Automotive Trends

      That thing gotta HEMI? Actually it has two! A 5.7L V8 is mounted in the front AND rear of the Jeep Hurricane concept for a total 670-hp and 740 lb-ft of torque on tap. The Hurricane is equipped with a sophisticated four wheel steer which will allow the vehicle to make tighter turns by turning the front and rear tires in opposite directions or lock all wheels in the same direction for crab steering the vehicle out of tight spaces. And this Jeep will spin like a top (or a Hurricane) thanks to the skid steer or toe steer feature! Come to think of it I believe this was the only vehicle we saw at the 2005 NAIAS that didn’t need a turn table to show itself off.

      The 2005 Ford Five Hundred was a capable fullsize family sedan with plenty of room for adults in all seat positions and a spacious trunk. Ford tried to woo SUV buyers with a tall upright seating position and all-wheel drive, as well as sell on economy with the modest 3.0L V6 and continuously-variable transmission. The end result, however, was a tall lethargic sedan clearly inspired by the F-150.

      When GM revealed the Saturn Aura Concept sedan at the 2005 NAIAS with it rolled out a new vision for the brand that didn’t include plastic body work with huge panel gaps and placid shapes. Combined with the stellar reputation Saturn’s dealer network carried it looked as though the General finally had a winning game plan for the brand. Unfortunately the economic melt down of 2008 would unravel all the hard work and leave Saturns destined to be display items for orphan car shows.

       The 2007 Dodge Avenger Stormtrooper is more than just a car for Star Wars nerds (like yours truly). Along with the George Lucas spec exterior cosmetic upgrades the interior features two mobile PC’s. The PC up front features ETAS INCA software for engine tuning while the one in the back seat is loaded with mobile entertainment software for video, gaming, music and internet connectivity. On loan from the Empire this Stormtrooper was found on display at the 2007 NAIAS.

      The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid proved to the world that you didn’t have to drive a jelly bean to be efficient over the road. In fact it proved that you didn’t have to stick to a road at all because the Escape is still available with all-wheel drive.

      The HCD9 Talus shown at the 2006 NAIAS was what Hyundai claimed to be the future of the sports car. Well, thankfully today’s sports cars still sit lower than the stratosphere. But do note that the rear quarter window on the HCD9 cleverly signals a styling cue of the future Genesis Coupe.

      The 2004 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch provides a good perch upon which to observe the harvest. Especially when viewing it from the Super Duty’s butter soft saddle leather captain’s chairs!

Let The Good Times Roll

     My second car was a 1994 Pontiac Firebird Formula with T-Tops and a lumbering LT1 small-block with enough torque to bring a smile to my face anytime I pulled away from a stop. Of course the steering was lifeless, the handling was nonexistent and the brake pedal felt like an air mattress foot pump. But none of that mattered because it looked good and went fast and it, along with its Chevy Camaro twin, hailed from the glory days of the Muscle Car. Both Living Legends to a young male with a horsepower fetish. So I was as sad as anyone when the F-Body was retired after 2002. But practically as soon as the last car rolled off the assembly line fans started to assume we’d see a new Mustang competitor soon. Several years passed until GM, keen to prove it was in the midst of a design renaissance, rolled a new Camaro concept onto the stage at the 2006 NAIAS. Personally I might have preferred a reborn Firebird, but this extroverted modern muscle car looks so retro right I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. And now I have—two actually. Read more…

      A new dawn of power indeed! Right out of the gate Audi’s R10 TDI LeMans racer was a force to be reckoned with powered by a 5.5L V12 turbodiesel churning out 650-hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. Call me crazy, but stuffing this mill under the hood of an A8 sure sounds like a good formula for a super saloon! Shown at the 2007 NAIAS.

      First Mercedes-Benz challenged our definition of a coupe by offering the CLS four door coupe.  This car had conventionally hinged doors front and rear but featured a dramatically impractical roofline.  Now Stuttgart is looking to challenge yet another body style definition.  This time the ‘shooting brake’ is being redefined. Read more…