Look at recent economic history, and karma begins to make sense. Here's the cycle: increased oil demand; record crude prices; record gas prices; consumer panic; a slew of new vehicles poised to solve our oil dependency dilemma. It could be argued that this series of actions were led by karma. Translated from Sanskrit, the word "karma" means "work, action, the law of cause and effect."

In the meantime, you can always count on booth babes to make an otherwise blah show quite entertaining. As we all know, women with large breasts out on display sell cars, or at least auto manufacturer’s sure think so.

The revised 2009 Audi A4 sedan and wagon have been around for several months now, but there has been no word on the convertible receiving the same treatment. There's a reason for that: After 2009, the A4 Cabriolet is dead. In its place will be the new 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet, a logical move given that it's easier to convert a coupe into a drop-top than a sedan.

We know that your automotive Christmas wish list is probably filled with Ferrari Scud Spiders and Nissan 370Zs, but if you’re needin’ something a bit more sensible, how about the Fiat Bravo with a lovely new diesel engine? Yes, Fiat’s Focus-rival is getting a new two-litre turbodiesel, and it sounds like a proper cracker.

If you happen to disagree with those who support that the foremost subject at the Essen Motorshow in Germany, which runs from November 28 to December 7, 2008, are the various tuning proposals, racing cars and concept studies, then you might just like the video that we added in the following... Need we say more?

There’s a new Mini convertible out. A new new Mini convertible, that is, not a new old Mini convertible. Right. Hang on. See, although the second generation of the new Mini was launched back in 2007, the convertible remained as the Mk1 version. Until now – Mini has chopped the top of the Mk2 and it looks… well, it looks pretty much exactly like the Mk1.

Rumours of a hotter VW Scirocco – something akin to the GT24 concept we saw earlier this year – have been circulating furiously for a while now. If and when it turns up, could it look anything like this, the new tuned Scirocco from German turners ABT? We wouldn’t be too upset if it did.

Organizers of the show always improve the form of the show every year in order to compete with bigger motor show like Tokyo Motor Show or Frankfurt Motor Show. But, the capacity of Suan Amphorn cannot receive new concept of every automotive companies and with over 2,000,000 people visiting the show and inadequate parking space. So, the 18th Bangkok International Motor Show was the last Motor Show held at Suan Amphorn.

In truth, we’re still a little befuddled by the whole SUV-as-sports-car notion, and we have been since the dawn of the breed, which we trace back to the GMC Typhoon. If you want a sports car, well, why not start with a car instead of a truck? Still, this genre has flourished since the BMW X5 proved the mass-market appeal of these high-powered beasts, and the specter of $4 gas seems to be the only thing working against them in the future. In the meantime, the 2009 Infiniti FX50 is here to make its case as one of the sportiest of sport-utility vehicles.

Honda consulted Pilot owners by the roomful before embarking on the redesign of its well-loved kid carter. From its rookie season in 2002 to now, the Pilot has stood out from its competition with smart handling and genius-level packaging. We have bestowed 5Best Trucks awards for eight years, and Pilots have earned six. Still, parents, the superdelegates among Pilot buyers, found a few things to crab about.

Ladies if you have never been to a car show then may I suggest you high tail it to the next one that comes to town. It’s pretty amazing to see what’s up and coming in the automotive world and not to mention fun (plus the place is just swirling with men!).

The CR-V has been a success for Honda since the first version came out in 1996, and the current, third-generation model that debuted in 2007 is the bestselling SUV in America. The interior is straightforward and comfortable, and the rear seats fold flat. There are three trim levels: LX, EX, and EX-L. All three come with a 166-hp, 2.4-liter four and a five-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can opt for front- or all-wheel drive.

Until gas prices started going through the roof, the Impala was one of the few cars that was selling well for General Motors. Essentially, it offers a lot of bang for the buck, with a cavernous interior, plenty of standard amenities, and powerful, moderately responsive engines. The Impala comes in four trim levels, with three different engines. The base LS comes only with a 211-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The LT comes with the same powertrain but is also available with a 224-hp, 3.9-liter V-6 engine. The fancier LTZ has the 3.9-liter engine as standard, and the sportier SS is available only with a 303-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 engine. All Impalas have front-wheel drive.

The Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles organises many auto shows. They are distinguishable from car shows in that auto shows typically showcase new or concept vehicles whereas car shows showcase custom, classic, or exotic cars. They also distinguish in that auto shows are almost always a major professional event whereas car shows can be either professional or amateur and many are locally organised.

A somewhat less honorable way to stand out is to purposely hold back at first and then impressively show huge improvement. Has BMW done just that with its 7-series? Even though the new, fifth-generation 7-series follows suit as the technology pacesetter by adding a bunch of high-tech features including active suspension damping, rear-wheel steering, night vision with pedestrian detection, lane-change warning, and side-view cameras, the biggest news is BMW’s backpedaling from some of the previous 7’s, uh, “breakthroughs.”

