Car trends mirror age of individual style

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us because people may adapt to it."

It's conceivable, given that the last VW concept car to find success with the public is the updated Beetle.

In addition to the influence of the Internet and the desire for increased fuel efficiency, consumer trends have been driven by the auto industry itself. The trend toward individualism in cars surfaced in recent years with the popularity of vehicles such as BMW's Mini Cooper, which can be customized in many different colors and styles via the Mini Cooper Web site. Demand for the car outstripped any expectations BMW originally had for sales, company executives said.

Many new production vehicles also offer remarkably advanced technology.

On Wednesday, Mercedes unveiled its newest car, the Mercedes 2007 S Class. With a price tag of $145,000, the luxury sedan includes two complementary radar and infrared beams that can detect obstacles 500 feet ahead. The radar can record the speed of vehicles in front of your own on the road, and if the system detects a braking problem, for example, the car will prime the brake system for better response and raise the seat backs so airbags will perform better.

Of course, in the car market, customization can come at an even heftier price.

Victor Muller
CEO, Spyker Cars

Car builder Spyker, for example, featured a $325,000 made-to-order prototype sports car at the show. The all-aluminum vehicle runs on a powerful 12-cylinder engine and has a top speed of 196 miles per hour. It can accelerate to 60 mph within 3.9 seconds.

Buyers of Spyker cars are so pampered, they can request specialized appointments such as dashboard instruments from watchmaker Chronoswiss, or they can watch production of their car via Webcam on the Internet. Spyker, founded in 2000, is the first carmaker to allow people to follow production of their car online, Spyker CEO Muller said.

In fact, Muller said, the Web made it possible to start his car company, given the costs and high hurdles to secure licenses for distribution.

"Without the Internet, it would have been impossible. It allows us to access processes, manufacturers, suppliers and technologies like never before possible."

Spyker has also received a nod from Hollywood. The company's Spyker C8 Laviolette is driven by actress Sharon Stone in the upcoming "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction."

Spykers are also catching on with the Hollywood set. Muller said several movie stars have preordered the vehicles, which take months to deliver, once ordered.

"People don't want to see the same car next to them at the stoplight," he said.

[Razzl]

You're falling for all the hype

As one who spent a lot of time reading auto industry mags in my youth I can tell you that 99.9% of the fun stuff presented at these shows will never find its way into production. It's an old tradition in the auto industry to talk a good game for publicity and then go back to stamping out boxes when Monday comes. The tradition of auto show flimflam goes back about 70 years, so don't hold your breath waiting for any of these cars or accessories to show up at your dealer. Perhaps only a few quirky players like Suzuki have ever really followed through on the more playful ideas, but not in a way to make us consumers feel as though they're really listening to us.