When most people think of cruising, the image that comes to mind is muscle cars, hot rods, low-riders and the like. The Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit is so big that it inevitably attracts all kinds of vehicles, some of which use no fossil fuels and emit no pollutants. Consider for example the four wheeled, pedal powered "Dogsled" four-seater pictured above. The Smart ForTwo was also visible in abundance on Saturday as were some decidedly downsized cars, electric cars and even a fuel cell Chevy Equinox.

Some things just weren't as abundant this year as in years past. The total number of vehicles, for example. With gas prices still hovering just below $4/gallon, it seems many people who normally bring their old classics out to troll down Woodward chose to stay home this year. While last year the cars were almost bumper to bumper all the way down the street from about 11 am onward, this year, even at 3 pm, there was still plenty of free space on the road.

Click above for more shots from NextCruise 2008

All the major automakers were out in full force at the Woodward Dream Cruise this year showing off their eco-friendly wares at the new NextCruise event, which is running right alongside the main event for the first time this year. Whether ethanol-fueld racers, modern clean diesels, hybrid cars (and SUVs) or fully electric NEVs, there was something to please everyone in attendance. Instead of writing everything out here in the post, we've created a gallery of everything we saw and captioned the most interesting pictures. Enjoy!

Click above for more images of The Dogsled

Running alongside the Woodward Dream Cruise this year will be the NextCruise, a green-minded alternative to the petrol-head event. It looks as if the idea of parading down Woodward Avenue along with classic cars, exotics and Hot Rods has brought out some innovative thinkers who have built "The Dogsled," a human-powered four-wheeled cycle-thing. Though its final destination is said to be the next Burning Man event, its creators have brought it out to play this weekend in Detroit. All four of its riders pedal with their combined power going to the right rear wheel. The opposite wheel provides the stopping power. The entire machine is welded up from steel and the ladder-style frame looks downright beefy with all of its triangulation. Full suspension comes by way of old-school leaf springs for the solid axles while the passenger compartment has extra coil-overs for a cushy ride. Very impressive work that we hope to see cruising ourselves when we visit Detroit this weekend.


[Source: The Dogsled via Jalopnik]

Not everyone who currently cares about the environment has done so for their whole lives. Who cares? Everyone grows up, though that term means more to some people than to others. For our part, we don't have a problem with the Woodward Dream Cruise, which will take place this weekend in Detroit, Michigan. Sure, there will be lots of carbon-emitting and pollution-generating V8 engines powering Hot Rods and muscle cars for no reason other than to see and be seen. Still, these vehicles were built long before the effect of pollution were in the public eye and are a testament to where the United States came from and are therefore a legacy that still burns strong. That's fine. But, that doesn't mean that the future's vehicles need to be as big, powerful and gas-guzzling as their ancestors.

These facts as laid out in the preceding paragraph seem lost on Detroit News writer Manny Lopez as he calls green-minded politicians like Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Al Gore and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger people who "hate the American auto industry." Lopez goes on to imagine in his head what these people drove before they were in positions of power. Sure, it's completely fictitious, but who cares, right?

[Source: Manny Lopez / The Detroit News]

Every year, thousands descend upon the suburbs of Detroit for an event in late August known as the Woodward Dream Cruise. While past events have had just a little greenery, overall the event could be described as a carbon nightmare and has drawn ire from some nearby residents. Considering that the vehicles which will be taking part in the cruise represent the history of the automobile in America and the event only takes place once a year, we are not ready to condemn it just yet, though far more area pollutants are likely emitted on that day than most others. To try and appease some of the more eco-friendly car fans out there, the 2008 Dream Cruise will run alongside the first-ever green-themed NextCruise. Nine automakers will be present in nearby Pleasant Ridge, showing off their most eco-friendly concepts and future cars. Some vehicles will even be available for participants to drive. We'll be in the area that weekend, perhaps we'll be able to check out some of the festivities for ourselves. The press release is pasted after the break.

[Source: NextCruise]

This past weekend's Woodward Dream Cruise in the Detroit's northern suburbs was largely an excercise in automotive express populated by tens of thousands typically thirsty old cars. However, there were scattered examples of more environmentally responsible transportation. Chevy showed off the Volt next to the Camaro Convertible Concept and there were a couple of Smarts that could be spotted. There were also at least two GEMs and various pedal-powered machines.

On a Saturday in mid-August for each of the past dozen years, thousands of classic and not-so-classic cars have taken to Woodward Avenue in Detroit and the northern suburbs for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Over the years the businesses in the area have raked in tens of millions of dollars from people and companies who descend on the area for the week before the cruise to party and celebrate the culture of cars that the region was built on.

Now retired teacher Joellen Gilchrist wants to stop the cruising. She is planning a protest to take place during this years cruise on August 18 but hopes to keep it friendly since most of the estimated 1.5 million people who apparently turn out for the cruise each year likely wouldn't be too happy to see it end. Gilchrist's opinion of the cruise isn't universally shared by environmentalists. Melissa Damaschke of the Sierra club says that most people who don't like the cruise generally just head north for the weekend anyway, or turn out for the Green Cruise they organize the weekend before for cyclists, walkers and skateboarders.

The reality is that although most of the vehicles in the Dream Cruise predate the Clean Air Act and modern emission controls, most of them accumulate few miles each year any more. They aren't used to commute to the office and compared to the bulk of the vehicle population, they contribute little to the problem of pollution. What really needs to be addressed is the millions of cars commuting every day. Getting people to carpool, or use mass transit on a daily basis will have much more of an impact than ending this one event which will probably fizzle out in the next few years anyway as the Michigan economy continues to sputter.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Last Saturday, approximately 40,000 classic show cars and nearly 1.8 million spectators gathered in Michigan for the Woodward Dream Cruise - America's most popular classic car showcase. As an automotive enthusiast, this is one of the premier events that get your adrenaline running. As an environmentalist, you're likely to be appalled by the thousands of gallons of gasoline wasted and hundreds of pounds of exhaust fumes emitted for such a spectacle. And as both, you're undoubtedly divided.

It may not be enough to counter the dire thought of grotesque fossil fuel consumption, however, this year's two most exotic show cars may very well have been zero-emission vehicles. Both Daimler-Chrysler and Ford opted to showcase their fuel-cell technologies to classic car enthusiasts by bringing a hydrogen powered Mercedes-Benz A-Class and a Ford Focus FCV, respectively. Both companies are currently testing small fleets of these fuel-cell vehicles in real-world conditions by their employees as well as some government agencies.

This isn't the first time fuel-efficiency matters have cruised down Woodward Avenue on the third Saturday of August. Last year, a group of about 30 hybrid owners drove their fuel-sipping Toyotas, Hondas and Fords alongside the menacing Chargers, Challengers and Cobras.

We have yet to hear about the response generated by the two fuel-cell cars, so if you hear anything (positive or negative) be sure to let us know.

[Source: Automotive News]