2009 Audi Q5

This is Audi's newest crossover, meant to compete with the new Mercedes GLK, the BMW X3, and the Lexus RS. It is built on the A4's platform. This is one of the best looking SUVs out there, only surpassed by Cadillac's new SRX. The engine is a 270-hp direct injection V6. In Europe and other global markets, the 211-hp turbo 4 is offered, and with gas prices and the economy being what they are, it would be a good idea for Audi to offer the engine here in the U.S. The price is $37,200, and it is hitting showrooms right now.

2009 Audi A4

The 2009 Audi A4 is an all-new car, and one of my favorites, which explains all of the pictures. The A4 is significantly larger in almost all dimensions, and is now larger than its two major competitors, the BMW 3-series and the Mercedes C-Class. The 2.0 T's engine is more powerful than the 2008 model, and also more fuel-efficient. The reviews are not as enthusiastic about the '09 model because it is not as powerful as its German rivals, and, even though the car starts at $31,000, it can get really expensive really quickly when you start adding options. Overall, although this is an attractive car inside and out, it is no longer a standout when it comes to performance and value.

More cars for the insanely rich: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

Holy good gravy! Yes, that lime green is a factory color. Pictures don't do this paint job (or this car) justice. Yes, the fuel mileage on this v-12 is 8 city/13 highway, making this the least fuel efficient car you can buy in the U.S. Yes, this guzzler of an engine produces 632 horsepower and propels this car from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. Yes, this car is said to top 219 mph. It can be yours for $354,000. However, the Lambo folks need to look in the rear view mirror, because the Corvette ZR1 can almost match the Lamborghini's numbers, and do it for about 1/3 of the price. However, this car may stand out in a crowd a little more than a Corvette.

Cars for the filthy rich: Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead

As usual, Frank Kerbeck had his usual lineup of unbelievably expensive cars on display. Rappers, pro athletes and CEOs take notice! The latest from Rolls is the Drophead coupe. The 6.8 liter v12 puts out 453 hp and the nearly three-ton car gets 11 mpg in the city and 18 highway. Many cows and trees gave their lives to create the opulent interior. Base price is an unbelievable $420,000. Add the $3000 gas guzzler tax and the insurance for this car and the result is astronomical. Despite the economic slump, this car is selling well.

Infiniti G convertible

Infiniti answers Lexus with its own hardtop convertible, this one based on the RWD G-series. Power comes from a strong 325-hp V6. This will go on sale in the summer.

2010 Lexus IS250C

Lexus chops the top off of its rear wheel drive IS sedan. The aluminum convertible hardtop is fully automatic and retracts in about 25 seconds. Powertrains and the interior are shared with the IS sedan. This car arrives in the spring.

2010 Lexus RX350

Lexus' popular crossover vehicle is all new for 2010. Every body panel is different, but it's obvious that they don't want to mess with the basic design. The interior is more daring, and it was tough to get pictures of the car on the turntable. Notice the floating center console. The engine gets a slight bump in power, and the all-wheel-drive hardware is all-new. The RX starts at $37,625 and hits showrooms later this month.

The Philly car show - 2009

Last Friday was my annual pilgrimage to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to walk through 500,000 square feet of beautiful new cars. Few things are more fun to me. Supposedly the majority of car show visitors are in the market for a new car. Not me. I just bought a car in December. I have gone to the show every year since I was 12. This year I took the camera and I will be commenting about the newer cars I saw. This year's show had a lot of 2010 cars that won't hit dealerships for a few months, more than I remember seeing in recent memory. I will have a separate post for each car to avoid confusion with the photos I took. Also, about the photos, they were taken with a small handheld digital camera, and most were taken with one hand, and the quality of the pics is so-so.

Christian Bale goes nuts!

I am sure you have heard the 3-plus minute profanity-laced tirade that Christian Bale unleashed on the DP for "Terminator: Salvation." Supposedly, the DP walked into the shot and interrupted the scene while Bale was acting.

Some people may defend Bale, saying he really cares about his profession and takes his work very seriously. Some of these people may even be related to me. I think his behavior is unacceptable. Did the DP make a mistake? Yes. Should Bale have said something to him? Yes. Should Bale have berated him for 3 minutes in front of the crew? Absolutely not. First of all, he sounded like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. Second of all, he wasn't acting like a professional. Those of us in the so-called "real world," meaning those of us who don't have jobs as movie actors, would probably get fired for behavior like that. Someone in an office or factory can't talk to a co-worker like that, and I certainly can't talk to my students like that. Unfortunately, celebrities are allowed to do stuff like this because they are celebrities.

Nevertheless, Bale needs to be careful, because he may end up with a bad-boy image like Mickey Rourke, Russell Crowe, and Colin Farrell, he will have fewer opportunities, and the Academy Awards tend to pass on actors who have these types of problems. Christian Bale is a talented actor, and it would be a shame to see it wasted.

Thoughts on the Super Bowl

As I am waiting for parents to show up for conferences... Here are some thoughts I had on the Super Bowl.

- Journey's new lead singer has a really good voice.

- Jennifer Hudson really belted out the national anthem. Kudos for appearing in such a large spotlight after such a horrible tragedy happened with her family.

- Why does Matt Millen have a job with NBC? As my friend Steve so astutely said, he killed a football team. How can you be considered an expert commentator on the game if you killed a football team? On the other hand, the insights from Bill Belichick, who really broke down the game, were interesting.

- The commercials were a disappointment overall. I chuckled at a few of them, but the only ones I laughed out loud at were the re-enactment of the Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial with Troy Polamalu, and my favorite was this gem from Monster.com. Say what you want about the Budweiser Clydesdales, but as far as I'm concerned, it wouldn't be the Super Bowl without them.

- I like some of Bruce Springsteen's music, and I have about 10 or so of his songs on my iPod, but I wouldn't quite consider myself a fan of the Boss. That having been said, the halftime show was phenomenal. One of the best I can remember in recent memory. I wonder when will be the next time they choose a performer under the age of 50. They are still super cautious after the infamous wardrobe malfunction. I would love to see a younger act like Green Day perform (even though I did see Billie Joe Armstrong masturbate on stage, and it wasn't a pretty sight).

- Oh, yeah, there was a football game, too. I came into this thinking that the Cardinals would pull the upset, because they've never won before, and they wanted it more. Both teams played well, but the Steelers stayed true to their game plan of a bruising defense and ball control. A couple of plays in which Ben Roethlisberger evaded several defenders and still managed to complete the pass were truly amazing. He is maturing into one of the league's better quarterbacks, and I am finally starting to believe he deserves the big-money contract he was awarded.

Kurt Warner and the high-powered offense delivered too, but that didn't happen until the 4th quarter, and by that time, it was too little, too late. Warner was in top form, except for that one interception, which unfortunately led to a score and shifted the momentum of the game. However, the Cards' offense deserves just as much blame as Warner because no one was able to tackle James Harrison, who managed to juke a few players as he huffed and puffed his way to the goal line.

In short, the Steelers outplayed and outcoached the Cardinals, who still put up one hell of an effort.

People are saying this was one of the greatest Super Bowls ever. It was a good one, but the best ones that I can think of in my lifetime were XXV, where the Giants won 20-19 after it all came down to a shanked field goal. (Scott Norwood is still the goat here, but it's not that easy to make a 47-yard field goal.) Also XXXIV was really good, when the Titans lost 23-16 to Kurt Warner and the Rams, and were one yard away from the game-tying touchdown as the clock ran out.