The new rip-roaring Infiniti FX50 is a fine sporty crossover SUV, but with 390 horsepower, it’s a bit over the top. For starters, who really needs one of these tall wagons to run 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, as the FX50 does? Second, it rides so stiff-leggedly that it threatens to shake loose the fillings in your teeth. And finally, EPA projections of 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway are disheartening at a time when gas just blew past $4 a gallon.

Two Japanese Anime and manga have been attributed to the growing Import scene in some form or another. A common theme is that both characters are seen as complete underdogs with hidden and untapped talent, and drive what amounts to antiquated cars that many would deem either ready for the scrapheap or severely underpowered compared to much better tuned and modified cars.

The Honda FCX Clarity is a technology of the future and may always be just that, but nonetheless, the Japanese automaker is cautiously bringing out its hydrogen fuel-cell car for a stroll. Starting this summer, Honda will lease the FCX for a fixed three-year contract at $600 per month without an option to buy. Production numbers are privately held, but Ferraris will be as common as paper clips by comparison.

This road test may be irrelevant. Which wouldn’t necessarily make it unique to the pages of C/D. This time, however, it isn’t our fault. See, Bentley is going to create only 550 Brooklands—delivering the final one toward the end of 2009—and 549 of them are already spoken for. The grand-touring coupe you see on these pages, in a color Bentley calls “Porcelain,” is the last copy for sale. Or was at the time this was written.

The Paris Motor Show (French: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held in the fall, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts.

Some folks are writing off the diesel. The future, they say, lies in electric vehicles, with hybrids as the transitional technology. Diesel fuel is expensive, they continue, and there is the further popular conception that diesels are not “clean.” In reality, a diesel typically shaves 30 percent off fuel consumption, and diesel fuel savings are even more substantial at high speeds. New technologies make burning diesel as clean as—if not cleaner than—gasoline combustion.

he 2010 Lincoln MKZ's mission is twofold: distinguish itself from its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan relatives, and get the attention of entry-level luxury sedan buyers. On both counts, the new split-wing grille is serious progress. The 2010 MKZ now resembles the Ford Taurus-based MKS, a car that, at least so far, is outselling the less-expensive MKZ. In back, the MKZ takes a cue from the MKX crossover, with long LED taillights that frame a large Lincoln insignia and the camera from the reverse camera system.

South Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia have recently announced that they would cut down on the number of models in their shows, stating that "We would rather have the spectators' attention on our cars than the attractive ladies."

Let’s just get this out of the way. Yes, the beaky nose on the new Acura TL looks odd. Maybe it’s just the shock of a new look; maybe it really is weird-looking. We’ll need more time to gaze critically upon it before we decide. We can, however, testify that it looks better in the flesh than in photographs and that the rest of the TL’s angular, modern shape is assuredly handsome, especially in the pointed shape of the trunk.

We've always liked the Mazda3. It's a vehicle that's done well in just about every head-to-head road test we've ever conducted. And now that we've driven and received the full download on the new Mazda3, we don't see anything about our original assessment that needs changing. But is it really "all new"?

There are other auto/car shows that occur on a more frequent basis, like weekly. It's not known if there is a regularly accepted term for these more frequent, informal "car rallies" or "car enthusiasts events". Some meeting events have themes, such as classic cars, hot rods, etc.

For their all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z coupe, Nissan engineers and designers have infused a heavy dose of the "everyday sports car" concept begun by the car's forefather -- the iconic Datsun 240Z -- into its latest two-passenger ride. The 370Z is making its much-anticipated world debut at the Los Angeles auto show this week, and Nissan has finally released all the details.

At the 2007 Los Angeles auto show, Honda raised the bar for hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles by unveiling the 2009 FCX Clarity, a production-ready vehicle presently being leased by a select group of customers. One year later, the company has attempted to upstage itself with the introduction of the Honda FC Sport concept, essentially a reinterpretation of the FCX Clarity as a sports car.

Trade show models work a trade show floorspace or booth, and represent a company to attendees. Trade show models are typically not regular employees of the company, but are freelancers hired by the company renting the booth space. They are hired for several reasons.

No pain, no gain. The Caparo T1 hurts. It's a bruising process just clambering over the sides and squeezing into the carbon tub, grazing yourself on all the hard edges that crowd in, pulling muscles as you reach for the harness. And the noise, even at idle! If you don't have earplugs or ideally a full helmet, it shoots an agony into your auditory canals.

A few years ago, much of the media were saying that Jaguar really needed the X-Type, that Jag would never survive if it couldn't build this sort of popular model to generate the cashflow in order to make halo cars like the XK. But those were the days when quantity counted for more than quality, when Saab was aiming to sell oodles of cars each year, and Jaguar wanted in on the act. Unfortunately, its desperation showed.

