With 600 horsepower and a serious rebel attitude, the 2008 Dodge Viper would be a head-turner at any NASCAR race south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Dress up all you want. Put on a tuxedo or diamond necklace. But roll up in a rusty beater, and everyone will know that the tux is rented and the necklace is pure cubic zirconium. Of course, making a memorable entrance depends not only on what you arrive in, but where you’re arriving. A Hummer might make the right statement at a hip-hop dance club, but at the Sierra Club? Not so much.

To help avoid such four-wheeled faux pas, our list imagines the best car for all sorts of arrivals, from the high-school reunion to the hot nightspot. Sure there’s a large fantasy element in choosing the best cars to arrive in. But let’s be honest: No one fantasizes about showing up in a Chevy Cavalier.

Chrysler held its first auto-show press conference since becoming a privately held company under the control of Cerberus Capital Management, with its globally aspiring Dodge Division choosing the Frankfurt limelight to introduce an all-new crossover vehicle - Chrysler’s first in the crowded mid-size segment - called the Journey.

The new crossover will begin its journey at U.S. dealerships during the first quarter of 2008, with versions earmarked for Europe and Asia to follow later in the year.

Originally known inside Chrysler as the Crew, the ‘09 Journey shares its flexible architecture with several other models, including the mid-size Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans. Set for production at Chrysler’s assembly plant in Toluca, Mexico, where the PT Cruiser is also assembled, the Journey not only sits a good bit higher than those four-door models, but stretches 1.7 inches longer, nose to tail, with an extra 4.9 inches added to its wheelbase, which now measures 113.8 inches.

Flexibility is, indeed, a word Chrysler officials use a lot when describing the new crossover vehicle. Start with seating. The standard edition comes with two buckets and a three-seat second-row bench, which splits, folds, and also can recline. Optional is a third row that provides room for two more.

The new crossover also boasts plenty of storage space, notably including large bins built into the second-row floor. Removable and neoprene-lined, they can be used as in-vehicle coolers, or hiding spots for a purse, a camera, or other objects you might want to keep out of sight. A second glovebox, meanwhile, offers a chiller for a couple of soft drink cans. There are plenty of cupholders, of course, including bottle holders molded into the lower door panels. Yet another hidden storage bin can be accessed through the liftgate.

A critical goal was to deliver “lots of the attributes of an SUV,” explained Joe Dehner, Dodge vice president of design, while making sure the Journey was “not just another box on wheels.”

While not as distinctive, perhaps, as the Nissan Murano, Dodge’s offering is still a stand-out. Up front, it features the distinctive Dodge crosshair grille, and Avenger-like quad headlights in modified surrounds intended to emphasize the crossover’s width. The wheel flares also were borrowed from Chrysler’s muscle car models, and buyers will be able to fill them with optional, 19-inch wheels and tires on the Journey R/T. The sporty styling extends to the blacked-out C-pillars and long and sturdy taillights. The lightweight, composite liftgate includes a molded-in spoiler.

The up-level version of Journey will feature a slick, two-tone interior, but even the base model is notable for its fit-and-finish, far more refined than the utilitarian cabins Chrysler has long been known for. The center stack, in particular, rises at a rakish angle, enhancing the Journey’s sense of roominess, with a large, seven-inch navigation screen available at the top of the column. Interior LED lights offer plenty of illumination, and further enhance the up-market appearance. And, most notably, the materials and surfaces are significantly more pleasant than those used in the Dodge Avenger sedan.

The optional navigation system is part of a broad spectrum of electronic accessories, including Sirius satellite radio, uConnect Bluetooth (for hands-free cellphoning), and the MyGig system, which includes a 20GB hard drive for storing MP3 audio. There’s also an eight-inch rear DVD screen available.

For the moment, Journey buyers won’t have access to the new SiriusTV system, which Chrysler is using as a come-on for its newly-restyled minivans. But product czar Larry Lyons hints that the three-channel system could be added in the not-too-distant future.

Buyers also can order a remote starter.

There will be three different powertrain packages, starting with a base 2.4-liter in-line four, making 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque, offered on the Journey SE. Mated to a four-speed automatic, it delivers 19 mpg in the city and 25 in the EPA’s highway cycle (which has been modified and toughened for the 2008 model year).

