Top 10 Debuts at the 2009 New York Auto Show

The curtains have closed on the press days for the 2009 New York Auto Show. We can now finally rest after all the sleepless nights of bringing you guys live coverage straight form the show floor. However, we couldn’t just leave you without pointing out what we thought were the most significant debuts of the 2009 New York Auto Show.
The list is in order with the no. 1 spot going to the most significant debut in New York. Let us know which one was your favorite in the comments section below.
Click through for our list of Top 10 Debuts at the 2009 New York Auto Show:

10. 2010 Subaru Outback (View Post):


9. Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype (View Post):


8. 2010 Kia Forte Koup (View Post):


7. 2010 GMC Terrain (View Post):


6. 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI (View Post):


5. 2010 Hyundai Equus (View Post):


4. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (View Post):


3. Acura ZDX (View Post):


2. 2010 BMW X6 M (View Post):


1. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee (View Post):

Auto Adventures! San Diego Auto Show Activities

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here with a San Diego Auto Show update! With the official start of the show beginning today, I figured it’d be worth giving you all a rundown of what there is to see and do aside from the various exhibits. Last year the upper ballroom had an expo on aftermarket products as well as some sensational club exhibits. They will of course be making a return this year, but the other activities are new in a lot of ways. Hit the jump to find out what they are!

First up are the Ride and Drive’s! Every year different automakers participate, but this year Ford and Hyundai are your options. Ford gives you the option of test driving the new Flex and F-150– interesting cars but by no means a reason to come to the show in and of itself. However Hyundai does dangle a glimmering ruby– the Genesis. Word on the street is you can get behind the wheel of the Genesis and actually drive it around at Hyundai’s booth out in the Ride and Drive area. Considering the Genesis is a much more interesting vehicle than either the Flex or the latest incarnation of the F-150, expect some long lines. Hyundai will also have some of their other vehicles on hand as well, a good way to get the word out that Hyundai doesn’t suck the big chalupa anymore.

Toyota ups the ante beyond the Ride and Drive however, offering a challenging and over the top offroad track out back, allowing regular show goers to show off their Baja 1000 skills and put Toyota’s offering of full size trucks and SUV’s to the test– just like in the commercials. While it might be a ton of fun, I don’t see many people running to the dealerships for these monsters after driving them, considering the price of gas combined with the current economic climate.

Moving inside the to the actual convention floor, there’s the Eco-Center. Expanded over last years rather pitiful exhibit, this year the focus has shifted, and strongly, towards green cars. The result is the new and improved Eco Center! Now I havn’t seen it yet, but it promises to be larger and more engaging than last years exhibit, which consisted of the Volt and a few informational placards. Hopefully I’ll get to sit behind the wheel of a Tesla!

Finally– something for the kids. Every year there’s the whole 12 and under getting in free with a paid adult crowd, but this year Mazda puts on a show by inviting the Marvel superheroes! Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Spiderman, and Wolverine will be on hand to greet the kids. Should make for some interesting photos!

That’s all for tonight webriders, remember to check back often to see the galleries as they go up from the San Diego Auto Show! This is Dr. VW– signing off.

Highlights of the Cleveland Auto Show

We walked the aisles of the Cleveland Auto Show, the smaller brother to the Detroit Auto Show that took place earlier this year. Here are a few cars, engines, and features that I liked:




The prototype i-Miev is similar to an electric vechicle that went on sale in Japan in the summer of 2009. The i-Miev has a 330-V lithium-ion battery and a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that puts out 64 hp and 133 lb-ft torque. A charge lasts about six hours.



Where the gas tank filler would be on a traditional car, the i-Miev has an electric plug!



We got a big kick out of the i-Miev’s interesting and cute tail-lights.



Diesel engines were big at the show. This TDI Clean Diesel engine is in a VW Jetta. The variable-valve engine puts out 140 hp and 236 lb-ft torque. It goes 0 to 60 in 8.9 seconds. The engine has been used in Europe for the last 10 years. Of a type called the “common rail diesel,” this engine is said to be as simple as a tractor’s and highly efficient. The engine has made Ward’s Ten Best Engine List for several years in a row.



In its day, this mid-70’s Lotus was more race car than street car.You can just see the tail end of the modern street-car version behind it.

Volvo Follow The Tokyo Motor Show

Volvo, the Swedish unit of Ford Motor Co., will not participate in the Tokyo Motor Show this fall.

"We have evaluated our participation at motor shows for 2009 to see how we can make the most out of our resources, and this year we decided not to participate at Tokyo," Volvo spokeswoman Maria Bohlin said today in an e-mail.

Ford Motor Co. said earlier this week it would not participate in the show, but a spokeswoman said she could not comment on plans for Volvo or Mazda Motor Corp.

Mazda will participate in this year's show. Last year, Ford raised $540 million by cutting its stake in Mazda from 33.4 percent to just over 13 percent, but the two automakers will continue joint ventures and the sharing of vehicle platforms and powertrains.

Ford joined General Motors and Chrysler LLC in skipping the event this year. Pullouts by non-Japanese automakers and concerns raised by some Japanese automakers stemming from the global auto sales slowdown have cast doubt on whether the October 21-22 show will take place.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will decide by early next month whether to postpone the show, Toshihiro Iwatake, JAMA's executive director, told Automotive News earlier this week.

If the event is canceled, the next Tokyo Motor Show would be in 2011, Iwatake said.

Several auto companies pulled out of the Detroit auto show, which opens to the public tomorrow. The missing companies included Nissan Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp., Porsche AG, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. canceled its corporate presence, but local Mitsubishi dealers put together an exhibit.

Some participating automakers, including federal loan recipients Chrysler LLC and General Motors, toned down their Detroit displays and built single-story exhibition stands to save money.