The rally will begin at the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Saturday, January 3. The competition will see the much anticipated participation of the Mitsubishi’s all-new turbo-diesel ‘Racing Lancer’.

From the Argentine capital, the rally route will head west over the dusty trails up and over the Andes mountains. After a day’s rest at the historic Chilean Pacific port of Valparaiso, the rally will resume on January 11, taking the racers to the Atacama desert, then back across the Andes and into Argentina again. Officially, the rally will end at Buenos Aires on Sunday 18. The total stage distance is said to be 6,000 kms on non-paved surfaces, sand covering as much as 90 per cent of this distance.

Meanwhile, anticipation is high to see the Mitsubishi’s Racing Lancer speed through the South America’s bumpy, twisting, grueling and most stunning landscape. The Mitsubishi’s teams are expected to dominate the competition with the efficient turbo-diesel engines.

It may be noted that fewer than half of the parts on some big three vehicles are made in the United States. Ford Fusion is assembled in Mexico. The Chrysler 300C gets assembled in Canada but its transmission is from Indiana. Their V8 engine is manufactured in Mexico. Chevrolet’s Equinox SUV’s engines are from China. Most of Toyota vehicles’ parts are made in the United States and 56 per cent of Toyota vehicles are sold here. That means American automobile industry is global. If someone wants to buy an American car, he/she should focus on three points — its engine, transmission and where it was assembled. However, not many people seem to know about this. While buying a car, many people think about the image of a brand than other things.

As about buying American cars and saving the jobs and thereby the economy, according to Center for Automotive Research, the Detroit’s Big Three employed almost 240,000 people in the U.S. at the end of 2007. The foreign automakers had about 113,000 U.S. employees at the time. Level Field Institute, a group formed by Big Three retirees in Washington, found that every 1,000 vehicles sold by Detroit’s Big Three in the U.S. support more than twice as many jobs as 1,000 vehicles sold by foreign nameplates. However, it is a fact that consumers say they prefer the quality of foreign cars.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an insurance industry funded center for evaluation of crash protection which recently completed the final series of tests on 2009 small cars, said, overall for the year, front crash test results across the two classes were generally good. As many as 11 of 21 new models also recorded good ratings for side protection. More vehicles have side airbags as standard equipment. However, some new models still have delivered mixed performances in crash tests, according to the IIHS.

The Suzuki Motor Corporation’s SX4 and the Toyota Motor Company’s Matrix (along with its twin, Pontiac Vibe made by General Motors Corp) bagged the highest rating of ‘good’ for side crash protection. Only the Ford Motor Company’s Focus earned a good rating in rear crashes as measured by the quality of head and neck restraints.

Though the automotive sales for the year decreased by 16.3 per cent, the small car sales are up by 1.2 percent. Interestingly, Japanese manufacturers dominate the class that has become more popular with consumers seeking greater fuel efficiency. The IIHS said many automakers are yet to pay close attention to rear-crash protection.

The increase in the power output is being viewed as Porsche’s emphasis on the sports driving orientation of the Cayman which further differentiates this coupe. Consequently, the fuel economy is up by 16 per cent. The Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), the new double-clutch gearbox, now available as an option on both Cayman and Cayman S further improves the performance and fuel economy. With these improvements, the Cayman, originally launched four years ago, has gained new heights as a true Porsche sports car. The PDK is offers no less than seven forward gears and blends the driving comfort of a torque converter-equipped automatic transmission with the dynamic manual gearshift functionality of a sequential racing gearbox. Further, it improves the acceleration and decreases the fuel consumption to lower levels.

The Direct Fuel Injection, standard on the 3.4-litre S engine, injects the fuel within fractions of a second prior to the combustion so that the engine responds more directly and spontaneously. The same applies while lifting off the throttle which ensures the homogeneous operation of the power plant always and under all conditions.

With some more new technical features, CDR-30 CD radio and the optional Porsche Communication Management (PCM) 3.0 complete with hard disc navigation the next generation Porsche Cayman is a coupe of distinction.

The F3DM (DM -”dual mode”) powers itself with a ferrous battery and can clock 60 miles in electric-only mode. Chinese manufacturer BYD expects to sell 10,000 units in 2009. BYD founder and President Wang Chuanfu said that, the electric car technology marked the first time for the company, as a leader on the world stage.

Wang Chuanfu has turned BYD, into the world’s leading producer of rechargeable batteries for mobile phones and laptops, generating about $3 billion in revenue last year. Among those impressed with BYD’s green technology and Wang’s record as a Manager, was Warren E. Buffett, who has a 9.9% stake of $230 million, for an almost 10 percent stake in the company. Buffett’s investment is a stepping stone, as BYD prepares to enter the U.S. market with its electric vehicles in 2011.

GM plans to introduce its electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, in 2010. While GM and Toyota have displayed a keen interest in making plug-in hybrids, Honda’s president and CEO Takeo Fukui, was of the opinion that plug-in hybrids were just electric vehicles with “unnecessary” gas motors, offering neither real advantage nor helping to reduce emissions. Honda is the second largest hybrid car maker, after Toyota.

