Well I just finished up my runs at local auto shows and reading up on the biggies at my favorite car site Edmunds.com.My general impressions of the future auto industry are good, but certain aspects of it make me either want to laugh or cry, sometimes I can't tell which.

I'll start with the good: Chrysler. Wow, I never thought I'd ever say the words "Chrysler" and "Good car" in the same sentence ever. But that's what's happening. Having a solid product in the entry-level market with the now almost cliche PT Cruiser, they just had to land some good cars in the mid and high end markets. And they appear to be ready to do that. The upcoming Crossfire is a very cool car. Granted, it is basically a mid-ninties Mercedes, but hey, mid-ninties Mercedes' were great cars.

The styling is edgy, if not old hat since the market is flooded with "edgy" designs. The one thing the outside does exude is perceived exclusivity, no doubt compliments of the blatantly Mercedes like touches. It's a great package all things considered. The engine reportedly needs tuning, but that will probably happen before it's release.

And also in the big C's corner is the 300C. Finally a big-ass car I want! I love this car to death. And with all the German crap inside of it, it's bound to perform like a German car. I love the styling, as long as the production model looks EXACTLY the same as the concept shown. The engine, a 5.7 liter Hemi, also better remain unchanged or my adoration of the car, and of Chrysler, will wane very quickly. I'm tired of silly-hot concept cars that turn into pussy-mobiles when they hit the production lines.

Dodge: Also from Chrysler. But unlike Chrysler brand cars, Dodge doesn't have an image it has to repair. People seemed to just kind of forget the whole "Neon Head Gasket" problems and let bygones be bygones. And Dodge has the second most badass lineup of the major American companies. TOPS on everyone's list from Dodge was the Tomahawk. A motorcycle powered by the Viper engine... they seem to be having fun dropping the Viper engine into everything these days. New from Dodge! The Radioburner! A remote controlled car powered by a Viper engine! It has a top speed of mach 1.6!

The Tomahawk has a SLIGHTLY less insane top end of 300 or so mph. And yes, those numbers are theoretically correct. Not even the Y2k Bike can touch those numbers. The other two Viper powered pieces of rolling sex are the actual Viper and the ST-10 Ram. The Viper requires no introduction, but the SRT-10 is interesting. Apparently, the sales numbers of the Lighting were too high to ignore for the other companies, so both Dodge and Chevy put out their own. The Chevy SS is a joke compared to the Lighting and SRT-10, so we won't go into it. But the SRT-10 might be the lightning killer. It's gonna be expensive though, probably around 50 grand, and I know Ford doesn't want the lighting in that price bracket, so I speculate that the SRT-10 will be the fasted pick-up around.

And in the entry level, the Neon SRT-4. This turbocharged wonder is a crazy little car. It out drags the WRX, and handles like a go-kart. Obviously the interior is sparse, because for only 19 grand, the engine got most of the money. This is the ONLY out of the box pocket rocket out there today. The MazdaSpeed Protege has a crap engine, the Mini is barely a car, it's a rolling statement, and the SVT Focus has no low-end torque. This is the king.

Ford: Ford is sketchy. Even I, an ardent Ford lover, admits that. They've got financial problems that bring back memories of Enron, their market share is dropping fast as foreign cars suck it up, and the SUV market is beginning to close in favor of the almost minivan-like Crossover style. And Ford's coveted PAG is losing money left and right as Jaguars sell poorly, Landrovers get more and more expensive to make, and the people that usualy buy Volvo's are dying of old age. So Ford needs some slam dunks or it's toast.

The first car to come to mind is the GT. Can I just say, "wow!" While Dodge was working on dethroning the Lighting, Ford took some venom out of the Viper. If the performance numbers of the old Le Mans Gt40 from the 1960's are any indication, this may be the cheapest 200 mph ride on the market. Not counting bikes of course. I love almost every angle of this car. At first, I didn't like it. I thought it was a stupid choice to make into a $150,000 super car, but as I look at it, I like it more and more. The only worry I have is if Ford itself tries making it. Because, frankly, I don't think Ford has the skill to make an acceptable 150,000 dollar car. I hope they hand off manufacturing duties to one of their PAG brands or to someone like Saleen.

