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Detroit auto show 2012 - a video review of the NAIAS

It's CAR's traditional three wise-ish men in a car video review of the 2012 North American International Auto Show. Hear the analysis from our European editor Georg Kacher, contributing editor Ben Oliver and anchorman associate editor Tim Pollard, as they chew over the new cars, surprises, delights and disappointments from the Detroit auto show. NAIAS 2012 was a more sober affair than the previous era of showmanship; there were no herds of cattle being steered down Detroit's streets or wild parties hosted by Chrysler in the old Firehouse.

Ford's forgotten T-Drive program

Digital boss Andy Stoy recently passed along this little piece of nearly forgotten Ford history from the early 1990s. We know that our girl Murilee Martin dug this up way back in 2010, but the wonder of the Ford T-Drive system is worth revisiting. According to Drivingenthusiast.com, “T-drive is a system consisting of a transversally located inline engine, a transmission and associated packaging.” The transmission is mounted to the side of the engine, or the back, depending on how you look at things.

Are laser-powered cars in our future?

We have no shortage of ideas here in the United States about how to power our cars. We’ve seen gasoline and electricity, and we’ve heard about fuel cells powered by water. The nuclear option is the only thing left to discuss.