Automotive Trends

      The Mercedes-Benz Detroit Auto Show Design Sculpture elegantly hints at what is on the horizon for product. What was described to us at the 2010 NAIAS as a car emerging from a flat plane (or a silk sheet) is in reality a closely and cleverly sculpted rendition of the next generation CLS 4-door coupe concept. Now this is the kind of art that we can get on board with!

      General Motors took an impressive step forward designing and building the GMT900 based 2007 GMC Yukon. The Yukon and Tahoe had some of the best craftsmanship we had seen in a fullsize SUV yet. The body panel gaps were tight and the interiors were exquisitely trimmed. Under the hood of the Yukon was a 5.3L V8 producing 320-hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. This engine featured the Active Fuel Management system that could cut power to 4-cylinders while under light load to reduce fuel consumption. This V8-V4 mode earned this fullsize SUV an impressive 21-mpg EPA highway rating.

      The summer car cruise season is upon us! To whet our appetites for what is to come, here is a 1957 Nash Ambassador we found at the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise. According to our resident historian (Design Editor Gernand), the Ambassador was a particularily unique car in that it offered true quad headlamps. A feature many car makers avoided as they would be banned from use in several states in 1958. Also, 1957 was the final year for Nash as American Motors Corporation would market all of their cars under the Rambler nameplate. As such, the car pictured here would carry over into 1958 rebranded as the Rambler Ambassador.

      This wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last, that an AT editor was called in for chauffeur duty. And while the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander did not quite fit the part of a limo, the AT garage was fresh out of Audis. But a bit of elbow grease and some window paint, and this wagon was the Chariot of Love! Yes, I’ll be the first to admit I uttered the words “aw cute!” but I blame it on the atmosphere of the day.

      The whole gang is together again for a chat about upcoming Buicks and Fords along with numerous future products we’ve seen testing around Detroit this week. We debate the success of Volkswagen’s New Beetle as its time draws to an end, the epic proportions of the President’s limo and Erich tells us how he didn’t get a ticket in his classic Caddy. Click through to join in on the fun.  Read more…

      Carroll Shelby, automotive racing and design legend, poses for pictures with the Ford Shelby Cobra concept car shown at the 2004 NAIAS. The Cobra was the first of many new Ford projects that would bear his name over the following years. True to Shelby’s original formula for automotive design the Cobra was a small car with a large engine shoehorned between the fenders. The 6.4L V10 powering this concept was capable of 605-hp and 501 lb-ft of torque.

      Ford and Harley-Davidson celebrated their centennial year anniversary in 2003, so logically that called for special editions of their respective product. Shown here is the 2003 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson. Complete with Harley-Davidson specific trim, 20″ wheels, chromed tube steps and side exiting chromed tailpipes. Under the hood was a detuned Ford Lightning 5.4L Supercharged V8 producing 340-hp and 425 lb-ft of entertainment (torque)! This engine combined with those shiny pipes produced a V8 burble that melted the hearts of bikers and truckers alike. We even managed to catch up with the coordinating bike during the truck’s stay with us!

      In 1994 VW showed a concept car that was immediately recognizable as drawing its inspiration from the vintage Beetle.  Originally ‘dubbed the Concept One (pun intended), the car would be modified into the production New Beetle.  While a successful design in many regards, this reborn Beetle failed to fully capture the spirit of the original.  Now facing its final model year after 13 long years of production, the New Beetle looks as aged as any of its contemporaries from 1998. Read more…

      At $100K the Cadillac XLR-V was the most expensive Cadillac you could buy at the time in 2007. Under the hood of this svelte Cadillac bodied Corvette is a 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V8. This motor channelled 443-hp and 414 lb-ft of torque through the rear mounted 6-speed automatic transmission. Shown here in the Elegance Collection of the 2007 Kettering University Firebird’s Car Show.

      Ford claims they grew this one. No really! The Model U, showcased at the 2003 NAIAS, is a test bed for bio-based alternative materials. The seat foam is a soy-based polyurethane. The tailgate is made from a soy-based polyester reinforced with fiberglass. There are corn based fillers in the rubber compound of the tires. Even most of the vehicle’s lubricants are an experimental sunflower seed oil base. Behind the soybean resin body panels is a supercharged 4-cylinder running on hydrogen. Daisies will be emitted from the tailpipes (ok, so I made that one up). The point is Ford sought renewable, and they got a car that can pretty much be put on the compost heap once its useful life is over.

      Happy Mother’s Day from you friends at Automotive Trends!!