Special Auto Show NEWSBREAKReport Tom Nash

seaters and small four-seat cars are not on the shopping HORSEPOWER VS. HYBRIDS lists of soccer moms. After driving and SUVs, they’re not interested in taking a step back in comfort, The 2005 North American International Auto Show in De- convenience and utility just to satisfy the need to save a troit left media attendees feeling like they had seen a Dr. little fuel and make the air a little cleaner. The movement Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie. While many companies touted to larger hybrids requires more power from bigger elec- “big, bad and powerful” as the theme for their 2006 and tric motors, fed by larger batteries, charged by more effi- concept creations, others preached “lean and green.” Some cient gasoline or diesel engines. companies espoused both mantras! Either way, it was all Hydrogen fuel cells are starting to be used in commer- about technology. cial vehicles and public transportation as a rolling proving The new “muscle cars” like the Ford Mustang, Chevy ground, but remain cost-prohibitive to produce and ex- Corvette Z06 and Dodge Charger use the latest engine, pensive to maintain at this point. While hybrids may be transmission and emissions technology to accomplish only a steppingstone to fuel cells, they’re at least opera- performance in a safer, more economical and environ- tional, affordable and maintainable. mentally friendly manner. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the more The new and upcoming hybrids are likewise dripping noteworthy vehicles from among more than 60 unveil- with new technologies, needed to move the half-breed ings of new production and concept vehicles intro- vehicles into the realm of usability by families. Two- duced at the show.

NEW MODELS minum, carbon fiber and magnesium, comes equipped with a basic 4.0L, 210- Chevy Corvette Z06 to bring curb weight down to 3130 hp SOHC . Buyers who opt lbs. The result is 0 to 60 in less than 4 for the GT model get a 4.6L V8 with Chevrolet unveiled the Corvette Z06 seconds and to the quarter-mile in un- high-performance model. Its 7.0L variable timing that churns out 300 der 12 seconds, with a top speed of horses. Buyers can also choose between (427-cu.-in.) LS7 engine pumps out a 190 mph. healthy 500 hp and 475 Ft.-lbs. of a standard five-speed Tremec manual torque. Like Corvette’s C6-R race car, 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible transmission or the new 5R55S five- the Z06 is constructed with lots of alu- The 2005 Mustang Convertible speed automatic. continued on page 74

2005 Ford Mustang Convertible

Chevy Corvette Z06

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Dodge Charger As expected, Dodge unveiled the Charger to fill the void left by the Intrepid, a brand mainstay for a dozen years. Charger reprises the name of the muscle car from the ’60s and ’70s, but this time with four doors. It also gives NASCAR a replacement for the Intrepid. The Charger comes with the potent 5.7L, 340-hp Hemi and a five-speed auto trans. Look for special retro name and color 6.1L Hemi edition pack- ages, like Daytona, to follow. The Charger also can be ordered with a 3.5L engine, but like, who cares? Dodge Charger Ford Fusion/Lincoln Zephyr Ford Motor Company showed two new mid- size vehicles based on the same platform as the Mazda6, but a little longer and wider. The Ford Fusion Ford Fusion comes standard with a 2.3L 4- that cranks out 160 hp, coupled to ei- ther a five-speed manual transmission or five- speed automatic. The V6 option is a 3.0L, 210-hp Duratec, which can be mated to a six- speed automatic. The Lincoln Zephyr is the luxury version, with lots of leather and wood. Eventually, a Mercury Milan edition will be positioned between the two. Saturn Sky Saturn showed the sporty Sky , the first of several models planned to revive the ailing GM fledgling division. The two-seater has a retractable softtop that folds completely into the trunk. The Sky is powered by a 2.4L, 170-hp Ecotec engine attached to a short-throw five-speed Lincoln Zephyr manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is optional. Honda Ridgeline Honda steps into the pickup truck arena for 2006 with the four-door Ridgeline. It’s powered by a 3.5L, 255-hp VTEC V6 engine with 252 ft.-lbs. of torque, mated to a standard five-speed automatic transmission. It features a four-wheel fully independent suspension and a Variable Torque Management 4-Wheel Drive System (VTM- 4WD) that can transfer up to 70% of the available torque to the rear wheels. The new half-tonner sports a steel- reinforced composite bed, lockable watertight storage under the truck bed and a dual-action tailgate that lowers like a traditional tailgate or swings away to the side. Mercedes-Benz M-Class Almost overlooked during the glitzy press days unveilings was Mercedes’ revamped M- Class SUV. The sport/ute’s success is impor- tant to Mercedes-Benz because it’s their biggest seller in the States and accounts for a goodly chunk of its profit. Two models will be offered for 2006—the ML350, powered by a new 268-hp, 3.5L V6 with variable tim- Saturn Sky ing and the ML500, propelled by a 302-hp,

