The surprisingly vibrant Los Angeles Auto Show may be reflecting signs of life in the auto industry itself as the world's largest car market begins to emerge from a deep recession. In particularly stark contrast to the Tokyo Motor Show last month, this week's Los Angeles show possessed an unexpected but much-welcomed vitality, with introductions from car makers from a variety of nations showing products across the automotive spectrum. According to MSNBC, Los Angeles enjoyed introductions of a Porsche sports car, a Toyota minivan, and compacts from Ford and Chevy. Tokyo's show, in comparison, featured only introductions by Japanese car makers mostly of cars that targeted that nation's domestic market, rendering that show virtually irrelevant to most of the world. "After a scary time for manufacturers, they are starting to run on all cylinders again," said Jake Fisher, senior auto engineer for Consumer Reports. The twinkling stars of the show were the Audi R8 Roadster, a drop-top version of the already unexpectedly sexy sports car from normally straight-laced Audi, and a whimsical three-seat subcompact from Honda called the Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT). For more on the signs of life on display by the auto industry at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show, click here.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted narrowly, 225 to 220, to keep the estate tax at its current level. Whether the Senate will go along with the House-passed bill, or even fit consideration into a crowded end-of-the-session schedule, remains to be seen. If there is no Senate action, the estate tax will expire next year and come to life again in 2011. According to Karlyn Bowman at Forbes, although pollsters don't ask about this issue often, when they do, the responses are clear and consistent: People don't like the tax. A 2008 CBS News/New York Times poll that gave people detailed background information on current law found that 44 percent said there should be "no tax on any estate," while 47 percent said it should be "eliminated for most people but kept in place for the very largest estates." Opponents of eliminating the estate tax couch their arguments in terms of the sizes of estates and income inequality, saying the rich should pay more. But they are missing the point: Americans don't think about this issue in terms of dollar amounts, they think about it in terms of values - even people of modest means don't think it is fair. Whether the Senate agrees remains to be seen, but if Americans had a vote, the polls suggest they would probably kill the tax. Click here for Bowman's full editorial on why the Death Tax should die. For more on the Death Tax from CNN, click here.
German carmaker Daimler AG said today that global sales for its Mercedes-Benz Cars division increased 16 percent in November, to 98,400 vehicles from 84,500 in the same month last year. According to the Detroit News, the division includes the Mercedes-Benz and the compact Smart brands. The Mercedes-Benz brand posted 19 percent growth for the month with 88,600 cars sold from 74,400 in November a year ago, while the Smart brand declined by 3.8 percent to 9,800 cars from 10,100. Daimler said the rise in sales last month was a result of double-digit increases for especially E-Class and S-Class cars, plus strong sales growth in many regions such as western Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and the developing markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Daimler said it expects fourth quarter sales levels to be significantly higher than in 2008, thanks to the E-Class and the new generation of the S-Class. It said the new E-Class station wagon, which arrived at dealerships at the end of November, should also help contribute to the sales momentum. Daimler shares were up more than 1 percent at euro36.28 ($53.70) in Frankfurt morning trading. Click here for more on Daimler's November sales success.
Texting behind the wheel is so dangerous that it joins Forbes' list of 10 deadly mistakes drivers make on the road. Others include well-known no-nos like driving while drunk and underestimating weather conditions. Inclement weather is associated with 7,000 fatalities, 800,000 injuries and more than 1.5 million crashes annually nationwide, with an estimated economic toll of $42 billion, according to the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. Speeding becomes especially dangerous during the winter, too, as it shortens the amount of time and distance drivers have to respond to changing conditions. However, at the risk of stating the obvious, the worst mistake to make on the road is to drive after drinking. The numbers don't lie: Alcohol is a factor in 40 percent of crash-related deaths; it is present in 60 percent of the fatal crashes of people 16 to 24 years old. But it's not just about hurting others or yourself, it's also about avoiding fines and jail time: AAA reports that every year, 1.5 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Experts also say alcohol is especially dangerous because it so often leads to other driving mistakes-like not wearing a seat belt, over - or understeering and road rage. Click here to read more on Forbes' list of the 10 worst driving mistakes. Click here to view the slideshow.
As the auto industry goes, so goes the Detroit auto show. The 2010 show, Jan. 11-24 at Cobo Center, won't be as grand as some of its predecessors. Yet, according to Automotive News, organizers are optimistic about a turnaround, expecting a 10 percent rebound in exhibitors from the 2009 venue. Fifty-four companies have signed up for exhibits so far, up from 50 in 2009. Though some of last January's no-shows, including Suzuki and Porsche, aren't coming back, organizers now know what to expect. They are still courting Mitsubishi and Land Rover, Fox said, while Nissan recently signed up to have a small exhibit. The exhibits themselves won't be as extravagant as in years past, but there is a spotlight planned on green technology and the future of the industry. Plus, some of the biggest spending is coming from the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, which assumed responsibility for Cobo Center earlier this year and has begun a $300 million renovation. The auto show might otherwise have moved to Rock Financial Showplace in suburban Novi. Organizers also expect a boost from a larger delegation of federal employees, including a possible visit from a bipartisan congressional delegation during the auto show's industry preview. Click here for more on what to expect at next month's Detroit Auto Show.
According to the New York Times, the Volkswagen Golf is proof that there is more to motoring fun than a cooperative powertrain and a well-designed suspension. Click here for a photo. The new 2010 Golf is the sixth generation in a line of small cars that dates back, in the United States, to the 1975 Rabbit. The car is better known as the Golf, although apparently lagomorph-loving marketing types have sometimes badged it the Rabbit, a less-than-heroic moniker most recently used for the 2006-9 model years. For 2010 it is a Golf once again. The new model is still a front-wheel-drive hatchback with two or four doors, assembled in Wolfsburg, Germany. Prices begin at $18,240 for a two-door Golf with a 5-speed manual transmission and $19,940 for a four-door, which comes only with a 6-speed automatic. On such roads, the Golf's suspension shows its multitasking versatility. The Golf has a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine rated at 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 revolutions per minute. The engine handles the car's 3,000 pounds quite nicely: VW says the Golf goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in 8.1 seconds with the automatic and 7.8 seconds with the 5-speed manual. Click here for a photo gallery of the VW Golf. Click here to read the entire review at the New York Times.
Does Your Car Stink? Handling Offensive Car Odors [MSN Autos]
The Coolest, Nuttiest Cars from the L.A. Auto Show [Car Tech Blog]
Jalopnik's 12 Favorite Honda Commercials [Jalopnik]
Top Gear Names Toyota Prius as its City Car of the Year [Autobloggreen]
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