After 5 years of running automotive magazine business, Dr. Prachin Eamlumnow on behalf of the owner of Grand Prix Magazine and Grand Prix International Co., Ltd had an idea to hold the event related to the business he was running. After planning, his first event is "Car of the Year Contest" by using luxury hotel in Bangkok as a venue. The mentioned show was only one-day event.

BMW doesn't make a 323d. Too many diesels in the line-up already, the story goes - too expensive and risky to try and squeeze another engine into the near-invisible gap between the 320d and the 325d. So, if you want BMW's lovely bi-turbo four-pot in your life, you'll have to make do with the 123d.

They've not had a lot to do over the last few years, those poor souls trapped in the 'performance' corner of Toyota R&D. Since the demise of the Celica, the MR2 and the Supra, they've been sat on their collective posterior, presumably making origami swans. Until a few months ago, when a Toyota boss wandered over with an Aygo tucked under one arm.

The models, referred as "grid/pit girls" in Europe, are very common in many series worldwide, but are mostly banned in the United States due to the reasons of being associated with sexism, as many drivers' wives, in addition to women race officials, team public relations staff, members of the media, and in some cases mechanics or drivers are prevalent in the paddocks.

Hidden Deep in a Norfolk skunkworks, some men have been experimenting. With hemp. Which - for those of you who aren't of a narcotic persuasion - is cannabis. There's a spiky leaf decal underneath the rear scoop to ram the point home.

This is hardcore. Around me is a lattice-work of roll cage, and I'm clamped tight into my deep bucket seat by a race harness. If I wiggle hard enough, the whole car rocks - it's that light. I strain against the straps, reach out and prod the start button. The R26.R thrums into life.

An auto show, or motorshow, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is commonly attended by automobile manufacturers. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year. They are vital to car manufacturers and local dealers as a public relations exercise, for advertising products, and for increasing publicity.

We've just driven the Tesla. And now, so can you. The astonishing electric supercar is on sale in Europe, with the first orders expected to arrive next spring. You'd better be quicksharp, though - Europe will get just 250 Roadsters for 2009, and Tesla's Darryl Siry tells us that 50 of them have already been snapped up. "Companies would pay millions for our list of potential customers," he told us. "We've got some big names in there..."

After years of successive rules changes, at the same time, the JGTC planned holding one more race outside of Japan, in China (Shanghai), in addition to Malaysia (Sepang). However, holding the series in more than three countries violates from the definition of the "national championship" of FIA.

A Mini plastered in Big Fun Stickers is a surefire sign that there’s an unctuous estate agent in the vicinity, but here’s the exception. This is the Mini E, the all-electric One set to debut at the LA Auto Show next month.

On Sunday evening I was browsing one of the many event listings for Seoul, looking for photo opportunities when I discovered that I had nearly missed the Seoul Auto Salon, a car show supposedly focused on modified and exotic cars--but one look at the photos here and you'll see what it's really about.

Now that’s what we call going out with a bang. The Pagani Zonda will soon be put out to pasture - to be replaced by an even more extreme supercar codenamed the C9 – but not without a final, ultra-extreme goodbye.

Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the Up!, an all-new model that the German marque claims could lead to an entirely new range of cars. One of the most interesting aspects of the new VW Up! is the engine location - in the rear of the car. There's also a good chance that it will be driven by a range of low emission 'green' engines.

The official job of a race queen is to hold an umbrella over the driver while his car is being worked on. They generally wear some sort of revealing costume (mini-dress, swimsuit, hot pants, or the like), as well as pantyhose and high heels or knee-high boots.

It is not often that one thinks of large sedans a fuel efficient vehicles. But that is precisely what Mercedes-Benz had in mind when developing the F700 DiesOtto. The DiesOtto engine, from where this vehicle gets its name, is capable of achieving just as much power as the typical sedan, and emits half of the emissions, or around the same amount as a typical compact car. If you ask me, this is what luxury vehicles should be aiming for.

The most well-known Hyundai organization is the Hyundai Motor Company, the world's 5th largest automaker selling mid sized sedans, coupes and SUVs like the Sonata, Genesis Coupe and the Santa Fe. Hyundai Heavy Industries is the world's largest shipbuilder, and Hynix is a top semiconductor producer.

Volkswagen has wowed the LA Auto Show with a three-wheeler concept called the GX3. The GX3 could become a production reality in the US, because it would be classed as a motorcycle and as such would be able to use congestion-busting 'car pool' lanes. The open cockpit two-seater has been pared to the minimum and uses motorcycle-style instruments.

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A.. Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has enjoyed great success.

The new Dodge Challenger is, arguably, the American muscle car of the year. The SEMA show is, unquestionably, the American muscle tuning event of the year. Put them together, and you’re guaranteed fireworks. Big smoky fireworks. This is the Challenger SRT10, an official concept from Dodge which’ll be shown off in Las Vegas at the end of this month.