com's reviewer, was quoted saying, "The hype for the L.A auto show has grown as it has distanced itself from Detroit's annual soirée in January, so it'll be interesting to see whether or not it can live up to its billing. More importantly, the show will be the first opportunity to see the Jaguar XF and Nissan GT-R in the flesh."

David Thomas, KickingTires' editor, says, "While most of the green talk may be hype, I'm hoping the automakers deliver a lot of actual, production-ready, will-be-sold-at-a-dealer-near-you hybrid vehicles at this year's show. L.A. is all about being green, after all. Pie-in-the-sky thinking is nice, but it's time to ante up."

Kelsey Mays, Cars.com reviewer, says, "L.A. is just as much about being quick as it is about being green. Hybrids and fuel cells are nice, but in an area home to some of the country''s best driving roads - traffic notwithstanding - I'm looking forward to the faster stuff like the Nissan GT-R and BMW M3."

Ian Merritt, Cars.com's photographer, meanwhile proclaims, "I am looking forward to some practical designs for concept cars. While automakers are trying to wow the audience with cool and space-age concepts, I personally like my science fiction to be realistic and grounded in the ability to be produced. I want to see the sedan of the future, not just the 2020 probably-never-gonna-happen cargo van."

Eric Rossi, the multimedia producer, says, "I'm looking forward to two things: Palm trees and the Nissan GT-R."

TMC.net released the complete list of Intellichoice.com's Best Deals for November and among the vehicles in the list, Chevrolet and Toyota units took most of the categories set by the website. Intellichoice.com is on among the best source of car information on the net. They released the latest best deals of November 2007 and here are the cars included in the list.

The following "Best Car Deals" for November 2007 are ranked by vehicle type and size:

• Subcompact Car: MINI Cooper Hatchback
  
• Compact Car over $16,000: Honda Civic Hybrid
  
• Compact Car under $16,000: Honda Civic Sedan
  
• Midsize Car over $21,000: Toyota Prius
  
• Midsize Car under $21,000: Toyota Prius
  
• Convertible: MINI Cooper Convertible
  
• Luxury Convertible: Audi A4 Convertible
  
• Near Luxury Car: BMW 3 Series Sedan
  
• Luxury Car: Lexus ES
  
• Large Car: Toyota Avalon
  
• Base Sport Car: Volkswagen GTI 2-door
  
• Sport Car: Chevrolet Corvette
  
• Sport Sedan/Wagon over $38,000: Lexus GS Hybrid
  
• Sport Sedan Wagon under $38,000: Infiniti G35 Sport Sedan
  
• Compact Utility/Crossover: Ford Escape Hybrid
  
• Midsize Crossover: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  
• Luxury Crossover: Lexus RX 400h
  
• Small Wagon: Toyota Matrix
  
• Midsize/Large Wagon: Subaru Outback Wagon
  
• Intermediate Utility: Hummer H3
  
• Full-Size Utility: GMC Yukon
  
• Luxury Utility:  Lexus   GX
  
• Compact Pickup Truck 2WD: Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab 2WD
  
• Compact Pickup 4WD:     Toyota   Tacoma Regular Cab 4WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD 1/2 Ton: Toyota   Tundra Regular Cab 2WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD 3/4 Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 2WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD One Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab 2WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD 1/2 Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab 4WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD 3/4 Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 4WD
  
• Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD One Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab 4WD
  
• Minivan:  Honda Odyssey Passenger Van
  
• Full-Size Van:  Ford E150 Passenger Van
  
• Cargo Van: Chevrolet Uplander Cargo Van
  

Put on that black cocktail dress and you'll exude elegance. Don that black tee and you'll make yourself a couple of pounds slimmer. Wear that silver earrings and you'll radiate sophistication. By the way, that silver pair of shoes could transform you into a jaw-dropping stunner. Sure, there are so many reasons to be thankful about black and silver colors.

Black and silver are two of the most elegant colors that we have. But do you know they could also mean death? Yes, death. The colors are said to be fatal colors for cars. A surge in the popularity of silver cars is endangering the lives of drivers choosing style over safety, reported Herald Sun.

Silver cars have been found to be 10% more likely to be involved in an accident than white cars, according to the Vehicle Color Study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre. Black vehicles are even more dangerous - with a 12% higher crash risk than white cars - therefore, the latest car fashions could have disastrous consequences.

