Car of the Year Trends & Tidbits

The Sun's Rays Every Which Way
For those suffering from vitamin D deficiency, we offer three potent solutions for 2005:

From Pontiac's new Grand Am-replacing G6 comes the optional Panoramic roof, a gaping ceiling cavity that's created when three of its four segmented glass roof panels compress like an angled stack of cards atop the aft roof structure. No doubt, it's lousy on the drag coefficient, but it nearly doubles the size of the sky hole.

A variation on the panorama theme is the Scion tC's Panorama Moonroof, a twin-window solution that looks from the outside as if the little coupe's entire roof is silicon-based. In actuality, only the front moonroof opens (by rising and sliding back atop the smaller, fixed rear porthole). The primary photon beneficiaries are the rear passengers, but front and rear occupants all can close sunshades should the radiation become excessive.

Last, how about removing the whole overhead shebang with the Mercedes-Benz SLK350's improved retractable hardtop that can get you tanning three seconds sooner (it now folds into the truck in 22 seconds instead of 25). And it appropriates less trunk space, too. Can you say "sunscreen"?