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Notes, quotes and observations from the show floor
Chinese automaker Geely paid its second visit to the Detroit auto show and held a press conference at its concourse display of two cars. Two cars that aren’t coming here: a London Taxi and a sedan. The company also showed a video depicting a quaint romance initiated when Boy’s car splashes a puddle on Girl’s dress; there was also a cute dog. Geely was on hand to talk about a new safety technology, BMBS, which automatically slows down a car after a blow out while keeping the vehicle traveling in a straight line. The system has been tested at speeds up to 111 mph, and video of those tests was shown. The company’s chairman, Li Shufu, said through a translator that Detroit was chosen because of the size of the show, the size of the media coverage and as a demonstration of China’s ability to innovate.
The company is very proud of having all of the design and fabrication done in house. Frank Zhao, vice president in charge of technology, outlined the company’s current engineering, which includes eight vehicle platforms, seven engines and eight transmissions, including a CVT. Several dozen variations can be developed from those building blocks, said the former Chrysler engineer. In addition, the company has diesel and hybrid programs; the diesel vehicles meet current European standards, as do the gasoline-powered vehicles. Zhao says there is still work to be done on emissions, safety, dealer network and determining what segments to import to the States. When the final question of when the company would be bringing vehicles to the U.S. was asked, the answer was “probably soon� but also “tough to say.� While several executives spoke through a translator, the language and cultural gap was bridged with that answer. It was very much in keeping with the kind of vagaries we’ve long gotten used to from the rest of the auto industry.
– BB
The auto show season is now more than half over, and Mercury is still not breathing on its own. Nothing new shown at SEMA. Same for the Los Angeles Auto Show and again in Detroit. OK, they did show the current – last? – lineup of five badge-engineered vehicles. The last time Mercury had a distinct model was the 1999-2002 Mercury Cougar, a front-wheel-drive sport compact that didn’t sell. It’s been downhill from there, although at one time opportunity existed when Ford had what seemed like a large surplus of cash. The effort just wasn’t made. The Ford division and member of what’s left of the Premier Auto Group seems destined for the crusher. But before that, the brand is being left to rust in the junkyard of no distinct models and not even a hint of anything new. I suppose there’s some kind of business case for keeping it around. Mercury is sold alongside Lincoln in most dealers and it doesn’t cost that much to slap on new badges and a few styling tweaks on those Fords. Chicago and New York sure look like they’ll go the same way. To think that less than a decade ago, Ford could have taken the Forty-Nine Concept and built the savior of Mercury, a car that would make the Chrysler 300 look stuffy. Alas, they didn’t and the brand looks likely to join Plymouth and Oldsmobile in the history books.
– BB
Last year, it was different. Changfeng Motors arrived exultantly, apparently not aware of the gulf that existed between the cars currently for sale and what they wanted to sell here, in America. You remember: The ripples in the sheetmetal. The plastic fantastic interior with toxic death cloud. The crank windows and school-boy instrument panel graphics. At the time, they let us know they were coming, yes sir, with smiles and aggressive talk about dominance. There was even a video with marching soldiers and a mushroom cloud, yet all the while they smiled and gave gifts, perfect visitors to the center of the automotive universe. They were different this year. After all, you can only heap so much ridicule on a person before they get mean and twisted, and Changfeng sure got a belly full of snide last year from journalists.
So they kept their press conference quick and sharp, with a People's Heavy scowling and staring and standing very still behind the speakers. To their credit, they softened things by having a booth babe in a flower gown stand next to their latest new car, the Kylin, which is sort of a smallish crossover-styled wagon that seats five and is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Judging from her pinched smile and clenched fingers, it was clear that she was quite nervous. Indeed, it took all of four minutes or so for her to flee in face of the thundering herd of large automotive journalists curious to see the latest and greatest from Changfeng.
Mr. Happy - the People's Watcher -- was not so relieved. It was clear by the puss on his face that he had never witnessed such boorish behavior. The cameras, the shouting and waving, the lights and questions, oh so many questions and many quite rude. He especially got a pout on when some old swagish scribe asked when Changfeng would be here, you know, actually selling cars. The crowd hushed because, judging from the vehicles at the press conference, why, that was a stupid question. They'd never be here. Not with noxious fumes coming off shiny dash caps, and finger-snap door handles.
The CE0, who at the time was delivering happy talk about designing and building two new vehicles every year, avoided the question, squirming and ducking like an old Ford pro. Yet still, the old swag persisted. Pushed. Mr. Happy frowned. After a few taut seconds, the CEO caved and confirmed that they hoped to be here, yes, here, selling cars in 2009. At that, a murmur rippled through the crowd; a few people grunted and shook their heads in disbelief.
