HOT SHOW, COOL CARs Issue 852 Thursday, January 23, 2014 AUTO TIME IN DETROIT, PAGES 2-6. METEOR MAGIC, PAGE 7. Supported by readers of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News 2 Thursday, January 23, 2014 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Yak chat January is full of chills – and thrills. This month, the weather’s been on a roller coaster from sub-zero record-breaking temperatures to rain and foggy thawing. We take a break from the wild weather and head inside. First stop, a trip to Cobo Center to see Detroit’s biggest stars – the cars. Learn about the trends and catch the show’s final weekend. Our Yakking About the News is about cars and also features a talented student artist who was awarded the grand prize for her auto show poster. It’s all on Pages 2 to 6. Meteors are amazing. The Yak heads to the Cranbrook Institute of Science to learn more about what falls from space, Page 7. Also Inside: • My Kid Scoop, Page 8. On the cover: The 2015 Corvette Z06 is one of the autos making its debut at the North American International Show. Photo by Marty Westman Printed by: The Detroit Media Partnership Sterling Heights, Michigan, Winter 2014. Photos by Marty Westman Ford’s new F-150 truck is making headlines because the pickup has an aluminum body, lighter by about 700 pounds. IF YOU GO TO THE AUTO SHOW: About the Show: It’s the 25th year for the North American International Auto Show. Yes, there was the Detroit show for years, but it was 25 years ago when the show added “international” to its name and grew snazzier and jazzier. Big: 550 vehicles on display with 50 debut, or new, vehicles to be shown. Show Vice Chairman Scott LaRiche says he’d suggest you go more than one day to take in all the cars. Special for Kids: WXYZ-TV hosts Family Day activities on Friday, beginning at noon until 9 p.m. Special guests include Sesame Street Live, and Radio Disney. Times: Runs through Sunday. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday (no admittance after 6 p.m. Sunday). Tickets: $13 per person, children 7-12 years old, $7. 6 and younger free if with adult. Thursday, January 23, 2014 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM KIDS MAKING NEWS Picture Perfect Winner Detroit’s big auto show is our cover story, but before you read about the hot cars, we want you to meet the winner of a cool contest. Lindsey Simon, a senior at Romeo Engineering and Technology Center in Washington Township, is the grand prizewinner of the 2014 North American International Auto Show Poster Contest. The contest, now in it’s 26th year, celebrates the talent and creativity of students from across the state. This year, nearly 1,000 students from 73 high schools submitted entries. Lindsey won the Chairmen’s Award of $1,000, which was selected by NAIAS 2014 Chairman Bob Shuman, and her artwork is printed in the official NAIAS program. Lindsey, who is 17, created her winning entry as part of a class assignment. She says her art classes are “hands down” her favorite courses and have been throughout her high school years. In fact, Lindsey has been drawn to art for most of her life. “When I was little, I really liked to color and draw — probably more than your average kid — but I didn’t really get serious about it, and Photo by Andrew Simon NAIAS 2014 Poster Contest winner Lindsey Simon loves art and horses. She shows her pony Mickey Blue Eyes on the Michigan Hunter-Jumper Association circuit. MORE WINNERS The 2014 NAIAS Poster Contest is an opportunity for high school artists across the state to be recognized for their creativity and talent. This year, 16 students, including Lindsey Simon, were awarded cash prizes. Congratulations to all the student winners: realize my potential, until my freshman year of high school.” Besides art, Lindsey’s other big love is horses. She has two horses – her show pony, Mickey Blue Eyes, or Micks for short, and Lina, a horse she’s currently training. “Horses have always been a huge part of my life and a big passion of mine,” says Lindsey, who has been riding for about 13 years. She shows Mickey on the Michigan Hunter-Jumper Association circuit. Lindsey is also an auto show fan. She’s been attending the show for the past few years with her big brother, Andrew. She says they are both car enthusiasts. “We definitely enjoy them.” This year, she plans to attend the show with her whole family. Right now, Lindsey is still making college plans, but knows she wants to study advertising and marketing along with art and graphic design. She says she hopes to have an advertising or marketing career where she can use her art skills in her job. “I’d love to wake up every morning and say ‘Wow, I love my job,’ and be able to apply both of them (art and business) to an actual career.” Her winning entry should certainly steer her ahead on the road to college and a future creative career. By Janis Campbell • Angelica Paparizos, Henry Ford High School, Sterling Heights • Derrick Wayne Willis Bowie, Kalamazoo Central High School, Kalamazoo • Haley Touchette, Grand Blanc High School, Grand Blanc • Katelyn