CNBC's Phil LeBeau on Tuesday did a one-day test drive of the Tesla Model S from Washington, D.C., to a suburb just outside Boston. He is not the first, nor will he be the last to recreate the same test drive that led to a very public spat between New York Times reporter John Broder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk could not have been any clearer or more vocal about his view of a New York Times review that ripped the Model S.

"We explicitly said that to do this trip he needs to be fully charged when he starts up, that he doesn't do detours, and that he drives at a reasonable speed. I am not talking about some ridiculously low speed. I am talking not too far above the speed limit and none of those three things were done," said Musk when he called into CNBC's "Closing Bell" Monday afternoon.

If January is any indication, 2013 could be another big year for auto sales in the U.S.

When Clint Eastwood said in a Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler, "It's halftime America and our second half is about to begin," many looked at it as a rallying cry for Chrysler, the Big Three and by extension American business.

It's easy to see why.

Despite posting better than expected earnings for the fourth quarter, Ford finds its stock under pressure due to the company guiding Wall Street to expect greater losses in Europe. It is the latest sign that Ford continues to be a tale of two companies: In North America it is growing profits and margins while Europe is a money losing operation.

The initial reaction among investors is one of disappointment. Ford shares dropped by 4% shortly after the opening bell.

What is Ford's stock doing now? (Click here for the latest before-hours quotes.)

The recent run-up in Ford stock to 52-week highs and the company's ability to double its quarterly dividend are proof that the automaker's turnaround plan is "clearly working," Ford CEO Alan Mulally said in a "First on CNBC" interview on Monday from the Detroit Auto Show.

"We decided to focus on Ford and the Lincoln brands," he said on "Squawk Box," adding that the move allowed for the dividend increase "with a commitment to sustain" it. Last week, Ford upped its quarterly dividend to 10 cents a share, the highest level in seven years.

(Read More: Ford doubles dividend to highest in 7 years)

Rolls-Royce, long considered the ultimate ultra-luxury car, is more popular than ever before. The British automaker set a global sales record in 2012 selling 3,575 cars.

This is the third straight year Rolls has grown sales around the world. It is also the most cars it has sold in one year, surpassing the previous high 3,374 in 1978.

"We are the pinnacle of all luxury brands in the world," said Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce. "We are interested in constant growth over the years to come, but sustainable growth."

Have you ever heard of the vehicle miles traveled tax? No? Well get ready to hear more about it, because the vehicle miles traveled tax, or VMT, is the latest way states are looking to make up for falling gas tax revenues.

"The VMT is likely the way states will raise money in the future for their roads and infrastructure," said Joshua Schank, president and CEO of the ENO Center for Transportation in Washington, D.C. "The states aren't yet to the point where they've figured out exactly how to implement the VMT, but they'll get there."

What a difference 11 months make. After starting 2012 with a monthly sales rate of just under 14 million vehicles automakers ended the year with the December sales rate expected to be about 1.5 Million vehicles stronger. The final monthly sales rate is projected to be 15.5 million vehicles.

Dealers and analysts attribute the strong December sales to the gradually improving economy, pent-up demand and Americans not being discouraged as the fiscal cliff negotiations dragged on.

(Read More: US Auto Sales to Drive Past 15 Million in 2013.)

"The economic factors are still positive, housing, availability of consumer credit, autos have certainly helped lead the charge, but December is typically a good month for the auto industry," said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales for General Motors. "The fact that Washington made some progress towards the end of the month certainly didn't hurt so we feel really good about where we finished."

For the year, automakers are projected to have sold 14.5 million vehicles in the U.S., a 13 percent increase over 2011.