Wang Chuanfu’s BYD is a recent entrant to the car manufacturing industry, and earlier efforts with the company’s first model, the F3, on sale since 2003 faced a lot of hurdles outside of China. BYD could well turn out to be a competitive player in the emerging EV mass-market and all eyes will be focused on it at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.

CNET invites you to vote for your favorite car and discuss your opinion about your nominee for Tech Car of the Year, from among the cars short listed below.

The selected cars are: 2008 BMW M3 Convertible DCT, 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey, 2009 Lincoln MKS, 2009 Nissan GT-R and 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie.

Each of these nominees has been picked for their exemplary cabins and performance technology in a production car, with at least one unique tech feature.

Check out the cars and give us your vote. The winner will be picked by our panel of staff judges. CNET will announce the winner, as well as “The Car Tech 10 awards”, in the second week of January.

Read more about the CNET 2008 Tech Car of the Year contest and cast your vote here.

Mike Accavitti, director of Chrysler’s Dodge brand and head of motorsports, said that Chrysler expects to cut spending in 2009, by more than 30 percent. The company however, has no plans of bowing out of its NASCAR circuit and will continue with Gillett Evernham, Penske Racing and Petty Enterprises, three race teams it sponsors, as well the track in Talladega, Alabama.

The automaker, whose sales plunged 47 percent in November, is among the lowest spender in NASCAR. According to Accavitti, Chrysler’s cuts for 2009 include discontinuing support of a fourth race team, allowing sponsorship deals to lapse and reducing ad spending.

The Chrysler shutdown affects 30 plants with their assembly, powertrain, component and stamping operations; and 46,000 hourly wage workers, mostly from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Chrysler asked for a $7 billion bridge loan, joining General Motors and Ford Motor Co. in the case for a financial bailout in Washington, which failed to clear the Senate recently. By the end of 2008, Chrysler’s workforce will be slashed by 32,000 since embarking on restructuring plans in February 2007.

The NV200 is innovative and offers suitable accommodations for a mobile lab or office, workspace or living quarters, with serious potential for a wide range of customers and professions. Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., described the NV200 as a highly efficient tool but one with a human touch.

On the outside, the NV200 looks no different than a modern van, with a cab-forward design, wraparound grille, upward sweeping side windows and a high beltline. The van sits on a 111.4-inch long wheelbase, is 72.4 inches tall, and provides a spacious cargo and load area.

A sliding cargo pod features storage divisions where diving and photographic equipment can be stowed away. The pod sits in the load area while driving, and slides out on “drop-down” legs when required. As the pod is pulled out of the van, the area left behind is transformed into a mobile office and IT dock, with two LCD screens. The front passenger seat doubles up as a chair for the workstation.

The NV200 features an environmentally friendly clean diesel engine and comes with a sweep of safety systems based on Nissan’s Safety Shield concept, including RearView Monitor and Distance Control Assist System. Power for the computer, shower, refrigerator and other electrical fixtures comes from a small generator which is charged by solar panels on the roof.

According to Shiro Nakamura, “the NV200 was created for one specific user. But the concept is totally adaptable and flexible with a number of applications in different areas of the market.”

The Nissan NV200 Concept debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show and has also been unveiled at motor shows in Europe. The Nissan design team also identified mobile libraries, Farmers’ Market vendors, florists and field ambulances among potential applications of the pod concept.

Elaborating on the company’s plans to return to profitability, Ford provided information about a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) in a van-type vehicle for commercial fleet use in 2010 and a BEV sedan in 2011, as part of its strategy to electrify a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles.

Ford will unveil its accelerated vehicle electrification plan at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The company has plans to reduce costs of electric drive systems and batteries, to provide retail availability of these vehicles. While Ford has not committed on figures at this point, it is assumed that production will be in hundreds rather than thousands.

Ford is geared up to improve fuel economy across its fleet, by an average of 14 percent for 2009 models. The auto major, calls for an investment of $14 billion on advanced technologies to improve fuel efficiency during the next seven years.

American Honda Motor Co. and Subaru of America, are both offering buyers a unique way of giving back to those in need in the community. Customers who buy or lease a new Subaru from Nov. 24, 2008 through Jan. 2 are allowed to choose one out of five charities to receive a $250 donation from the automakers. Carmichael Lynch from Minneapolis called the campaign “Share the Love”. Kevin Mayer, director-marketing communications at Subaru, said that the company wanted to create a program that was relevant to its customers value system, that of giving back to those in need. Subaru expects to mobilize up to $5 million for the five charities: Habitat for Humanity International; Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Meals on Wheels Association of America; the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the National Wildlife Federation.

Dick Colliver, VP of American Honda Motor Co. said that the primary message of their “Happy Honda Days” campaign is “not only about what’s important to Honda, but what’s important to consumers at this time of year.” Ads for the annual “Happy Honda Days” year-end clearance sale take a different softer approach taking into consideration the troubled American economy. Honda TV spots communicate “a warm seasonal greeting rather than a typical sales pitch.