![\"NSX](\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/a655170ce41a42675a0a973e91ebf1cf8724db1f\/c=276-0-4723-3335&r=x404&c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/DetroitNews\/2014\/12\/31\/B99228089Z.1_20141231192831_000_G23DO3RU.1-0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
We ran the wheels off 2014 and now it’s been retired to the boneyard. As we turn the key \u2014 er, push the starter button \u2014 on a brand new year, what will be trending in all things automotive?<\/p>\n
IN: Acura NSX<\/p>\n
OUT: BMW i8<\/p>\n
Last year belonged to Bimmer’s long-awaited, gorgeous, plug-in electric supercar. The $135,000 i8 is soooo 15 minutes ago. The curtain will rise on the long-awaited, gorgeous, plug-in electric, $100K-plus, NSX supercar at January’s Detroit show. The i8 employs an electric motor driving the front wheels and a twin-turbo, 1.8-liter gas engine spinning the rears for a combined 357 horsepower. The NSX’s similar drivetrain reportedly couples the electric motor with a 3.7-liter, twin-turbo V-6 for a combined, screaming 550 horsepower. Oh, lordy. I’m sure to lose my license this year …<\/p>\n
IN: SUVs<\/p>\n
OUT: sedans<\/p>\n
How hot are SUVs? Even iconic sports-car maker Lotus is reportedly\u00a0developing a Evora-based crossover<\/a>. In 2014, purchases of new utes surpassed sedan sales. Once truck-based boxes, SUVs now cover every segment from the giant Chevy Suburban to the subcompact Chevy Trax. Based on car chassis, small lux SUVs are sexier-looking and sportier-handling as evidenced by entries like the BMW X1, Audi Q3, Lincoln MKC and so on. Meanwhile, the large sedan stable has stalled with rumors that horses like the\u00a0Hyundai Azera<\/a>\u00a0and Ford Taurus may be retired to the glue factory.<\/p>\n IN: Chevy Volt<\/p>\n OUT: Chevy Volt<\/p>\n The General’s plug-in electric moonshot didn’t bring in sales like Toyota’s iconic hybrid Prius \u2014 though it did attract new customers to the showroom. Now comes Volt 2.0 with more performance and better range. Still, given the public stampede toward crossovers, why didn’t Chevy remake the Volt as a compact ute?<\/p>\n IN: Gasoline<\/p>\n OUT: Diesel<\/p>\n More expensive, diesel-powered chariots have struggled to make inroads in the U.S. despite 25 percent better fuel economy than gas-diet competitors. It ain’t getting any easier. With petrol prices plunging under $2-a-gallon, diesel remains above $3. That’s a 50 percent difference. Ouch.<\/p>\n IN: Matthew McConaughey and Ellen DeGeneres<\/p>\n OUT: Matthew McConaughey and Ellen DeGeneres<\/p>\n The “Interstellar” star’s eclectic, mumbling Lincoln ads became a cult hit \u2014 and the target of hilarious parodies from comedians like Ellen DeGeneres and Jim Carrey. Love ’em or hate ’em, the ads aren’t going away. McConaughey is under long-term contract with Lincoln, which means more mumbling in ’15. Which means more priceless material for DeGeneres & Co.<\/p>\n IN: Takata air bag recall<\/p>\n OUT: Chevy Cobalt recall<\/p>\n The General’s ignition switch crisis set off a soul-searching spasm at America’s biggest automaker. New CEO Mary Barra’s feet were immediately put to the fire. But a vehicle stall is usually survivable. Not so exploding airbag shrapnel. The Takata bag issue has already resulted in\u00a021 million recalled vehicles<\/a>. It is a ticking time bomb in auto dashboards and could shred one of the world’s biggest auto suppliers.<\/p>\n IN: FCA US LLC<\/p>\n OUT: Chrysler Group<\/p>\n Alphanumeric car names are all the rage. Now Fiat-Chrysler has brought the trend to its corporate moniker.<\/p>\n IN: Dodge Hellcat<\/p>\n OUT: Dodge Avenger and Grand Caravan<\/p>\n Led by swaggering CEO Tim Kuniskis, Dodge announced it is now FCA LLC’s performance brand. That means more rascals like the fire-breathing, 707-horsepower Charger Hellcat \u2014 and no room for milquetoast, mom-mobiles like midsize sedans or minivans.<\/p>\n IN: CT6<\/p>\n OUT: SRX<\/p>\n Cadillac gets a new HQ (NYC), a new boss (Johan de Nysschen) and new alphanumeric badges. Luxe sedans will henceforth start with “CT,” followed by a number designating their rung in the hierarchy (a new, full-size model, for example, will debut as the CT6). ATS will RIP ASAP. And FYI, SUVs \u2014 like the soon-to-be-redesigned SRX \u2014 will start with XT. But I bet the iconic Escalade name will remain. LOL.<\/p>\n IN: Grille sculpture<\/p>\n OUT: Functional grilles<\/p>\n As electric vehicles proliferate, their front ends will become purely decorative. Without air-hungry engines behind the front bumper, designers will be freed to be more creative. The Chevy Volt and Cadillac ELR grilles are decorative shields. You know Tesla can do better than a plastic egg on its S. Even gas-powered crossovers like the stylish new Nissan Murano use lower air intakes to feed the beast \u2014 leaving the lights and grille as a sculpted work of art. What’s next? Full frontal neon lights?<\/p>\n IN: The Fields Era<\/p>\n OUT: The Mulally Era<\/p>\n The Boeing outsider, Alan Mulally, became an instant legend for rescuing the Dearborn automaker by returning its production to core products. Now comes his CEO successor, Mark Fields, the consummate Ford insider. Chairman Bill Ford wants to be to the connectivity revolution what his great-grandfather Henry was to the mobility revolution. Fields shares his passion.<\/p>\n IN: IndyCar<\/p>\n OUT: Formula One<\/p>\n F1 is the world’s most popular motorsport series. But its politically-correct hybrid powertrains made for higher costs, less competition and cars that sounded like lawnmowers. Ugh. Meanwhile, U.S-based IndyCar \u2014 longtime bridesmaid to F1, had a historic year. Eleven different drivers won races and the series (which includes a fling through Belle Isle’s park)\u00a0gained viewers.<\/a><\/p>\n IN: Car apps<\/p>\n OUT: AM\/FM radio<\/p>\n Customizable Internet music and traffic apps like Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, and Waze, etc. have invaded car consoles. Now comes Apple CarPlay. Can AM-FM survive?<\/p>\n IN: Uber<\/p>\n OUT: Taxi cabs<\/p>\n Even taxis aren’t immune from the digital revolution. App-driven cabbies like Uber and Lyft offered more affordable, more responsive service than taxi-cab dinosaurs. Anybody want to buy\u00a0a New York taxi medallion<\/a>?<\/p>\n IN: Line-lock burnouts<\/p>\n OUT: Dream Cruise burnouts<\/p>\n