Ford also has one of the best future line-ups. The Freestyle looks like a worthy contender in the crossover market, the new F-150 is going to be the REAL new mayor of Truckville, the new Mustang is seriously kick-ass, and the GT is godly. But Ford is not free of some serious missteps. Both the Excursion and the Thunderbird are getting axed. They barely even tried with the T-bird... the pussies. The Futura and Five Hundred are laughable in the face of foreign competition. I can't believe they took the front off the boner-inducing 427 and slapped it on something called the "Futura." Very, very sad. I was hoping the 427 would see the light of day. And the Five Hundred looks like a freakin' Hyundai. And in my opinion, the Freestar minivan doesn't stand a chance as it's market dwindles.

Audi: Audi is kicking some serious ass as they try and make some headway in a market dominated by BMW and Mercedes. They are throwing some absolute killer engines out under their hoods, and refining their styles.

Audi has always had beautiful cars, the 80's notwithstanding, almost nothing looked good in the 80's. And the the new V6 getting put into their cars, especially the beautiful TT will make them all far more appealing. Cause let's face it, the 1.8t was never a really great engine.

Mazda 3 Series/RX-8: Yea, it sounds like a BMW, but it's not. It's Mazda's upcoming replacement for the Protege and it looks killer. With the same engine and suspension that has made Mazda's very popular recently along with more contemporary styling and interiors this should be a big success. And the RX-8 is just great. That rhymed! Woo hoo! With a monster 250 horse coming out of a scant 1.3 liters, and acceptable torque, this car shows that the rotary is far from dead. Engine wise it's in direct competition with the S2000. Which is another tiny car that produces nutty levels of horse with little torque. I've driven an S2000, and if the RX-8 is anything like that, we have a WEENER!

The Rally Car Battle: The battle for Rally supremacy has lead to some nutty cars. Both the WRX Sti and the Evo are enviable cars, and I've driven a Euro-Spec Sti, they are silly fast! I can't wait to drive an Evo!

Super Lux: Now fully under their new parent companies both Bentley and Rolls Royce are putting out their best cars ever. Bentley has a new Continental coming out that will be "entry level" at a mere 150 grand. And RR Phantom is rolling "Sleep with me, I'm rich." I would LOVE to own any of these cars... and I never will.

Lamborghini: The Gallardo only makes the dream of Lambo running toe-to-toe with Ferrari one step closer to fruition.

The Nissan Titan: This is the only pick-up out there that I see as true competition to the new F-150. This ir primarily because of it's super-modern interior. Similar is style to the new F series, it is something neither Chevy, Dodge, or Toyota have. This truck also has a kick-ass V8 in it, and some big, get this, TRUCK-like dimensions. The Tundra was marketed as a full size pick-up, but it wasn't much compared to American trucks. It was small, and underpowered. Hey, at least it was leagues better than the T100.

And now for the bad--

General Motors- I was originally going to list all the brand names, but this saves time and carpul tunnel syndrome. All I can say about GM is BLAND, BLAND, BLAND! GM even came out and apologized for previous shoddy quality in it's cars, but says things now are different. I beg to differ, and here's why...

Pontiac is producing just as much crap as it ever did. Complaints about the quality of their interiors and overall build quality seem neverending. At least their engines are alright. But only a fool who hasn't shopped around would choose a Pontiac over something like a Honda or Toyota. Both those companies produce cars that are literally leagues ahead of Pontiac. The Montana is a non-issue, it's barely a dot on the radar of other minivan manufacturers. And the upcoming GTO doesn't stand a ghost of a chance against the far edgier Mustang.

Buick and Caddillac are doing alright for themselves. I personally don't see them living for another decade though. Buick has the highest chance of dying early. The primary reasons for this are they just can not compare to foreign rivals in the same market segment. Just think to yourself, would you rather own a BMW or A Buick? I can almost guarantee you're thinking BMW, or Mercedes, or Audi.. but certainly not Buick. And no matter what Buick wants to think, they are not the spirit of American Style, they look like a bizzare cross between Japan and Germany. Cadillac has the best chance of survival. Their cars might not be as good as Euro-mobiles, but they're getting closer... somewhat. Cadillac's biggest misstep, if they take it, is NOT manufacturing the Sixteen. Cadillac is trying to make themselves a desireable car again, and they desperatly need a kick-ass halo car, and nothing less than the Sixteen will save their asses. With the people that traditionally bought Caddies and Buicks dying off, old people, they have to ask themselves not if they can afford to build it, but if they can't afford to build it.

