While Ford celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Model T and the 45th anniversary of the Mustang at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise, General Motors is putting on a show of its own to fete the company's 100 years in business.

The GM "Century Cruise" kicks off on August 16 at 7:30 a.m., and rolls from the beginning of Detroit's Woodward Avenue--across the street from GM world headquarters--to the heart of the Dream Cruise festivities in Royal Oak, Mich. The GM parade will be led by an ethanol-fueled Corvette Z06; a fleet of GM vehicles from the past and present will follow behind as a sort of rolling advertisement for the world's largest automaker.

GM will also crown a Top Cruiser from the cars and trucks that take part in its roll down Woodward. Fans can see the cars at the GMNext Web site and text-vote for their favorites. The winner will be named on the same Saturday evening.

Here's a video clip provided by GM, with more on the Century Cruise:

Earlier this month, I shared six ways to cut gas prices forever. Surprisingly, boosting ethanol use was one of the more controversial points with readers and colleagues.

No, ethanol isn't the perfect fuel, far from it. The ethanol bashers have good points; the fuel's more energy-intensive to produce, and the Cato Institute says it's dirtier and costlier than gas.

However, ethanol's the only alternative fuel on my list that gives us a chance to use today's infrastructure with a different fuel that we can import cheaply from a friendly country in our own hemisphere. And the future potential of producing it stateside from biomass and grasses means it's time to plan now for a much larger ethanol piece of the pie.

Instead of dismissing the more than 6 million E85-capable vehicles on the road, we need to seek it out and make sure ethanol producers know it's in demand. If you have an E85-powered vehicle, why not try out how it works, boost sales, and give fuel makers the financial incentive to build the next generation of waste-derived ethanol plants? Here are four ways to find fuel for your E85-capable car or truck:

• OnStar: just push your magic blue button and ask where is the nearest E85-equipped station


• Mapquest: the Web-mapping site has the information, along with a gas-prices survey to find the cheaper alternative fuel


• Plan ahead by visiting the E85 manufacturer's Web site and find a station on your route before you leave


• Use your navigation system; systems like TomTom have the data included in their maps

You might even get a financial windfall if your state is underwriting the cost of an E85 vehicle or a fill-up. More important, you'll be sending a message around the world that we're ready for "real change"--the kind that comes from our wallets and pocketbooks.

Green is growing, according to new data released today by marketing analysts at R.L. Polk.

Polk says that according to its numbers, sales of alternative-fuel automobiles (AFAs) hit a record in 2007. Close to 1.8 million were sold in 2007, a 250,000-unit increase from 2006, according to R.L. Polk’s figures. Automakers hope to deliver over 2 million AFAs in 2008, which shouldn’t be hard with more than 70 different models available.

However, in a release put out today, Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is worried that “refueling infrastructure challenges may prevent the promise of these vehicles from being fully realized.” McCurdy said that there are over 170,000 gas stations in the U.S. but less than 1,500 of them ethanol. This is an unfortunate number in light of the rising popularity of E85 capable and flexible fuel vehicles, he says.

Automakers are not ready to quit working for better fuel economy and cleaner emissions anytime soon, he adds. McCurdy spent last year supporting a nationwide increase in standards that will increase fuel economy by 40 percent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by year 2020.

You can color HUMMER's H2 a little greener for the 2009 model year. General Motors says the large SUVs will be offered with a flex-fuel, E85-capable engine for the new year.

Both the H2 and the truck-bedded H2 SUT are ready for ethanol power in 2009. And by 2010, HUMMER general manager Martin Walsh says every HUMMER will get an E85-ready powertrain.

“A HUMMER’s off-road capability and care for the environment are in no way mutually exclusive. This is simply one more step in our effort to promote responsible adventure,” he said.

While scientists, environmentalists and consumers debate the cleaner, greener status of corn-based ethanol, GM counters that it's working on developing sources of ethanol derived from non-food plants and from waste.

GM estimates that less than 1 percent of the country's filling stations offer ethanol fuel. It says it's put more than 3 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road and promises half of its vehicles will offer E85-capable engines by 2012.

Saab has just released the first details of the 9-X BioHybrid, the concept car it will unveil tomorrow at the Geneva motor show.

