A Lot of Electric Vehicles Add A Little Spark to the NAIAS
General Motors wanted everyone to know one thing when it kicked off the 2009 North American International Auto Show Sunday: they’re in it to win. A dramatically scaled down show display acknowledged the nearly fatal financial problems of the past year, but the product on display should convince even the most annoying Washington Bureaucrats (we’re looking at you Senator Shelby) that GM plans to win in every category it competes. Read more…
New Pickups, Alternative Fuels and a Real Surprise In The Motor City
Pickup sales may be slowing, but Ford and Dodge are still smart enough to know that if fuel efficiency can be increased American consumers will still pay up for the biggest and best on the block. Ford’s F-150 forgoes a power increase (probably a bad idea) in favor of several new innovations, including a retracting side step to access the bed without throwing ones back out. Advancements in the hydroformed frame bump up torsional rigidity by 10% while a completely flat load floor makes for easier cargo carrying in the cabin. The interior designs stick with the same basic look but many details are polished up, including the availability of a next-gen nav system and a whole new flagship luxury model called Platinum. Will it be enough for Ford to retain the best selling pickup title? Read more…
Automakers Show Off Their New Hardware
The second day of the Detroit Auto Show is usually reserved for the production vehicles that automakers will be betting the company on in the upcoming year and 2007 was no different. With the exception of Chrysler most of today’s big news was in the form of production, or thinly disguised production vehicles that we’re looking forward to getting out on the road in the upcoming year. Here’s our thoughts on some of today’s highlights. Read more…
A Grab Bag of Automotive Goodies!
Auto shows don’t come any bigger than the NAIAS and if day one was any indication the 100th anniversary of the Motor City’s annual automotive celebration will be one long remembered. Today we saw crossovers and convertibles, electric cars, sports sedans and monster diesels with more torque than any one transmission should be asked to contain. No, there doesn’t seem to be a central theme to this year’s show, but one universal truth remains: It’s still the granddaddy of them all! Read more…
The Crossovers Are Coming!
Automakers may be scaling back a bit on the press conference theatrics this year, but there’s been no slowdown in the amount of new product being debuted in Cobo. This year brings us everything from reborn muscle cars to luxury cars and, of course, the automakers’ favorite new segment, crossovers utility vehicles (CUVs). There was a definite interest in fuel economy this year, but thankfully not at the expense of power. Indeed, the product choices industry wide have never been better, as the following Showstoppers indicate. Read more…
Some Important Products Blow Into The Windy City
Below we’ve broken down what made news in the Windy City and why. Read more…
A Little Bit Of Everything
Following last year’s theme of “The Year of the Car”, automakers are preparing an even bigger wave of new products for the upcoming year but this time there is a bit of everything in the pipeline. This year’s show stoppers spanned all categories from two door two passenger glorified golf carts to car-like trucks and the ultimate in Detroit muscle cars. Below we’ve broken down what made news and why. Read more…
Year Of The Car Indeed
Ford is calling 2004 the year of the car and by the look of things on opening day in Detroit, that slogan applies to the entire industry. Ford used its press conference to roll out several significant production products including the Ford Five Hundred sedan, Freestyle crossover and Mustang coupe. A tidy but rugged off-road concept showed up wearing the Bronco nameplate and the King Ranch edition of the F-150 also made its public debut. Read more…