Chevy is the same deal... bland. Nothing really BAD, but nothing good either. Their trucks are outclassed by the upcoming F-150 in a big way, and it's a toss up with the new Ram. Their cars are seriously outclassed by almost everyone. The Focus and Neon are way better cars. The Aveo is basically a Daewoo. The Malibu is a "solid" car in most people's books, but not a competitor. The Impala and it's SS variation are almost laughable. The Colorado isn't bad-ass enough to compete with the Ranger. And the Monte Carlo SS has a roaring 240 horsepower... supercharged. If your car is only doing that much WITH a supercharger, I don't want to think about it sans-supercharger. The Mustang won't even bat an eye.

GMC has some interesting things in the wings, and I look forward to seeing them in action, but it's not enough to keep the whole of GM afloat. I also laugh everytime I see GMC trying to advertise their trucks as Work Trucks. I think I've seen like 3 work trucks that haven't been Fords.

Saab's crap. That's about all I have to say. It's like they've forgotten how to make cool cars... or cars in general!

Saturn's trying! I'll give them that. They're coming up short in most aspects, but they are giving it a real effort and I respect that. If they continue on this path they could have some really great cars in just a few years. The Vue is a solid SUV, and the new Red Line series makes it all the more interesting. But I question if it will sell or not.

Lotus: Do they ever plan on bringing that damned Elise over here? Once again they are waffling on the subect of importing it. Car enthusiasts the nation over are drooling at the chance to drive not only a non-grey market Elise, but a genuine left hand driver, and Lotus is messing with our heads!? Come ON!

Harley Earl ads: Harley Earl would be rolling over in his grave if he knew we were using his name to describe such shitty cars with such prosaic designs. He would probably also be swearing, because man, he swore.

Mercury: Will someone pleeeeze kill this car company and get it over with. It is very obvious we need consolidation in the auto industry. that's why Plymouth went bye-bye, Saab's toast, and Oldesmobile is sure to follow. This is yet another company that has NOTHING in the brand recognition department. They're basically slightly more expensive Fords... and that's not a good thing. They are a large tumor on the side of Ford that should be trimmed and molded back into the parent company. Cause platform sharing works some of the time, but it doesn't do much for your image. Give it up.

And the Ugly...

BMW: Yes, BMW. I didn't think I'd ever say this, but BMW is making mistake after mistake. Their decision to make a 20 grand hatch-back is going to seriously backfire again. Everyone remember the last one? Yea, I didn't think so. At that price-range they are not going to be able to inject classic BMW attributes into the car without serious sacrifices in other areas. All the new series will do is sully the almost spotless image of BMW. It is NOT a company that should be making a discount car.It may be the only car in it's segment with RWD, but general competition in that segment is so fierce, I do not see the Bimmer surviving. Because I know I sure as hell wouldn't buy it. If they want that, make another variation of the Mini that actually has some acceptable horsepower.

The second major mistake is styling... they have to be on some smack, or something. I have to admit, after looking at the Z4 for an extnded periof of time, it has grown on me. Unfortunately though, it's still not nearly as classic and attractive as the old Z3 was. So it might not be an ugly car, but why downgrade from a very attractive car? It makes no sense. The new 6 series is already a joke, and it hasn't even been officially unveiled. Who the hell wants an expensive Pontiac? The 5 series is alright, but it is once again a downgrade from the previous 5. It seems bulkier, substantially less refined, with razor edges disrupting a pretty standard shape. The front is a mess, with large expanses of dead molding giving way to overly busy angles. And the "wings" coming off the headlights just look retarded.

