Time have changed quite drastically since I last posted anything of note here. The world as we know it has turned upside down financially, and suddenly the car market is not the beast as we once knew it. Car companies are running out the same slogans we keep hearing from other sectors, piping such nonsense as 'now is the time to innovate,' 'creative ideas come to fruition in depressed times,' etc.

There is an element of truth in this, but most innovation that pushes the idea of how the general consumer views a car probably won't come from established players. Instead reputations are changing, with GM and Chrysler going through major restructuring, Ford seems to have won the consumer hearts.

I digress. Will we see new shifts in how we use cars in such a time? Will new ideas come to the fore? Cars are trending towards higher economy, becoming increasingly safer, but these really aren't paradigm shifts.

Car use as we understand it may change; short term pool renting services, that allow you to pay a monthly charge to have access to a pool of cars close to your residence will become more popular, but these only work in certain circumstances for areas of medium to high population densities, and with good public transport solutions.

The price of oil will continue to rise, and whilst car makers try and combat with more fuel efficient cars, this is only a short term solution. As I see it, if you don't use a car for commuting, instead it becomes a weekend device; this may lead to an increase in interesting metal being built, as the market for a weekend only vehicle grows.

Hallelujah!