Autoblog

The Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the biggest events in Michigan all year, with 1.2 million people attending and over 40,000 hot rods, exotics, antiques and oddities coming from near and far to one of the world's most storied roads. Yet each year businesses on the cruise route complain that the annual event actually hurts their bottom line. It isn't so much the weekend that kills profits as it is the fact that cruisers plug up Woodward for the entire week before the big cruise on Saturday.

Organizers of the big event may have helped these businesses by transforming the Woodward-centric cruise into a nine day mega-event that spans into the city of Detroit and other surrounding areas. Some of the new events includes a low-rider competition to kick off the event on August 8 to an AutoblogGreen-friendly green car show, motorcycle show, and a Model T event. Sprinkling cruise events around southeast Michigan will give traveling cruisers a better reason to turn their long cruise weekend into a week-long vacation, which will be great for the ailing Michigan economy, as well. With an event as popular as the Dream Cruise, it's a wonder that it took nearly 15 years for local business leaders to capitalize on the event in any meaningful way. We'll be sure to hit as many events as we possibly can, with plenty of pictures and videos for those of you that don't plan on heading into the mitten state.


[Source: Detroit News]

Over the last few years, huge numbers of union workers have accepted buyout packages to leave their high-paying jobs at automotive factories and office buildings. Many of those retired workers will be replaced by new hires at much lower salaries in the coming years. In fact, there could be as many as 46,000 new workers hired in Michigan alone, according to a recent 95-page report (PDF link here) released by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). This report could mean good things for the troubled economy surrounding Detroit -- but it's not all roses, as the report indicates that more workers will leave through attrition than the estimated 46,000 that could be hired. Also, all of those new workers will require lots of training before they can be counted on as worthy replacements. Still, as Kristin Dziczek, an analyst from CAR says, "The bleeding will stop."

[Source: CAR via The Car Connection]

We were captivated by the Karma plug-in hybrid when it was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month. Its curvaceous, aggressive design combined with its ability to go 50 miles without using any gas seems like a bargain at the projected starting price of $80,000. Fisker is hoping to deliver its first Karma to customers in the fourth quarter of 2009, but to do that they will first need to find a place to build the cars (and get the drivetrain sorted and figure out that batteries and...). Vic Doolan, director of retail development for Fisker, says the company is considering metro Detroit to handle production. The combination of unused capacity, close proximity of suppliers, and availability of experienced workers make Detroit an ideal location.

Those interested in the Karma and unconcerned about the vaporware accusations can pre-order one with a $1000 deposit, although the Signature Edition vehicles (the first 99 that will have the same features and color as the show car as well as a numbered and signed plaque), are all sold out. Customers who haven't ordered yet can expect a delivery date in mid-2010.

click above to view more high-res pics of the Honda Pilot Prototype

We were there when Honda trotted out its Pilot Prototype in Detroit, and our snoozy first impression is apparently what the public at large is feeling, too. Sales of the current Pilot have dropped off by nearly 25 percent, so Honda's feeling the pressure with this redesign. It doesn't bode well, then, that the Pilot's new duds leave the buying public unmoved. CNW Research polled several hundred drivers from LA, Chicago and Detroit, and many respondents found the 2009 Pilot a yawn to behold. Nothing about the newly-squared off exterior struck a chord, which is unusual for a new design. Usually, something distinctive garners attention, but the exterior design only earned a 7.5 point score on CNW's 12-point scale, off at least a point and a half from what most new vehicles do. We found the Pilot's freshening a little boring, but mainly the headlights leave us very unnerved, like trying to stare down a bird of prey.

[Source: Inside Line]

Episode 85 of the Autoblog Podcast finds us reminiscing about the North American International Auto Show that recently invaded Detroit. It was perhaps not as thrilling as past shows, but the new F-150 and Ram hauled and herded some excitement into Cobo. Both pickups are newly spiffed and bristling with new features and engineering. While the trucks are no doubt big news, the CTS Coupe stokes our fires far more. We hope to see it visited by the V-series gnomes, too.

There were a passel of diesels at the show, too. Audi's V12 TDI R8 concept was filled with design gumdrops for us to chew on, besides the 12-pot 500-hp diesel that returns mileage in the 20s. BMW had its 335d and some X5 alphabet soup thing, and Honda showed its clean diesel. Beyond oil burners, we took an IRL look at the Hyundais Genesis and found it surprising beyond what pictures convey. The Lancer Ralliart turned out to be a charmer, while we question the very existence of VW's Passat CC, and Fisker's bestickered Karma was certainly software-worthy vaporware. Mazda had the best car in the show with its racy Furai, and the Lincoln MKT threatens Cadillac not one whit. Ford's Verve is a bright spot, though, and it can't get here fast enough. We had a lot more to say, but ran out of time to say it this time around. Watch this space for more, but for now, enjoy all 33 minutes of #85.