The swag, having caused a little trouble, looked pleased. The CE0, having told a really big lie, looked nervous and worried, and glanced over his shoulder at Mr. Happy, just to be sure.
Mr. Happy smiled.
But the Garden Girl, she laughed at such a strange and far-fetched notion. Or maybe that was just what she, the CEO and all the assembled press wanted to do.
--BC
So, we're at Chrysler's Firehouse dinner, an after-show gathering of us and 500 or so of our closest journalist friends, drinking beer and eating some pretty good bar food. Luckily, it looked like most of them weren't in wheelchairs, since handicapped access to the bathrooms was a little inconvenient, according to this sign. The journey to the elevator and the fourth floor would test the structural integrity of any beer-swilling journalist, but for our differently abled friends, well, it almost comes off as a mean joke, although we're sure it's not meant to be.
--KB
Audi had a demo version of its 6.0-liter V-12 TDI twin turbo diesel engine on a stand near the R8 concept in which the same engine resided. It’s an impressive piece, as you might expect, with heavy duty everything surrounding the combustion chambers. Diesels are built to last, and the engine’s lack of belts for timing is a great example. In fact, there are so many chains that in motion, it gives the engine a serpentine appearance as they all squiggle through their cycles. Indiana Jones would hate it.
--KB
BMW had one of the most impressive displays at the show, with a series of rings that, when viewed from the right angle, looked like they went on into infinity in a tunnel behind the central car on display, a 1 Series convertible. Now, quick, what does it all remind you of? If you’re below a certain age you said “Stargate,� but if you’re above a certain age, you were thinking “Time Tunnel.� For the record, most of our staff said “Stargate.�
--KB
As a photographer, it’s hard enough fighting hordes of photographers and videographers for shooting space, dealing with uncertain lighting conditions and not knowing how the program will be presented. There are a lot of variables we shooters have to deal with, now some manufacturers, cough VW and Audi cough, have decided to throw one more wrench into the mix: Moving obstacles.
It seems having giant rolling cameras at each side of the stage and a roaming cameraman dragging along a cable caddy shooting live footage has taken precedence these days over allowing journalists the needed clean view of the products being presented. Then there is the executive in the tailored suit that stands like a monument on stage in front of the cars for the ENTIRE presentation! Look buddy, we just want to see the cars!
On behalf of all beleaguered photographers, please, just give us three clean rotations of the turntable without your executives and masses of cameramen.
--RP
Much has been made of hybrids and green technology, but General Motors quietly (very quietly) introduced yet a third propulsion system on its diesel-electric E-Flex based Saturn Flextreme concept: Stagehands (see arrow). Apparently the one-off concept had a little trouble getting up the ramp to the stage. The good news is that the pusher didn’t seem like he had to work very hard, as the car was trying desperately to get up the slope on its own, and once it crested the top it managed to get to the turntable under its own power. Hey, GM virtually stole the show with cars like the Cadillac CTS Coupe concept, the CTS-V, the various Saturn hybrids and the mere presence of the Corvette ZR-1, but it can’t all go smoothly.
--KB
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One of the more discussed displays was that of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Set into a wall about three feet above the floor, the setup gave the impression that the Prancing Horse and its car babes were on display in an aquarium. The only thing ruining the illusion were the three-foot glass panels that we believe were meant to keep the models from falling off the stage, not to keep people out.
No matter which of the high-end carmakers you were visiting, it was amusing to discover that models were permitted to stand next to or sit in cars, but were not allowed to stand in front of them. They are accessories, after all, not the stars of the show. Yeah, right. Try to tell that to the cameramen. Even more humorous were the lengthy coaching sessions that took place before press conferences, obviously explaining to the two-legged automotive accessories how and where to stand.
During the Ferrari press conference the glass panels were removed from the front of the Scuderia’s pseudo-glass case so cameras would have a clear view of the car. With the removal of this safety feature by a couple of guys sporting huge suction cups, the models were asked to take a few steps further away from the now perilous edge. With all the directions about how to stand, they shouldn’t be burdened with having to worry about the edge of the stage as well.
While this was happening, I did hear the faintest sound of air being sucked into the vacuum of space. I’m sure it was just the suction cups used to remove the glass and not any other automotive accessories on display.
--VH
If you see an ad for the upcoming 2009 Ford F-150 with an unbelievable price, make sure to check the fine print – it might offer half the features you might expect.
Bad jokes aside, this “cutaway� version of Ford’s redesigned light-duty truck is on display here in Detroit, giving all who stop by the Blue Oval booth an inside look, literally, at the ’09 F-150.