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Honda Ridgeline

Mercedes-Benz M-Class

5.0L V8. A stalk on the steering column (no console- mounted shifter) engages the seven-speed automatic trans- mission, which can be manually shifted by the Touch Shift buttons at the back of the steering wheel.

CONCEPT VEHICLES GM Sequel Although General Motors showed its near-future Gra- phyte dual-mode hybrid, it was the hydrogen cell proto- type, the Sequel (shown on the next page), that drew the most attention. It’s the next generation of last year’s Hy- Wire hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, with its body mounted on an 11-in.-thick skateboardlike platform containing all driving components. Using the fourth-generation GM fuel cell stack, it can do 0 to 60 in about nine seconds. Three compressed hydrogen tanks hidden inside the platform give it a range of 300 miles. Ford Fairlane Ford unveiled its new approach to the luxury people- mover concept, designed for family or group travel. The tall, boxy body has three rows of seats, lots of glass and, at the rear, a kitchen with refrigerator, cutting board and utensils, for tailgating or the impromptu picnic. The side doors open clam style, for easy access. The tailgate opens continued on page 76

March 2005 75 NEWSBREAK NEWSBREAK NEWSBREAK NEWSBREAK down or swings away in either direction. The Fairlane is powered by a 210-hp, 3.0L Duratec DOHC V6, driving GM Sequel an AWD system. There are lots of safety features, includ- ing stability control and a safety canopy rollover air bag system. LF-A Lexus showed the gorgeous LF-A concept vehicle, consid- ered by many to be a luxury street version of its Formula 1 car. It’s powered by a competition-style engine of under 5.0L, but its more than 500 hp pushes top speed to over 200 mph. While the LF-A is officially only a con- cept at this time, company officials did confirm that a car of this type is being considered for production. Jeep Hurricane Just when you think you’ve seen it all, DaimlerChrysler outdoes itself. Following on 2002’s Tomahawk V10-pow- ered motorcycle and the 850-hp ME Four-Twelve supercar last year, the engineers at Auburn Hills unveiled the Jeep Hurricane, a dune buggy with not one, but two Hemi en- gines! With one 5.7L at each end of the vehicle, the total of 670 hp and 740 ft.-lbs. of torque drives the wheels through a special system of electromechanical controls. It sports a one-piece ultra-lightweight carbon fiber and titanium body. Ford Fairlane The uber off-roader can toe both sets of wheels inward and spin on its own axis! Rolls-Royce 100EX From the ridiculous to the sublime (and still a little ridiculous), Rolls-Royce says this “experimental” vehicle was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. It’s made with plenty of weight-saving aluminum, both structurally and on the exterior—most notably the brightly polished hood and window frame. Under the shiny hood lies a 9.0L, 64-valve, naturally aspirated V16 engine that cranks out nearly 700 hp to turn the big 21-in. wheels. Its huge clam-style doors allow easy access to the luxurious ma- hogany and dark leather interior. For tailgating, the split trunk lid folds out to become a table to serve the cham- Lexus LF-A pagne and caviar.

Jeep Hurricane

Rolls-Royce 100EX

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