SIGN O' THE TIMES - PART 1

It's been twenty years since the musician Prince released what many call his greatest work. "Sign O' The Times" debuted in the shadow of the market collapse of 1987 and the presidential election of 1988, two major events that shaped America over the next few years.

In an eerie irony, the title of this album couldn't be more relevant today. 2008 has had its own tumult. With our own presidential election in full swing and an energy crisis that's never been more serious, the sign of "these" times is about change...especially when it comes to the auto industry. $4 a gallon gasoline has given consumers a new fever for small cars.

That's why this is the perfect time to look at some of the lineup that has been released so far this year. From small and economical like the Honda Fit to the performance-based cars like the BMW 1 series to Ford's new luxury sedan the Lincoln MKS, it's Cars and NACTOY on this week's Autoline.

John McElroy is joined by two of his fellow judges from the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards as they examine the best in cars so far this year. Natalie Neff is the Road Test Editor for AutoWeek while Mark Phelan is an automotive columnist with the Detroit Free Press.

And if you don't want to wait until Sunday remember you can now watch this new episode of Autoline right now by clicking here www.autoline.tv and going to our website. There you can also watch our Internet-only Autoline EXTRA segment as well as any of our archived shows as well.

So get ready for new cars through NACTOY eyes on this week's Autoline.