DETROIT – As the annual North American International Auto Show commences with its media tour on Jan. 9, we were informed that domestic auto sales experienced the highest increase since the economy plunged into complete darkness in 2008.
With more money in their coffers, auto designers and engineers have more room to let their imaginations roam free into uncharted territories. But smartphone cars? Stop-and-start vehicles?
With the appointment of legendary automotive entrepreneur Bill Perkins as the first African American chairman of the board of the NAIAS, it helped set the stage for automakers to unveil more than 40 new cars and trucks this month at the industry’s annual trade show in Detroit, and many come with state-of-the-art advances that boggle the imagination.
Here are five anticipated trends going into the NAIAS that car connoisseurs believe will cause major shockwaves in the industry in 2012 and beyond.
–terry shropshire