-- TB
Way back in the day when Lexus introduced the U.S. to Japanese luxury, it did so with what many considered to be style heavily borrowed from the likes of Mercedes-Benz. Years later, sprouting Korean companies adopted a similar philosophy and subsequently offered American car shoppers a new breed of vehicles that drew styling cues from a variety of their favorite rides. Still, the Korean badge always gave them away. Well, Hyundai may have found a way around this pesky problem. On display at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show were two nearly identical all-new 2009 Genesis sedans, one more of an entry-level version and the other a high-end variant. Interesting that the less expensive Genesis, powered by a V-6, wore a familial grille with the H badge proudly displayed front and center.
And then there was the premium V-8 Genesis. Notice anything different? Exactly – that H badge has disappeared. Maybe that’s the answer luxury-aspiring nameplates have been looking for – if you’re a mainstream manufacturer that wants to move upscale, add all the features your targeted demographic expects and, before finishing, make sure to rip off that big ‘ol badge.
-- TB
Growing up in Maine, my first car was a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive Datsun B210 that provided lesson after lesson when it came to driving in inclement weather. In winter, that little rusted-out two-door was shod with studded snow tires which, unfortunately, didn’t keep me and my $550 ride out of a ditch during December flurries. Maybe tires with snowflake imprints, like these shown on the Saab 9-4X BioPower displayed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, would’ve served me better. Or maybe my high school buddies would’ve taken one look and ridiculed me mercilessly.
-- TB
Once reserved for these shores, Buick has gone global with its plan to put a car in every geriatric’s driveway.
-- TB
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Lamborghini didn’t bring any new cars to the table in Detroit, just new blue paint, Blu Cepheus. The new paint was shown on a Murcielago LP640 Coupe and Roadster. Also shown was a matte brown (nearly black) paint called Marrone Apus on a Gallardo Spyder, the same color that first appeared on the Reventon. The two colors shown side by side have us wondering if Lamborghini isn’t trying to send an unwritten message to the competition they are going to beat them black and blue.
--VH
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Meet…not eat… the Tang Hua amphibious vehicle. It looks like what can only be described as the bun for the famous Wienermobile. The manufacturer makes several electric vehicles of varying odd shapes, but this one is truly special due to its aquatic ability and the fact that it looks like it was built to transport a wiener. In fact, it is so special the manufacturer claims on the exhibit sign:
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“Renowned environmentalists - President Bush, ordering this car for his Texas ranch.�
Huh. Wonder why President Bush would want to ride around in a hot dog bun?
--VH
With no hybrids on the road and Chrysler Aspens rusting on lots, it can’t just be a simple coincidence that Chrysler named the group responsible for electric-drive vehicles ENVI. Really, we all know how it is. Sometimes you don’t mean to tell the truth about how your really feel, but it slips out anyway. Officially, the acronym stands for Environmentally Responsible Electric-drive Vehicle Technology, or, as we like to say, that thing got a Hemi and an electric drive under the hood. Here’s hoping that Chrysler actually does build a Jeep with a diesel hybrid powertrain…if they do, we’ll just see who’s jealous, won’t we?
While we wait for that, however, Chrysler has the Jeep Renegade with its small, 1.3-liter three-cylinder Bluetec diesel and lithium-ion battery pack. That gives the Renegade a range of 400 miles and a miles-per-gallon rating of 115. Dodge gets the performance concept, and with that futuristic car comes an electric-only powerplant and lithium-ion battery pack capable of generating 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Chrysler, meanwhile, gets the more luxurious ecoVoyager with a 0-60 mpg rating of under 8 seconds and a really nifty cab-forward design.
--BC
Rolls-Royce is on a tear, at least, as far as a builder of premium hand-crafted motorcars can be. Sales are up worldwide about 25 percent, and cars are selling so briskly that the company is going to add multiple shifts to its production line.
This doesn’t mean that the company is sitting comfortably on its year-long “orderback� (that’s “back order� to us colonials) of Drophead convertibles. Rolls is close to unveiling the production coupe version of the Phantom Drophead, a car that will surely dazzle onlookers as much as the convertible version does. Additionally, the much-rumored “small� Rolls-Royce is also well into development, along with its new engine. We were surprised to hear the word “efficiency� used to describe it, considering that is likely one of the furthest things from the typical Rolls-Royce customer’s mind.
With such a rarefied image, it’s sometimes a little hard to remember that Rolls-Royce is also a car company, one that’s owned by Germans no less. In that context, the production-specific presentation isn’t unusual, as RR’s corporate parent BMW loves nothing more than touting how many cars it sold in a given span of time, not to mention that there was no actual new car for the company to show off.
For us, however, it’s about the cars which, no matter what you think of their styling, are as stately as an English manor, and just as impressive to see in person.