Statistics show a third of all new cars are silver, while 1 in 5 are white. Fashion, prestige and resale value are said to be reasons fuelling the latest auto trend. But researcher Dr. Stuart Newstead said car buyers should instead be concerned about how easily they could be seen on the road.

"Even in good conditions silver has low contrast with the road environment," he said. "That lack of visibility is even worse in fading light or cloudy and wet conditions. Less visibility means less time for other drivers to react to an impending accident situation."

Conspicuity is a crucial factor that should be considered by car owners in purchasing a car. It is important that the car is still visible even in darkness; this is to prevent some road accidents from happening.

If passersby could see your car even at a distance, their instincts would make them stay away from it. Fellow drivers, on the other hand, could calculate their maneuvers well enough so as not to produce a collision.

Dr. Newstead said drivers of silver cars needed to be aware they might not be noticed as quickly as the drivers of other cars and should make allowances. "People need to think about making their silver cars more visible by installing daytime running lights or driving with their headlights on," Dr. Newstead said. "I hope, though, that ultimately safety will triumph over fashion and we will see more people selecting white."

Like any other car enthusiast, when Subaru decided to reveal their 2008 Subaru WRX, I went crazy over it. But just before we knew some of its pros and cons, Kicking Tires released a blog about what auto experts say about the new car. Kicking Tires is one among the reputable information sources about cars on the net and I believe they are an authority in terms of car reviews and test drives.

Kicking Tires also revealed some of the comments of some figures in the auto industry. To start off, here is what Mike Hanley of Cars.com says, "The WRX's turbo four-cylinder makes loads of low-end power, which in turn makes the WRX a fun little car to drive. It also rides rather comfortably for a performance car. I'm split on the car's styling, though. The new exterior manages to look sporty without getting carried away, but the oddly shaped dashboard makes for a cabin that's less than inviting."

While Hanley says Subaru WRX is a fun drive, Joe Bruzek of Ask.cars.com also comments, "I think Subie's new WRX sedan is more grown-up looking compared to the previous generations; both inside and out. It's less boy-racer, more boy-racer-who-needs-to-go-to-the-office-every-morning. Driving the WRX was a spirited experience through curvy side roads, and I love the engine's sounds from the tailpipes (now dual-exiting exhaust) as well as under the hood. As for the interweb geeks that Dave mentioned… yeah, that's me. I thought it fell short on power, and for my tastes I'd like to see an extra 25 or 30 hp. The hatchback version hasn't grown on me yet, and if the STi is only going to be a hatchback, I'd like to have the option of a WRX sedan with more guts."

The vehicle's features have been to have the finest specifications according to Bruzek. But KickingTires editor David Thomas has a different comment. He said, "I'm definitely on board the new WRX bandwagon. The last generation was such a rattling, hard on the molars, bare bones sport-tuned ride that it never won me over like it should have. Subaru has fixed all that here. The ride is so much smoother - hey, pillared doors! - and the car is bigger overall, with snug seats and cabin quality that's slightly above most Japanese imports. A blast-to-drive engine remains the lone carryover from the old WRX, and I'm glad they kept it. I even liked the five-speed and the looks. Everyone on the interwebs may bemoan that there wasn't a huge boost in power, but this is still one mighty fast sedan."

Just like Mike Hanley, William Jackson, an editor of Buying Guides, also believes that the  2008 Subaru WRX is a fun drive. He mentioned, "Fun to drive, nice interior and could be driven quickly or slowly with ease. A lot of faster cars suck at "driving to the store" speeds, but as long as you didn't let the turbo spool up, you could easily cruise. The steering had a nice weight, but the clutch and gearshift were light and precise. I got comfortable with this car more quickly than any other I drove that day."

However, senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder also said, "The Subaru WRX wins the most-improved award. It's much more refined, and is now quiet and precise on the road. Even the engine is quiet - as much as you'd want it to be. During my time with it, the chronic idle shake that this 2.5-liter turbo exhibited in past WRXs (and other models) was absent. Most important, the low-rev torque is more usable than ever. Switching from a 2.0-liter to the 2.5 in 2006 was step one. Sliding the peak torque below 3,000 rpm on the 2008 has made turbo lag almost inconsequential. Now if they would just replace the standard five-speed with a six…"

Now there you go the review of the latest and freshest model from the Japanese car maker - the 2008 Subaru WRX.