[Voted into WP at July, 2009 meeting.]

Proposed resolution (March, 2009):

Change 9.2.9.7 [dcl.spec.auto] paragraph 4 as follows:

The auto type-specifier can also be used in declaring an object in the condition of a selection statement (8.5 [stmt.select]) or an iteration statement (8.6 [stmt.iter]), in the type-specifier-seq in a the new-type-id or type-id of a new-expression (7.6.2.8 [expr.new]), in a for-range-declaration...

In listing the acceptable contexts in which the auto specifier may appear, 9.2.9.7 [dcl.spec.auto]) paragraph 4 mentions “the type-specifier-seq in a new-type-id” but not the type-id in the parenthesized form; that is, new auto (42) is well-formed but new (auto) (42) is not. This seems an unnecessary restriction, as well as contradicting 7.6.2.8 [expr.new] paragraph 2:

If the auto type-specifier appears in the type-specifier-seq of a new-type-id or type-id of a new-expression...

(See also issue 496.)