When auto makers gather at the North American International Auto Show every January to kick off the year with new products, it sets the tone for the year ahead. Following three years of mostly dismal sales, the mood among car companies for 2012 was decidedly upbeat. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who kicked off the show’s press preview on January 9th, said the auto industry has reinvented itself for the 21st Century. And there was plenty of evidence of that. Many car companies brought the heat, showing off products that sizzled and represented dramatic breakthroughs both in design, technology and other comfort features.
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