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Detroit may be the host of one of North America's largest auto shows, but Cobo Hall is far from the continent's best conference facility. It's dated and small, and larger venues like Chicago's McCormick place and the LA Convention Center are more modern and accommodating to automaker displays. Officials from area counties are attempting to work together to expand and modernize the aging facility with plans that include an additional 120,000 square feet of floor space and a walkway between Cobo and the Renaissance Center. Said officials are currently bickering over the total cost of the plan, which ranges between $595 million and $846 million. The financially ailing state of Michigan is willing to contribute $150 million to the cause, but county executives need to bury the hatchet and hammer out a deal that greatly improves a building that in LA or New York would likely have been bulldozed or completely overhauled long ago. If area executives need any more incentive to move on a solution, this year's show features 58 major introductions, compared to 76 just three years ago.

Michigan residents should be excited about a new plan, but we've heard about a new plan every year since before anyone can remember. As Detroit loses some of its grip on the US auto industry, however, it seems to be becoming more and more evident to politicians that hosting North America's premiere automotive showcase isn't an inalienable right. If the movers and shakers in the Detroit area can't get the job done, it could soon be curtains for Detroit's single largest annual event.

[Source: Detroit News]

Here's a way to create content long after an auto show has ended, dream up a list of editorial favorite picks. Well, what the hell, we might as well be meta and report on the anti-news. Here we go blithely. AutoWeek handed out its Editors' Choice awards for the North American International Auto Show at its Design Forum on Wednesday. We can debate the relevance, but we'd rather just talk about the cars. The four vehicles that AutoWeek thought were the bee's knees are as follows:

• Most Fun: Audi R8 V12 TDI
• Best Concept: Cadillac CTS Coupe
• Most Significant: 2009 Ford F150
• Best of Show: 2009 Corvette ZR1

As Linda Richman would say: discuss.

[Source: AutoWeek]

John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.

BEST KEPT SECRET AT THE DETROIT AUTO SHOW

The Detroit auto show gets unbelievable international coverage from thousands of journalists, and they're all hoping to come out of the show with some kind of scoop. But with everyone attending the same press conferences and interviewing the same executives, that's practically impossible to do. And yet, this year they made it easy for me to get my own scoop, because most of the media ignored what may be the most important design awards in the industry.

click above to view more high-res images of different Genesis grille

When the production version of the Hyundai Genesis was revealed, debate over its styling was a hot topic. Of particular interest to commenters was the grille, dubbed the "Klingon forehead" by some of you, which has a vertical center spine with three horizontal bars that turn down when they meet from either side. We instantly noticed the absence of Hyundai's logo on the grille and surmised that perhaps the Korean automaker felt that the presence of its logo would somehow divert attention away from the levels of luxury and refinement that people might normally associate with Hyundais.

With that in mind, we were surprised to find this Genesis V6 model with a different grille on the floor of the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. When asked what it was doing there, Hyundai responded that the badgeless grille is the only Genesis grille for now, but this version was done up as a kind of market research exercise. We were also told that it had been taken out of Hyundai's display before the Detroit Auto Show opened up to the public.

Well, we've decided to help Hyundai figure out which grille is preferred most by consumers. Vote for your preference below and, who knows, Hyundai might be listening.

click above to view more high-res live shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

One bit of news we passed over on the way out the door of COBO Hall on Tuesday was the winners of this year's EyesOn Design Awards at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. There are four awards given away each year, including Best Concept and Production Car and Best Concept and Production Truck. Cadillac sweeped the car side of things with the CTS-V being honored as Best Production Car and the CTS Coupe Concept named as the Best Concept Car. The BMW X6, meanwhile, was named Best Production Truck and the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept nabbed the Best Concept Truck award.

The EyesOn Design awards are sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Opthamology and judged by a panel of automotive designers including ex-VP of Design for GM Wayne Cherry, Chrysler's Senior VP of Design Trevor Creed, the renowned Henrik Fisker, GM's VP of Global Design Ed Welburn and Mazda's Franz von Holzhausen.

More after the jump.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]