Karl on Cars

You've heard my predictions on the 1 Series (expect success), the Lancer Evolution (fabulous, despite taunts of "selling out") and the new Dodge Challenger (ummm...). But there are dozens of new models about to hit showroom (G8, M3, Sequoia, F Series, etc) and, frankly, I can't drive them all. Well...maybe I can, but that doesn't mean you should simply take my word on the future success or failure of these models.

Edmunds just launched a new feature on Inside Line called Car Stock Exchange, and as the name implies, it allows you to trade "stock" on new models by predicting how well a given model will sell. As with other virtual stock exchanges, this one uses play money, but the initial stock prices are based on an estimate of vehicle sales during a model's first six months on the market, and the final stock valuation is tied to the real-world sales numbers. The game launched last week, it's free to play, and there are 25 models currently available to invest your starting amount of one million CSX dollars. A new vehicle is added every week (next up, the BMW X6) and prizes like a Nintendo Wii will be awarded based on portfolio performance at regular intervals.

If you think you know as much -- or more -- than the next guy about a future model's success in the market you might want to give it a try. Just don't put all your faith (or stock) in my predictions. I certainly don't.