The SXT gets a 2.7-liter V-6 generating 186 hp and 191 lb- ft. Designated flex-fuel, to run on an ethanol mix of up to 85 percent (E85), it offers 17 mpg city/23 highway.

Standard on the R/T and optional on the SXT is the 3.5-liter V-6, which is mated to a six-speed automatic and available in either front- or all-wheel drive. The big engine pumps out 235 ponies and 232 pound-feet, and gets 16 mpg city, 23 highway.
Markets outside North America - especially Europe - haven’t been neglected. As such, the Journey gets the smooth, VW-supplied 2.0-liter turbodiesel, making 138 hp and 229 lb-ft. The diesel is offered with a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optional dual-clutch six-speed automatic. It’s not VW’s DSG transmission but a new Getrag unit that, according to Chrysler officials, actually makes its global debut in the Journey. Fuel efficiency with the new six-speed is improved up to six percent compared with the four-speed automatic transmission it replaces.

On the safety front, Chrysler is following industry trends, adding to the list of standard features with such niceties as four-wheel discs, anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, Brake Assist, and Electronic Roll Mitigation. Standard, as well, are dual-mode frontal and side airbags and three-row head curtain airbags.

While pricing hasn’t been released yet, expect it to be “very competitive” with other models in the segment, such as Ford’s popular crossover, the Edge, hints Chrysler PR chief Jason Vines. That would put it somewhere in the $25,000 range.

The Journey will be positioned somewhere between the entry-level Caliber and Chrysler’s newly-updated minivan models. The target buyers are young couples who may be just starting out their families - and aren’t yet ready for a minivan - or older, empty-nesters. In the auto show introduction, a couple ‘magically’ changed into several outfits for work, play, and an evening out.

Chrysler hopes to raise its market share in Western Europe to 1.4 percent by 2009, which would more than double its share compared with 2005. Instrumental to this is the introduction of Dodge, which the automaker says could account for 30 percent of Chrysler sales outside North America by the end of 2009.

The Journey appears a full eleven years after Toyota launched the modern crossover market, with its RAV4. Sales of crossovers beat those of conventional sport-utes, for the first time, last year; they are expected to top three million for all of 2007, as the traditional, truck-based SUV continues its decline.

2009 Dodge Journey Pricing
(All prices include $625 destination)

Dodge Journey SE — $19,985
Dodge Journey SXT — $22,985
Dodge Journey SXT AWD — $25,530 (includes 19-inch aluminum wheels and
tires, fog lamps, performance suspension)
Dodge Journey R/T — $26,545
Dodge Journey R/T AWD — $28,295

Unless you’ve been on planet Nader for the last few years, you knew Chevrolet was brewing up an uber-Vette. Amid all the hype, spy photos, leaked photos (and subsequent prosecutions), rumors, and names (Blue Devil, SS, Sting Ray, Z07), any dolt could discern that this new Corvette had the potential to be amazing.

During its annual press preview for the Detroit auto show, GM showed journalists what we’ve all been waiting for; the official, almost-ready-for-production 2009 Corvette ZR1 destined to hit showrooms next September.

Tom Wallace, Corvette Chief Engineer, began the presentation by talking about what started the ZR1 program. To our group of gathered reporters, he recounted a meeting that took place more than six years ago when GM Chairman Rick Wagoner asked what a $100,000 Corvette would look and perform like. On cue but out of sight of our pack of writers, a sinister-sounding V-8 fired up. Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman, then drove the ZR1 out into the meeting area.

After Lutz slid out from behind the wheel, he gave his driving impressions of the ZR1, “What’s so terrific about this car is that it is very docile and easy to drive, but then when you step into it, the power just never stops.” Subsequent presentations explained why.

Final specifications are not yet available because the development team is still fine-tuning powertrain and chassis calibrations, but this is what GM told us. The new LS9 engine is a 6.2-liter supercharged and intercooled V-8 that shares key dimensions and some features with the current Z06’s LS7. The “9″ uses a fifth-generation low-profile Eaton supercharger that itself incorporates plenty of new technology. Its impellers sport four veins instead of three, greatly improving volumetric efficiencies while reducing parasitic losses. Compared to the previous generation blower that required approximately 120 horsepower at maximum boost, the new unit draws only 80. Final horsepower numbers will exceed 620 and torque should come in around 600 lb-ft. The rumor mill pegs the target horsepower figure at 650.

