The Auto Writer

News continued to flow out of the Cobo Center today, the second full day of press conferences for the 2008 NAIAS. Although a third day of press meetings is planned for tomorrow, the bulk of the meetings are now over. That means I’ll get some extra time to spend looking at the many other brands present, something I haven’t had much time to do since arriving in Detroit on Saturday.

I did get a chance to see the Smart Fortwo up close and personal; it takes a close up view to fully grasp just how tiny this car really is. I snapped a few pictures including the one pictured above and will post additional photos over the next few days.

The car is very small for my tastes but parent Daimler Corporation is expecting brisk sales — 30,000 buyers nationwide have paid a $99 deposit to reserve the Smart with as many as 72 stations across the USA dedicated to the brand. The first cars will start heading out to the dealers next Monday.

The redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram had a unique introduction to the city as 120 longhorn cattle walked down Congress Street then turned down Washington Avenue before stopping in front of the Cobo Center. The steer were brought in from Oklahoma to accompany the all-new Ram as it made its journey to the auto show.

I heard that three of the Chinese automakers were to have their own press conferences today, but none were expected to announce that they would begin to bring their vehicles to the U.S. market. Several years ago the first cars were expected to arrive by Summer 2007, but crash and pollution issues have pushed this process back by several years.

Michelin set up a huge media center stocked with computers and access terminals for the event. The room is so popular that it is common for everyone to have to wait at least 15-20 minutes or more for a free spot. I was able to post my Cadillac press conference article soon after the conference ended thanks to media room.

I’m still taking advantage of online access in the Marriott lobby, but it does come at a price: $9.95 for 24-hour internet access. Yes, a fine hotel like this one hits up its guests for access to the internet, something many hotels offer for free.