Galant, Lakeview High School, St. Clair Shores • Zoë Wilson, Careerline Technical Center, Holland • Jennifer Tigani, William D. Ford Career Technical Center, Westland • Jefferson Braybrook, Careerline Technical Center, Holland • Teada Ngin, Careerline Technical Center, Holland • Tiffany Teng, Novi High School, Novi • Mujo Hrnjica, Hamtramck High School, Hamtramck • Veronica Peterson, William D. Ford Career Technical Center, Westland • Jennifer Tigani, William D. Ford Career Technical Center, Westland • Claire Beresford, Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield Hills • Paris Leek, Careerline Technical Center, Holland • Ronald Malmsten, William D. Ford Career Technical Center, Westland 3 4 Thursday, January 23, 2014 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM NO BRAKES on the Fun at Cobo T here is some serious fun going on at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which continues through Sunday at Cobo Center. Serious because it is a HUGE event that has a big impact on Detroit area business, as well as consumers – that’s your family – in making decisions on the cars and trucks they plan to buy. Fun because this year’s show seems to have more light and bright spots, filled with dream cars, concept, or idea cars of the future and big-screen displays that make you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat, even if you’re 10 years old! About the light? NAIAS Vice Chairman Scott LaRiche told us “this show has more LED lights than any other show.” He stressed that he remembers going to Detroit’s show as a kid and even though he spent plenty of time in showrooms (with his family’s dealership business), going to the show was “like going to Disneyland.” He also reminded us of the serious business: $9.7 billion impact over the last 25 years. That’s a good description. With huge big-screen films near many displays (You’ll see Anchorman Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) by the Dodge Durango, for example), it’s really like walking around a big-screen movie set. Here are highlights from the Yak’s notebook. Award Winners: It’s like the Most Valuable Player award in sports. Auto writers each year pick the North American Car and Truck of the Year. This year’s honors went to the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Chevrolet Silverado truck. Jeffrey Luke, GM’s executive chief engineer for global full size and mid-size trucks, demonstrated to us what he’s proud of in the Silverado that you also might like. He showed us all the smaller details that go into such a big truck – like a step to make it easier to step up into the truck. And if this is for your family ride, they’ve made the new Silverado doors both open the same way – easier to get in and out. There’s also lots of room in the Silverado if your family chooses the option with more legroom and it’s just the place for the backseat passengers to be watching favorite DVDs during the trips. The Disneyland Corner: It’s not anything to do with the park, but the Ford display had more games and interactivity, big and small, to make you linger, wait in line (there will be lines!) and, yes, look at cars and trucks. Dueling “simulators” let you and mom or dad see who races the fastest. But even better is seeing the assembly of the Ford F-150. Scott told us that even though he’s a “Chevrolet guy” through and through, he tells us that every kid will want to see the assembly – a two-story display where you will see the F-150 built. COOLEST CONCEPTS Photos by Marty Westman Executive Chief Engineer Jeffrey Luke’s passion for the award-winning Silverado is clear when he demonstrates to us some of the features, like the small step making it easier to get into the back of the truck. Concept, or idea, cars, are the ones that designers test out. These are dream cars, but often end up in production. These are MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Ford’s dueling simulators let visitors race each other. the cars you might be driving since it takes a couple of years to refine or develop them. And even if some never reach the roads, they give you inspiration for the future. Toyota’s tops for us this year: The FT-1 (FT as in Future Toyota) sports car. The good news for kids? You will be able to drive this car – digitally at least, as a car to download in Playtation3’s Gran Turismo 6 simulator. Also at Toyota is the dazzling blue Fuel Cell Concept. The Yak won’t try to explain Fuel Cell in this space, but check out the amazing display nearby where Toyota breaks down the fuel cell elements – with chemistry tables and then a graphic next to a model of the fuel cell car to show how it works. (Hint, study up on a periodic table of elements.) “I encourage every young person to see the concepts, and make sure at nearby kiosk you fill out (the information) on what you think,’’ says Scott. “That gives you a chance to make a difference.” Thursday, January 23 2014 A real assembly of Ford’s F-150 truck takes center stage. Toyota’s cool FT-1 Concept sports car revs up the imagination. Dream Cars: We like seeing the