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 One would be forgiven for thinking that if a person had the wherewithal necessary to become the owner of a luxury car, that person should have sufficient brain power to park it. Or maybe this is all the thin end of the wedge, the thick end being computer-driven cars in which no one has any fun and the government knows where everyone is all the time, but accidents are a thing of the past. However, let’s get back to Detroit 2009 and a system Ford is introducing at the show.
Like spelling “parallel” from memory, parallel parking can sometimes be tricky. Lexus already has a camera-based self-parking system for its big LS sedan. Ford’s new counterpart uses ultrasonic sensors on each corner of a vehicle to gauge how much room there is to maneuver in. The driver presses a button and the car does the steering -- the only other things the human has to do is select drive or reverse and apply brake or throttle, prompted by the system (which is blessed with the snappy title of “Ford Active Park Assist” when it could have been called the “Lazy Jeeves” or something -- where’s the imagination these days?).
Ford claims its parking apparatus is more precise than the Lexus equivalent. This remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Ford Active Park Assist will be featured initially on the Lincoln MKS sedan (from mid-2009) and the all-new Lincoln MKT seven-seater crossover that’s also due to be unveiled at the Motor City bash.
-- Colin Ryan
Image: Ford
It didn’t take long for the government bailout of GMAC to filter down to the car lot.
General Motors Corp., which has long relied on GMAC to provide financing for many of its customers, said today it would offer zero-percent loans on a handful of vehicles and below-market rates on financing for several other models.
 The announcement came the day after the federal government said it would provide $5 billion in financial aid to GMAC, which had virtually ceased making auto loans over the last several weeks as a crushing debt load threatened to push it into insolvency.
With the federal rescue money on the way, GMAC said it would loosen its credit standards so that more buyers could qualify for loans. GMAC, which earlier had said it would only provide loans to buyers with credit scores of 700 or above, said it would now accept credit scores above 620.
All of which is welcome news to GM dealers, who are battling the worst sales slump in the U.S. auto market since the early 1980s.
“This is something we’ve been watching and waiting for,” said Mark Parkinson, owner of Tustin Buick Pontiac GMC Hummer.
Normally, 50%-60% of Parkinson’s customers get their loans through GMAC. But during November, almost no sales were financed through the lender. “After they tightened their credit criteria, no one could qualify,” he said.
Parkinson said sales began to tick up in December after the Bush administration agreed to provide a $17.4-billion bailout for GM and Chrysler. The looser credit standards at GMAC and GM’s special financing offers should help even more.
“It’s not like a year ago, but it’s the first positive uptick we’ve had in a while,” Parkinson said. “Customers who have been coming in for the last couple of months and just looking are now buying cars. That’s a good sign.”
Continue reading GM: Saved by zero? »
 Much as one might love the Los Angeles Auto Show and feel gratified to see it grow in significance over the last few years, Detroit in January is still The Big One -- for North America, at least. And Motown 2009 will see several major launches, such as the next generations of Toyota Prius (pictured) and an all-new Ford Taurus.
Before we get to those, however, let’s take a quick look at what Audi has to offer. Even in these rocky economic times, our inner gearhead is always pleased to see a faster, more powerful sports car. The all-wheel-drive R8 has been lauded and applauded -- even with just a 420-horsepower 4.2-liter V-8 and a top speed of 187 mph. So that must have emboldened Audi to come up with a version that uses the same 5.2-liter V-10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo, tune it to produce 525 hp and give the car a top speed of 196 mph. All for around $180,000.
The compact SUV crossover that time and everyone else forgot, the Chevrolet Equinox, gets a fresh set of duds for the new year, plus a new 182-hp four-cylinder engine. Lexus will unveil a new dedicated hybrid model, called the HS250h. A new generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class is also expected to make its world debut.
Ford’s new Taurus family sedan is slated to be more like the Mondeo, a car that has been perennially popular in Europe for its price and poise. This 2010 model’s styling comes from Ford’s design studios across the pond. No official images have been released yet, so keep an eye on this site.
 Only a teaser shot of a badge signals an interesting product from Toyota. It bears the initials EV and is said to be a subcompact electric vehicle concept. Toyota is considering the production of something along these lines with a target price of around $20,000. Otherwise, it’s the 2010 Prius that will probably cause the biggest stir on the Toyota stand, although generation three doesn’t differ that much from generation two. The engine gets a mild hike from 1.5 to 1.6 liters, and although the car will start off with nickel metal hydride batteries, these may be replaced by lithium ion packs around 2011.
This model had better be good. Honda’s new Insight hybrid will be coming out about the same time and is set to cost about $2,000 less.