The top of the supercharger is visible when the hood is closed thanks to a Lexan window placed in the center of the carbon fiber hood. The hood itself eschews big bulges for tasteful lines that tightly envelop the LS9 (compared to previous LS engines, the LS9 is only one inch taller overall, even with the supercharger and intercooler). No Pro-Stock hood scoop necessary.

The transmission is a modified version of the Tremec six-speed used in so many high-performance vehicles, including the Viper. In the ZR1, this iteration sports a close-ratio gear set that aids in acceleration. Unlike in the current Corvette where top speed is achieved in fifth gear, an estimated top speed of over 200 mph for the ZR1 will come in sixth. Wallace commented that, “One interior change we had to make was to ditch the standard 200-mph speedometer with a 220-mph unit because this car will so easily exceed 200.”

His pride was clearly evident. He added later that this combination is expected to economical enough to avoid the gas-guzzler tax. No specific performance figures were quoted, but Wallace said the ZR1 would easily beat the current Z06’s performance of 3.7 seconds to 60 mph and the current car’s 7:42-second lap time at Nurburgring. One member of the team noted that in its current form, first gear is good for 67 mph, an indication of the new gearing and the LS9’s ability to rev.

With so much power comes heat, so the ZR1 has more and bigger coolers and heat exchangers for all powertrain components. A massive front spoiler with an integral splitter helps channel air to all the right places. Side sill extensions are similar to what was used on the C6R racecar. The side vents feature a large strake that bisects the opening.

Chassis-wise, Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) is standard. The near instant response of the dampers allows for softer spring rates, and GM claims the ride of the ZR1 is more compliant than the current Z06. Tire size increases at both ends, with 19-inch rims in front and 20-inch rims in the rear sporting 335/25Z/20 Michelin PS2s. Wheel widths are 10 and 12 inches respectively.

Brakes discs are huge carbon-ceramic units that are clamped on by six-piston Brembo calipers in front and four-piston units in the rear. The rear discs are as large as the fronts found on other supercars. Metal discs used on the Z06 were provided for comparison on a table-top display, and were considerably heavier. Of course, lighter rotating and unsprung mass is critical for improving every aspect of performance.

The Chevrolet Corvette development team took weight out of the ZR1 wherever possible. Carbon fiber is used extensively, even on panels exposed to strong UV light like the roof and roof pillars. (Apparently, UV breaks down the bonding elements within carbon fiber, rendering the material brittle in as little as five years.) GM’s solution is a special clearcoat that costs upwards of $2000/gallon.

According to the Harlan Charles, Corvette Product Planner, the ZR1 will be offered in seven colors and offer two wheels (one chrome). The standard ZR1 will feature interior equipment similar to a standard Z06, and there will be one major option package similar to the 4LT that includes the fully leather-wrapped interior. If pricing of 2008 models provides any indication, this RPO will cost around $8,000. Charles also noted that because there is only one set of production tools for the carbon-fiber body panels, yearly production is not expected to exceed 2000 units.

Just as the Z06 used the color red to highlight key components, the ZR1 uses blue accents on the LS9 and on the model’s logo. Perhaps this is a tip of the hat to the Blue Devil moniker that surfaced early? GM would neither confirm nor deny.

Regardless, this is what a $100,000 Corvette looks like. Wagoner should be quite happy, nod to his past or not.

2007 brought a lot of exciting products and it’s been a great time to be a car buyer with so many great cars available.

And, the market has been soft, so you have been able to negotiate some great deals on what’s out there.

Plus, there are so many great models on the horizon.

The Nissan GT-R, BMW M3, 1-Series, X6, Infiniti EX, Lexus IS-F, GM Hybrid Trucks, will all be in dealerships in 2008.

And if that’s not exciting enough, all the clean German diesels will be hitting lots for the 08 Christmas season.

So tell us what cars/trucks are you most excited to see/drive/buy in 2008?

Feel free to include cars that are coming to the auto shows, rumored to surface or hitting dealerships in 2008.