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WHEELS October 10, 2008 11 The Lamborghini Estoque won the Best in Show award as determined by the AutoWeek editorial staff at the Paris Motor Show. The AutoWeek editorial staff has announced its Editors' Choice Award winners for the 2008 Paris Motor Show. For more than a decade, the editors of the weekly automo- tive-enthusiast magazine have scoured show floors in Detroit, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo, selecting winners in four categories: Best in Show, Best Concept, Most Significant and Most Fun. The 2008 AutoWeek Editors' Choice Award winners for the Best of Paris are: BEST IN SHOW: Lamborghini Estoque. "While the design is somewhat contrived, the Estoque really has presence when you see it in person. Contenders for Best of Show: Ferrari California, Saab 9-X Air and BMW 7-series MOST SIGNIFICANT: Honda Insight: "This hybrid car will be cheaper than the Prius, have high fuel economy and seating for five. Honda has officially returned to the game they used to own." Contenders for Most Significant: Audi A1 Sportback, Pininfarina Bollore, Mercedes Fascination and Volkswagen Golf BEST CONCEPT: Peugeot RC HyMotion4" "If the French automakers were to come to the U.S., this is the car Americans would want. Here is an electric sports car we can love." Contenders for Best Concept" Honda Insight, Mercedes Fascination, Audi A1 Sportback and Saab 9-X Air MOST FUN: Audi S4" "The S4 is a rocket ship that is fun and fuel efficient. It satisfies on all fronts." Contenders for Most Fun: Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse, Ferrari California, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Lexus IS250C AutoWeek editors name winners at Paris show It may still be just the begin- ning of autumn, but its also prime time to start thinking ahead to winter. Of course the first thing that comes to mind when prepping your car for winter is tires, because once the temperature drops below 7C, so does an all- season tires ability to grip the road. Colder weather brings on a whole new set of driving chal- lenges like slush, ice and hard packed snow. And even with all of the performance capabilities built into todays vehicles, they will only perform as steadily and responsively as their tires allow. And in extreme winter weath- er, that can mean the difference between focused braking power and out-of-control handling. Its a fact: as temperatures drop below 7-degrees Celsius, so does an all-season tires ability to grip the road. And that can lead to dangerous driving condi- tions, said Joerg Burfien, direc- tor of R&D, Continental Tire North America, Inc. Winter tires are uniquely designed to deliver safety and control in snow, ice, and cold weather conditions, because they are specially engineered to deliver a substantial increase of traction over all-season radials, by as much as a 25 to 50 per cent. Thats enough gripping trac- tion and braking power to avoid a severe weather-related acci- dent. Winter tires are engineered with pliable tread compounds and tread designs that remain soft and flexible in even the coldest temperatures, increasing the contact area and providing better grip on wet or icy roads. Tread design features include more supple compounds, deeper tread grooves and smaller shoul- der grooves. Once your car is properly outfitted with the right tires for the season, there are a number of other steps drivers can take to make sure their car is ready for when the cold weather comes. Now is the time to give your car a thorough checkup. You can do most of these jobs yourself, but some work really must be done by a professional. Radiator: Add a dose of antifreeze to the coolant Shocks: Should be checked. Defective shock absorbers increase braking distance and shorten the lifetime of tires Wiper fluid: Add a dose of frost protector Battery: Check the acid level for optimum performance Spark plugs: check for wear and replace if necessary Lights: Check and align properly for maximum efficiency Be sure to include the fol- lowing equipment in your trunk: a set of jumper cables, a snow brush/ice scraper and a de-icing spray Winter tires: Set the pres- sure 2.9 psi higher than what is in the summer. Once youve given your car a thorough checkup, the best pro- tection against breakdowns and accidents in winter is driving with foresight. This includes taking extra care on bridges or at traffic lights, as well as keeping a greater following distance from the car in front. Preparing for a safe winter driving season