-- Colin Ryan
Photos: Audi, Toyota
To raise awareness of this issue, Allstate has released a study identifying the deadliest hot spots across the nation for teen drivers on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The analysis is based on crashes that involved a teen driver and resulted in at least one fatality. (No determination of fault is identified in the data.) The top 10 on the list are:
1. Jacksonville, Fla.
2. Columbus, Ohio
3. Richmond, Va.
4. Birmingham, Ala.
5. Orlando, Fla.
6. Phoenix
7. Las Vegas
8. Philadelphia
9. Sacramento
10. St. Louis, Mo.
Rural areas seem to score the worst in this study. Megan Brunet, Allstate communications manager, said that may be because rural areas are less likely to have GDL (Graduated Driver Licensing) laws, which place more restrictions and tougher regulations on teen drivers. Also, she said, "rural areas don’t have as many traffic lights and signs to slow teen drivers down."
Continue reading Top 10 'deadliest hot spots' for teen drivers on New Year's Eve »
 Out with the old, in with the new. With 2008 almost history, Kirk Kerkorian's adventure with Ford is over. A spokeswoman for Tracinda Corp., Kerkorian’s Beverly Hills-based investment company, confirmed today that he had dumped its remaining stock holdings.
Kerkorian owned 107.1 million Ford shares, or 4.9% of the company, in late October, when Tracinda reported in a regulatory filing that it had unloaded 7.3 million shares and planned to sell the rest of its holdings by the end of the year. Kerkorian, who began buying Ford shares in April and spent about $1 billion acquiring a 6.5% stake in the automaker, clearly took a bath on the investment.
Ford was trading at around $7.75 a share when Kerkorian began acquiring his stake. The average price since his last SEC filing in late October: $2.33 a share.
More on his exit from Ford is here at the Money & Co. blog.
-- Martin Zimmerman
Historic Ford products: Click here to see a gallery of the best and worst products from Ford.
Photo credit: AP Photo/Nick Ut
Imports once again dominated Kelley Blue Book’s annual ranking of the most-researched new vehicles on its website.
Of the top 20 vehicles, 15 were Japanese, three were American and two were German. Detroit was represented by the Ford Escape and Mustang and the Chevy Malibu.
The top three cars in the 2008 ranking — the Honda Civic and Accord and the Toyota Camry — have held those spots (in varying order) since 2004.
Given the spike in gas prices earlier in the year and the recent slump in the economy and stock market, shoppers gravitated toward fuel-efficient, economical models, said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book and its website, kbb.com.
Despite the imports’ dominance, Nerad noted some good news for the domestics, including the strong showing by the redesigned Chevy Malibu, which has garnered considerable praise from critics.
Here’s the list:
 1. Honda Civic
2. Honda Accord
3. Toyota Camry
4. Toyota Corolla
5. Nissan Altima
6. Honda CR-V
7. Toyota Prius
8. Toyota Highlander
9. Toyota RAV4
10. Mazda3
11. Toyota Yaris
12. Ford Escape
13. Honda Odyssey
 14. Honda Pilot
15. Honda Fit
16. Ford Mustang
17. Chevrolet Malibu
18. Toyota Sienna
19. Mini Cooper
20. Volkswagen Jetta
-- Martin Zimmerman
Photos: (top) 2009 Honda Civic Si Coupe
(bottom) 2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT
Photo credits: Honda Motor, General Motors
 “Our aim for 2020 is that no one should be killed or injured in a Volvo car,” says Thomas Broberg, safety expert with the Swedish auto maker. So how can such a worthy goal be achieved? Broberg’s reply would be that Volvo is working on the world’s first accident-proof car.
And such a vehicle is not that far away. Next month, Volvo unveils its next-generation S60 mid-size sedan at the Detroit auto show. Although still a concept, it showcases many features that the production car (on sale in 2010) will have, such as Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection.
“Up until now, we have focused on helping the driver avoid collisions with other vehicles,” says Broberg. “Now we are taking a giant step forward with a system that also boosts safety for unprotected road users. New sensor technology also makes it possible to advance from 50% to full-automatic braking power.”
Radar and cameras are deployed to detect pesky things like pedestrians and other vehicles. If a collision is imminent, the system will first warn the driver and then, if no action has been taken, apply the brakes automatically. Even if there is an unfortunate coming-together, a reduced impact speed could result in a much happier outcome.
This news couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With the auto industry as a whole in its current sorry state and Volvo looking a little shaky, this technology could help the company itself avoid a crash.
-- Colin Ryan
Photo: Volvo
Looking for a last-minute gift for that classic-car collector on your Christmas list? You might give General Motors a call.
 Automotive News reports today that GM plans to sell some of the more than 1,000 vehicles currently included in its Heritage Center collection in suburban Detroit. The automaker is sorting through the so-called Special Vehicle fleet, looking for duplicates and seldom-displayed vehicles to sell.
