CAR OF THE PRESENT: If Rambo needed...

CAR OF THE PRESENT: If Rambo needed wheels, if the Terminator were a commuter, they’d drive a Defender. Chatsworth-made from Chevrolet cop cars, it’s supposed to be an unobtrusive (OK, grim) answer to urban violence, proof against bullets and bombs, rolling unstoppably over carjackers. It’s on display at the L.A. Auto Show (B1), for those who have at least $13,000 . . . and nasty enemies.

SADDER AND WISER: Probably seemed like a good idea at the time: stow away in a garbage truck to escape from the Lancaster state prison. The catch: the truck’s trash compactor. That’s the lesson for an inmate who was squashed into a bale of junk and dropped in a dump before an oncoming tractor. . . . He’s in a hospital in fair condition, headed back to prison (B1).

PUMPING RUBBER: It’s a new year and you promised yourself you’d exercise, but boredom is setting in. Fitness experts say, however, that even reluctant exercisers can stay motivated with this year’s new methods, like muscle toning with rubber bands (above). See Valley Life! Page 10

ART FROM THE ASHES: Tragedy and art have long been linked. Latest example: Topanga’s New Canyon Gallery is mounting a firestorm show featuring photography, painting, sculpture, mixed-media work and melted or charred objet trouvee . Some of the artists lost homes. . . . “This will be a forum for the community to find self-expression, to bear witness to one another’s experience,” an organizer said. See Valley Life! Page 3

NO RESPECT: The Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team, which spiked its way to the NCAA title match last year and was among the top four teams in the nation for four years, still gets no respect. This year’s squad is so young--mostly freshmen and sophomores--that it gets low, or no, ratings (C8). . . . But they’re used to earning their laurels on the court, players say. A problem: three key players struggling to regain academic eligibility.