The 9-X could be the precursor to a new 9-1 hatchback, if Saab enthusiasts and brand directors have their way. For now, Saab only says in a press release that the new vehicle is a showcase for a new four-cylinder powered by ethanol fuel, like the crossover 9-4X BioPower concept shown at the Detroit auto show. Only here, the 1.4-liter four is also teamed with a hybrid pack that boosts net power to 200 hp to drop emissions to just 105 grams per kilometer, in the Euro measuring fashion.

Inside the concept shows off a new Saab styling theme aimed to younger shoppers, including "seamless connectivity for nomadic devices," which we're assuming doesn't mean pup tents or camels. Three-dimensional displays, a four-seat cabin and a shooting-brake silhouette skew the 9-X concept clearly to the realm of the MINI Cooper, the Volvo C30 and the like.

Stay tuned with us this week as we bring you more Geneva news, and more on the Saab concept, and see all the 9-X pictures in our high-res photo gallery.


The official release from Saab:

Saab 9-X BioHybrid:
Boosting Efficiency in Compact Design and Performance

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept is a vivid vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like. It is designed to reflect the priorities of youthful customers who seek progressive looks, responsible performance and high-tech communications, all in a sporty, fun-to-drive package.

Exploring design themes from Saab’s award-winning Aero X and earlier 9X concepts, the 9-X BioHybrid also demonstrates the potential for ultra-efficient power from a 200 hp (147 kW), 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine backed by GM’s next-generation Hybrid system. Projected combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 105 g/km on E85 fuel are testimony to the promise of this package (see separate release for details).

The interior showcases an entirely new expression of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design, together with innovative, seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices and a rear cargo deck with a ‘low friction’ loading system.

“This car is all about efficiency in design and performance,” says Anthony Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, who led the 9-X BioHybrid design team in co-operation with the Saab Brand Center in Sweden.

With its ‘turbine’ wheels placed at all four corners, minimal bodywork overhangs and an extended roof line, the proportions of the three-door Saab 9-X BioHybrid bring a dynamic, new dimension to conventional compact ‘hatchback’ looks.

The smooth ‘fuselage’ bodywork, now without any visible handles or door mirrors, the bold ‘wraparound’ window graphic and deep front grille are all themes inspired by the Aero X coupé concept shown at Geneva two years ago.

The car’s distinctive ‘shooting brake’ silhouette and rear functionality are developed from the 9X multi-role concept shown at Frankfurt in 2001. “You could say we designed this car from back to front, “says Lo. “The shape of the 9X is right for a car of this size, and the longer roof line helps the aerodynamics as well as providing more rear headroom and interior space.”

Echoing Saab’s roots in aircraft design, the 9-X BioHybrid also explores the potential for using active aerodynamics to reduce drag – and fuel consumption – at cruising speeds. Above 70 kph (43 mph), the upper and lower bodywork is reshaped as the roof spoiler automatically extends to further lengthen the roof line and an underbody diffuser is deployed from the bottom of the rear bumper.

The four-seater cabin introduces an entirely new execution of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design. The central, floor-mounted console, with its angled controls and displays, is now eliminated. Instead, the driver- focused layout incorporates a main instrument panel that sweeps out from the top of the door moulding, arching across the driver. The embedded 3-D graphics appear to be ‘frozen’ in ice, continuing a Scandinavian design theme first seen in the Aero X.

Reflecting the needs of youthful customers, who expect easy access to multi-media both inside and outside the car, Saab has co-operated with Sony Ericsson in providing seamless in-car connectivity for a range of nomadic devices. The result is a wireless interface for streaming data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions for display and use. The interface also allows the simultaneous use of multiple devices when passengers are in the car.

At the rear, the cargo deck features an electrically-powered slide-out floor, which is activated when the bottom half of the split tailgate drops down The floor, and the back of the folding rear seats, is covered by ‘high friction’ rubber carpeting, which ‘grips’ items and holds them securely in place. For easy loading and unloading, aluminum bars automatically rise up and down as the tailgate is opened and closed.

The treatment of light is an important part of Scandinavian design and this is evident in the use of variable, white ambient lighting inside the cabin. The level of suffused illumination can be changed in intensity from bright, cold to warm and soft. It’s a personalized feature that could even be programmed, for example, to reflect the pattern of the changing seasons

“This car shows how our concept work can be carried forward into a compact format,” adds Anthony Lo. “It has a number of features which we will be developing further, such as the new driver-focused design theme, the importance of clean, uncluttered surfaces and the easy, seamless connectivity inside the car.”