The director of the center told Automotive News that GM didn't plan to sell any one-of-a-kind vehicles, or any that are considered milestones for the company or the automotive industry.
Some of the vehicles will be up for sale at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., next month, although others won't go on the block until April, at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, Fla.
 The collection includes many historic vehicles, notably a 1912 Cadillac featuring the first electric self-starter; a 1915 Cadillac with the first production V-8 engine; and the 1966 Electro-van, which GM claims as the world's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
The collection also contains a slew of classic Chevys, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Cadillacs, Buicks and other marques produced during the 100 years that GM has been making cars and trucks.
 About 200 of the vehicles are regularly on display at the Heritage Center, which isn't open to the public. The automaker uses the center for special events and business meetings. Other vehicles in the collection are shown at public events, such as auto shows, around the world.
It's not clear whether the pruning at the Heritage Center is part of the larger cost-cutting effort launched as part of GM's plan to staunch billions in losses, or whether the company is just looking for the automotive equivalent of extra closet space.
-- Martin Zimmerman
Photos: General Motors
Ford has grabbed the fuel-economy crown in the nation’s largest car segment — just in time to see gasoline fall to its lowest price in five years.
Ford said today that its new 2010 Fusion hybrid has been certified by the EPA at 41 mpg/city and 36 mpg/highway, with a combined rating of 39 miles per gallon. That beats the hybrid versions of its competitors in the mid-sized sedan segment (at least based on their 2009 EPA ratings): the Toyota Camry (33 city/34 highway); Chevy Malibu (26/34); and the Nissan Altima (35/33).
 In fact, based on the competition’s ’09 ratings for combined city and highway driving, the new Fusion hybrid beats every widely sold vehicle in America except the Toyota Prius hybrid (46 mpg combined) and the smaller Honda Civic hybrid (42 mpg combined).
The new Fusion -- which will go on sale in the spring-- also boasts a few nifty technology tweaks. The electric side of the car’s hybrid power train is powered by a smaller nickel-metal hydride battery that produces 20% more power than the one used in Ford’s previous hybrid system. The battery runs cooler than the old battery and can accelerate the car to 47 miles per hour before the gasoline engine kicks in.
With a suggested list price of about $27,000, however, the Fusion hybrid costs $1,500 more than the ’09 Chevy Malibu hybrid and $1,000 more than a Camry hybrid, based on retail price information from Edmunds.com. The federal hybrid tax credit should eliminate that gap with the Camry, which is no longer eligible for the credit.
A tougher sell may be convincing consumers to pay the $8,000 premium over a basic Fusion (20 MPG city/28 highway) at a time when gas prices are tumbling. The current price in California for a gallon of regular is $1.806, according to AAA. That’s down 60% from its high last summer. And in New York trading today, gasoline futures fell to December 2003 lows.
“Fuel economy will never go out of style,” Ford spokesman John Clinard said. “No matter what the price of gas is, people always want to save money at the pump.”
All those Hummers and Explorers plying area freeways may belie that statement. But there’s no denying that the Fusion hybrid — which is being be built in Mexico — arrives at a propitious time for U.S. automakers, which have been roundly criticized in Washington for failing to match their foreign competitors in the area of fuel economy technology.
-- Martin Zimmerman
Photo: 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid. Credit: Ford Motor Co.
 ’Twas the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring -- not even a reindeer. That’s because Santa has given himself a present and traded in his old sleigh for a new Bentley-designed model. British buff book, Car, wrote a little letter and left it by the chimney, asking for a few auto makers to create their own take on the most famous sleigh of all.
Bentley, Ford, Nissan and Rolls-Royce answered the call and put their elves in the North Pole design studios to work. The results are here. The Bentley effort has a W-12 engine, naturally. Ford came up with three ideas (too much spare time at the Blue Oval?), while Nissan’s sci-fi contribution was penned by a Canadian, so he knows all about trying to get around in winter weather.
Being somewhat traditional, Rolls-Royce has decided to retain deer power in place of horsepower, but has given Santa an elegant and no doubt supremely comfortable carriage section. There’s probably a little cocktail bar, should St. Nick fancy a quick snifter to keep him warm. All the sleigh images on the Car site can be sent as personalized e-cards. Ho, ho, ho.
-- Colin Ryan
Image: Car
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One would be forgiven for thinking that if a person had the wherewithal necessary to become the owner of a luxury car, that person should have sufficient brain power to park it. Or maybe this is all the thin end of the wedge, the thick end being computer-driven cars in which no one has any fun and the government knows where everyone is all the time, but accidents are a thing of the past. However, let’s get back to Detroit 2009 and a system Ford is introducing at the show.
