by Paul A. Eisenstein

(2001-01-08)

2001.  The date seemed so far away when, as a 14-year-old boy, I sat staring in awe at what is still the best sci-fi story ever put on film.  That futuristic world, as seen by author Arthur C. Clarke, and director Stanley Kubrick, was very different from the one we're living in today.  There's no orbiting Hilton Hotel, and we're still a long way from the era in which you'll be able to vacation on the moon.

Yet Kubrick and Clark likely couldn't have imagined some of the other changes that have come to pass since the film's debut.  Today's personal computers may not have the personality of a HAL 9000, but they're orders of magnitude more powerful than the fastest mainframes of the late 1960s.  And while few of us will ever make it to outer space, we're just a few keystrokes away from the alternate realities of the Internet.

Chances are, you didn't log a lot of time online over the holidays, so you may be surprised by what you discovered when you pointed your browser at TheCarConnection.com this week.  We've dubbed the new look TCC 4.0, and it's the most significant redesign of our e-zine since the site went live four years ago.  Perhaps the first thing you noticed was the increased speed of version 4.0.  We made that one of the highest priorities for this redesign.  Depending on how you're accessing the Internet, you may see TCC come up on your screen as much as three times faster than before.

What you see is likely to be familiar, yet from top-to-bottom, it's a completely new look-even the old logo is gone.  Our goal is to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for-whether you're an industry insider seeking the day's top story, or a first-time new car buyer looking for reviews and pricing data. 

We've already heard from many regular readers, and as the poll on the homepage should show you, the general reception has been quite positive.  But we're not going to ignore the concerns some of our readers have expressed.  None of your favorite columns or writers have been dropped in this redesign.  If anything, you'll find several new features, with more on the way.  But just like rearranging your furniture, it can take a little time to get used to the new layout.  The easiest way is to simply click on the buttons on the left-hand "navigation bar."  It'll make things a lot easier to track down whatever you're after--spy shots, repair tips or reviews.

You'll also find it a lot easier now to participate in our weekly poll, check daily news, sign up for our free newsletter, or participate in TCC's lively message boards.  We've improved the functionality of key features, which should make it easier to send a TCC story to a friend or to print out it out for your own archives.

Is TCC 4.0 the end-all update of the Web's Automotive Authority?  Not on your life.  We're listening to your compliments-and your concerns, and we've already got some "fixes" in the works for a few unforeseen issues that always seem to remain hidden until a redesign "goes live."  We'll be rolling them out over the next few weeks.  And I would like to encourage you to drop me a line at letters@thecarconnection.com to let me know your thoughts, good, bad or mixed.

Before I sign off, I'd like to encourage all our readers to keep a close eye on TheCarConnection over the next two weeks for our in-depth, daily coverage of two of the new year's most important events.  We'll begin later this week with live reports from the Los Angeles Auto Show.  Then, all next week, we'll be back with continuing updates from the North American International Auto Show, in Detroit. 

What's on tap?  How about the eagerly-awaited, production version of the Nissan Z-car? Or the equally anticipated return of the Volkswagen Microbus? General Motors will be rolling out a wild assortment of concept vehicles, including the Chevy Borrego off-roader.  Chrysler will lift the covers on its Crossfire concept car, as well as the new Jeep Liberty.  Nissan debuts its first, full-size pickup.  And the Acura RS-X show car will provide a thinly-disguised look at the next-generation Integra.

You'll find auto show previews on the site this week.  But don't forget to check back-often-for complete coverage of the LA and Detroit auto shows.  We hope the new look of TheCarConnection will make it faster, easier and a lot more fun!

Yours truly,           

Paul A. Eisenstein

Publisher, TheCarConnection.com