And now my beloved 3 series. What have they done to you my poor girl! Oh, I want Bangle's head on a platter for that one! The front of it has all the same missteps of the five. With a "puckered" overall look, lots of dead area, cramped headlights, and a bland rear. Everything BMW is making is a styling downgrade from the classic beauty of the old BMW lines. And even worse, the thing most people said was the only downside to BMW's the somewhat dated cabin stylings, they've barely touched! While some people may seem to like this new direction, I certainly don't, and neither do the people actually buying Bimmers. The 7 Series is already getting a make-over, which makes it the shortest lived body style ever for the moniker, the Z8 is going out of production, and the Z4 is selling slower than expected. And Helmut Panke has said that the "Flame Surfacing" is the present and the future of BMW. That is a sad, sad future.

The best compliment that any car guy I know can levy at the new BMW's is that they are "inventive" looking cars. No one says they look nice, or are attractive. Well throughout history, we've had some very "inventive" looking cars, and they all failed. What annoys me the most is the pompousness of Chris Bangle, who has said that you will always leave some people behind when you push forward. That is very true, but if you push in the wrong direction, you'll leave LOTS of people behind. And you can be as elitest, and confident in yourself as ever. We'll just buy other cars. Which I plan on doing. Audi consitently makes gorgeous cars (Late 80's, like I said, notwithstanding) and now they have engines to match their looks. I shall forever love BMW though, and I will wait patiently till the time comes when Chris Bangle is assasinated.

And the doin' just fine...

While the car companies that usually get the big responses are those that either do something insane or just fuck up in some grand fasion, there are others that just ride the wave producing consistently solid and attractive cars.

Hyundai: I never thought I'd hear myself saying Hyundai is making some very nice cars either. They're looking more and more like Mercedes and Jags, but hey, imitations is the sincerest form of flattery. Upon very close inspection, Hyundais are certainly kless refined than their German and British masters, but they still look damn nice. Their interior qualities continue to increase, and the new Tiburon is very much a competitor of the SVT Focus, and Civic Si, it's also the only one with a V6 in it standard. Very cool. The 10 year warranty is still the best in the idustry as well. Hyundai also just bought Kia, making them the dominant force in the Korean industry yet again, and I think it was that very merger that has increased quality and output from the Korean nameplate. Very good ideed.

Honda: Recent comments from Honda's ex-chief aside, Honda is going stronger than ever. With record sales, super-solid cars that American manufacturers could only hope to make, and a burgeoning line-up, Honda is set to take the next century by storm. The Civic is still the auto du jour of the street racing scene. The Accord is basically the best car on the road. And the new Element is getting rave reviews from everyone who drives it. I for one would love an Element, along with the rest of Honda.

Jeep: Jeep continues to make the best off-road stuff on the market. The Toyota Land Cruiser is a worthy adversary, but it's also a fortune. I'd pit a well equipped Wrangler against anything, including a Hummer, any day of the week. And the upcoming Scrambler only adds to the brands rep as a true enthusiast company.

The rest of Nissan: Nissan continues it's drive to become a major player in the international auto market. The Murano has attractive yet inventive styling (Hint hint BMW!) The 350Z is just a killer car by any definition, nd the upcoming convertible will only add to it's desirability. If NIssan keeps up the pace, it's sure to win over large segments of the market.

And in closing...

Well that's about it. The auto industry for the next few years is going to be very interesting. I see lots of companies going under, and lots of other companies reaching heights they never thought they could have attained in the past. I see the biggest trouble for the American companies. Ford and GM both have more debt than you can shake a crankshaft at, and Chrysler has yet to see any fruit from it's mega-merger with Daimler. Companies are going to start going under, it just depends where.

If I was going to make a guess as to who's going first, it's Saab. They need a very strong leader to pull themselves out of the pits, and no one like that exists in the auto industry. Second would be Oldesmobile. They've seen their brand equity and sales drop like a skydiver without a parachute over the past decade, and it's not going to stop. There is really no way they could repair their image.

I don't think Mercury will be around for another 10 years. It's just crappy. Pontiac and Buick will probably also kiss the dirt. It's just because we have too many car companies, and WAY too many fat executives. Once we shut down a bunch of the companies, get rid of some executives, and get back to some good old fashioned elbow grease, then, MAYBE then, we can save our industry. Because we're in some annoying times. Cars are better than ever, but we have Germans who think they're artists, Japanese who think they know America, and Americans who are just idiots. Oy vey. I think I need an Alka Seltzer, cause it's gonna' be a long decade.

Aaron MC.