future, the fuel-saving cars and the tough trucks, but you are allowed to dream a bit when you check out the super sports cars everywhere. Reporters call it “reveal,” when a new vehicle debuts here. One of those reveals is the sporty 2015 Mustang and another is the Porsche 911 Targa 4. Speaking of Porsche, one special car with a room of its own is the Porsche 918 Spyder. We had to ask the spokesperson, “How much?” “It’s $845,000 base price,” she told us. Wow! (That is the most expensive car at the show.) You don’t have to bring a notebook, but you can still get up close and check out every display for the big things and the small (look at some of the detailing like the Super Bee logo in the Dodge display.) “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” says Scott. By Cathy Collison Porsche’s 918 Spyder is so special it has a glassed-in room of its own. 5 6 Thursday, January 23, 2014 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Photos by Marty Westman The Chrysler Jeep display has a huge big screen film with grand scenes. VW’s Beetle Dune concept is inspired by the dune buggy. Be sure to look for the small details in the big display, like the “Super Bee” symbol in the Dodge display, which also has a great history exhibit. Honda’s FCEV sports concept car looks ready to fly! Maybe you’ll be driving one of these in the future. You’ll get chemistry lessons with a cool graphic, left, to show you how Toyota’s fuel-cell concept car works. MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Field trip Thursday, January 23, 2014 Meteorite magic opens eyes to the skies “The spaces of the universe swallow me up like a speck; but I, by the power of thought, may comprehend the universe.” – Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French philosopher, physicist, and mathematician I t’s a brand new year and new beginnings always put us in a thoughtful frame of mind. So we paid a visit to the Cranbrook Institute of Science to contemplate (CONtem-plate), or think about, the vast, wondrous universe. Like Pascal, we wanted to better comprehend (com-preh-HEND), or to understand it. The museum is its own universe – way too big to comprehend in a single exploration. So we headed to one of its small “solar systems,” the display on meteorites just beyond the Mineral Study Gallery. We especially wanted to see some meteorites on loan from the Vatican Observatory, in Rome, Italy. One was a fragment of the Thunderstone, a 300-pound meteorite that fell to Earth on Nov. 16, 1492 – the same year Columbus discovered America. It landed in France. Every meteorite has a story. One is believed to have come from Mars – and the display explains how. A lava flow on Mars formed basalt, a common volcanic rock. Then an asteroid hit the fourth planet from the Sun and blasted the basalt into space. The rock landed on Earth, in the Sahara Desert, 1,000 years ago. A piece of it was acquired by the About 50,000 years ago, a huge asteroid fell to Earth, blasting a mile-wide crater in Arizona. The crash produced 30 tons of meteorites like this one at the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Vatican Observatory, which loaned it to Cranbrook. It’s a small world, as they say – and sometimes even a small universe! By the way, meteorites are “solid bits of asteroids, comets, the moon and Mars that have survived the fiery journey through our atmosphere to land on Earth,” the display explains. We really liked the “fiery journey” part. Don’t miss the “The Queen of the Irons” specimen. The meteorite was part of a fireball that streaked across the sky in Siberia on Feb. 12, 1947. “Over 70 tons of iron meteorites and shrapnel (iron debris) fell from the sky, making it the largest observed fall in historical times.” (A male African elephant weighs about 15,000 pounds, or about 7 tons. So how many elephants would it take to equal 70 tons? See answer below.) Photos Courtesy of Cranbrook Institute of Science Remember the asteroid that exploded last year over Siberia, killing 1,500 people? It broke into meteorites and Cranbrook Institute of Science has two of them in this new display case. Fast forward to Siberia on Feb. 15, 2013. That day, an asteroid 20 meters in diameter (about 66 feet across) exploded over the Chilyabinsk region, injuring 1,500 people, shattering windows, and damaging buildings. The asteroid broke into meteorites that were strewn over a field 60 kilometers by 100 kilometers. (How many miles wide and long is such an area? See answer below.) Cranbrook acquired two specimens. To see them, backtrack to the entrance of the Mineral Study Gallery. For more, go to science.cranbrook.edu. By Patricia Chargot Answers: The 1947 Siberian meteorites together weighed as much as 10 elephants. The 2013 Siberian meteorites were scattered across an area 37 miles wide by 62 miles long. 7 8 Thursday, January 23, 2014 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         This page for young Yakkers is brought to you this week by readers of The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press who donated their vacation newspapers.