Hybrids rev up for annual auto affair

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its goal is to create, by 2010, a fuel cell propulsion system that's competitive with current internal combustion systems with regard to durability and performance. The Sequel can travel up to 300 miles on a tank full of hydrogen and accelerates to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, GM said in a statement.

Electronics will also take center stage for entertainment. GM, for example, has become the latest automaker to announce plans to hook up with Apple's iPod, a trend started by BMW. Mercedes, Volvo and Nissan, among others, have also announced plans for iPod connectors in their cars.

GM will equip several new cars with radios that include an auxiliary channel and front-mounted auxiliary input jack, so that an iPod or other audio source can be plugged in and its music played through the vehicle audio system.

Buick's Lucerne, a sedan that will be on display at the show and come out this fall, includes a number of new electronically driven features, ranging from magnetic ride control and stability control to the iPod-connected radio, a Buick representative said. Among the first GM models to offer an iPod connection will be the Chevrolet HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo. The connectors will also appear in Saturn Vue and Ion models, Pontiac's Solstice roadster and Cadillac's DTS, GM said in a statement.

The New York Auto show also will feature numerous other concept cars geared toward an active lifestyle, performance or even nostalgia.

Good old American horsepower will be on tap from Chrysler and Ford, which will show off concept cars such as the Chrysler Firepower. The coupe has a 6.1-liter Hemi V8 and its chassis is based on the Dodge Viper sports car. Ford will show its Shelby GR-1, a two-seat, 605 horsepower, V-10 engine "supercar" emblazoned with the stamp of racing legend Carol Shelby. The company is also expected to show off a version of a new high-performance Mustang.

To ensure there's something for everyone--even off-road enthusiasts--Jeep will host an indoor test track, complete with a 20-foot-high mountain, where consumers will be able to test out its vehicles, Sams said.

Computers controlling cars.....

Where the Blue Screen Of Death has real meaning.

Unfortunately, the auto industry is so driven to make yearly and mid-year enhancements to maintain market share they will probably never manage to get the "bugs" out of the software before the vehicle makes its way to the junkyard.