Trends
Concept o r Showroom Ready:
Detroit and L.A. Rolled 'Em Out
Bv Paul A. Eisenstein
As sure as Christmas comes in
December, the first weeks of the New
Year bring two of the auto industry's
most important events. And even if you
never make it to Motown or Tinsel
Town, there are plenty of reasons to keep
your eyes on the Detroit and Los
Angeles auto shows, and the ones to fol­
low.
Last year saw the U.S. auto market
surge to record levels, but with the
uncertain economy, sales are starting to
slip. That's bad news for the automak-
ers-but it could be good news for con­
sumers. Why? For one thing, you'll see a
lot more rebates and other incentives in
the coming months, as manufacturers
vie for your heart, mind, and pocket­
book. The industry is also battling it out
with a tidal wave of new products, many
of which took a bow at these two pre­
mier auto shows.
At the bottom end of the market,
we've got the hip Pontiac Vibe. Like
many of the new products hitting the
road these days, the Vibe's not easy to
categorize. It's one part hatchback,
another part SUV. Perhaps more signifi­
cantly, it shares its platform-and all-new
engine with the next generation Toyota
Corolla. Mazda's sport wagon is another,
roomy alternative to mundane, entry
sedans.
At the other end of the spectrum, the
two shows revealed a boatload of luxury
imports, including the new Mercedes C-
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African Am ericans On W heels
Class wagon,
as well as the
new M-series
p e rfo rm a n c e
machines from
BMW. The M
Roadster and
M Coupe get
an extra 75
horsepower for
2 0 0 1 .
Porsche's pro­
totype Carrera
GT is the ulti­
mate road war­
rior. Its 5.5-
O SdD SdD
liter
V I0
pumps out a tire-smokin’ 558 horse­
power, enough to launch from 0-60 in
less than four seconds. Officially, it's still
a concept car, but we'd bet on a 2003
production launch at a price of around
$350,000.
If these euro-racers are a bit rich for
your wallet, consider the more affordable
Mustang Bullitt, which was uncovered
in LA. It's been 30 years since the leg­
endary Steve McQueen film delivered
Hollywood’s most incredible car chase.
But perhaps we can forgive the delay
considering this Mustang collectible will
provide an impressive 270 horsepower at
a reasonable $26,000.
Concept cars are always a big draw at
auto shows like Detroit and LA, and this
year was no exception. General Motors
rolled out close to a dozen show cars in
2001, a concerted effort to update its
stodgy image. And if last year set the pat­
tern, perhaps half of those prototypes
will eventually go into production. Keep
your eyes on the Chevy Borrego and the
slinky Buick Bengal.
Honda's Model X is hard to ignore,
with its futuristic design and highly flex­
ible interior. This super-ute "has real
production potential," hints Honda
chief Tom Elliott. And there's no doubt
about the future of the Acura RS-X. It's
a thinly disguised version of the
automaker's next-generation Integra.
Long the show car trendsetter,
Chrysler's got the striking Crossfire, a
retro-influenced roadster with a super­
charged, 2.7-liter V-6.
DaimlerChiysler's Jeep division also
used the Detroit show to take the wraps
off its first all-new Jeep nameplate since
the 1992 introduction of the Grand
Cherokee. About the size of the new
Ford Escape, Liberty is the replacement
for the aging base Cherokee.
DaimlerChrysler's also offering an early
look at an all-new version of the Dodge
Ram pickup which goes on sale this fall.
Trucks, it seems, are the hottest things
on four wheels these days. In recent
years, the domestic manufacturers dom-
nated this profitable segment, but that's
changing fast. Nissan's ready to run with
its first-ever full-size pickup. BMW’s
scored big with its X5 "Sport-Activity
Vehicle," and Detroit highlighted a new
high-performance version at the Detroit
show.
One of the Motor City show's most
eagerly awaited introductions was
Volkswagen's concept Microbus, the
modern-day reincarnation of VW's leg­
endary hippy van. Will it make it to mar­
ket? There are some serious technical
issues to overcome, but considering the
potential demand, the
German
automaker is trying hard.
There's growing interest in green
machines, and the enviro-minded Los
Angeles show saw several relevant
reveals, including the Dodge Powerbox.
It's a stylish and roomy SUV powered by
a combination of a CNG-fueled, 250-
horsepower supercharged V6 for the
rear wheels, and a 70-horsepower elec­
tric motor for the front axle. Powerbox's
batteries are recharged by recapturing
energy normally lost during braking or
coasting. The combination drivetrain
should yield significant improvements in
emissions, performance, and fuel econo­
my, and deliver a 350-mile range-if it
goes into production.
In all, over 70 production and show
vehicles made their debuts in Detroit
and Los Angeles, and you'll be seeing
many of them hit the showrooms-as well
as regional auto shows-over the next few
months.
www.onwheelsinc.com