--KB
Maranello’s sports cars have always been about performance and luxury, if not out-and-out competition. So, the notion that Ferrari would entertain the idea of a green car could seem like a distraction, if not a folly of publicity. However, the F430 Spider Biofuel isn’t merely about a “feel-good, green press release.� The Italian company is looking not only to its future on the world’s public highways, but to the trend in motor racing toward the use of biofuels. Formula 1 and the American Le Mans Series require teams to use gasoline that contains biomass such as ethanol. So, Ferrari took a 430 Spider and modified it to run on E85. The result is a car that has 10 more horsepower, a bit more torque and weighs the same as the regular version. Ferrari says it also cut CO2 emissions by 5 percent, and the company’s goal is to lower emissions by 40 percent by 2012. Setting the numbers aside, the important aspect is that a company with Ferrari’s vast technical resources is bringing its expertise to bear on cutting carbon emissions.
It’s not enough that your press conference is outdoors, in January, in Detroit. Nor is it enough that the 120 head of cattle weren’t the most exciting way to show off the new Dodge Ram and a few of the longhorns got into a dominance play that looked like something else. No, the final insult that Chrysler had no control over was the scrolling electric sign on the outside of Cobo Arena and just visible behind the spectator tents, which was announcing the “All new Ford F-150.�
– BB
Oh, GM! You and your clever on-stage tie-ins. Yesterday it was Chris Bliss, juggling and keeping (snicker) several balls in the air at the same time! Just like today’s automakers! Well, today Saturn kicked off its conference with a guitarist onstage, strumming away but barely audible because he needed to plug in his guitar. Get it? Plug in? Just like the new plug-in Vue hybrid that rolled onstage a few minutes later. At least there wasn’t a choir singing lustily to each car as it came out, as was the case with Cadillac earlier in the morning.
--KB
We see displays like this at auto shows fairly often. A manufacturer, limited on floor space, mounts one of its cars to a wall. We always wonder though, is this really a good idea? After all, the wall it’s mounted to is temporary, and even if it’s a fake car, it still probably weighs a lot. We trust that Mini’s booth designers took all that into account when putting together the display. Still, how come all the Mini people took a wide path around the area under the car as they busied back and forth? Hmm....
--KB
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In the Toyota area, we were on the lookout for the new Toyota A-Bat Concept and found what appears to be the A-BAT under cover waiting for its Detroit unveiling. We were stunned to see the covered vehicle was dwarfed by the Prius in the background. No word on who the A-BAT’s targeted market is, but we will keep our spy photographers posted on the Yellow Brick Road if Toyota ever decides to put this concept into production.
--VH
Okay, okay, we get the whole Cadillac is red hot thing. But come on. Where’s the duck? Or the Cimarron? If the General debuts many more cars that look like the CTS Coupe Concept, we may start quacking ourselves, actually. Production plans were not announced, beyond a stifled grin and the muttered “we’re really serious about this car.� Quack. Not mentioned was the commitment to build the thing at the Lansing, Michigan plant for 2009. Quack, Quack.
--BC
Have a fat bank account? Live in a nice house? Consider yourself affluent? That’s great, but you’re still not among those Maserati is targeting as consumers of what it portrays as some pretty freakin’ exceptional machines. We took the Quattroporte for a spin last year and walked away only moderately impressed, but then again, we’re more than a few bucks short of what Maserati considers a worthy buyer. And, no, these aren’t simply the rants of a scribe dressed in a JCPenney suit, they’re the paraphrased words of Maserati representatives.
While showcasing the Quattroporte GT S and new Quattroporte Collezione Cento (of which only 100 will be made) inside the Cobo Center, company execs said in plain English (so even the mere affluent in the crowd could understand) that they were going directly for the “super rich� – people who are unaffected by silly stock market fluctuations, bothersome little issues like weighing a mortgage versus a new-car purchase, and quite possibly other plebian concerns such as retirement savings and college tuition bills. There’s no room in the halls of Maserati for these nuisances. Instead, the trident brand desires to focus on its self-made version of exclusivity, a characterization Maserati deserves not due to style and content but because of extremely-limited availability, despite sales that have grown significantly over the past several years.
So, next time you see a Quattroporte or GranTurismo, make sure to fill your lungs with that rare, exalted air. If it’s a Quattroporte Collezione Cento, you’d better bow, my friend – you’ve been blessed by the presence of true greatness.
-- TB
Mitsubishi has taken to trotting out older models - much older in some cases - at auto shows and other events, and we applaud them for it. After all, for many people it's hard to imagine that Japanese companies have been around for a long, long time, and that they made more than four-wheeled motorized transportation appliances. Showing off the occasional cool old thing is just as good an idea for Mitsubishi as is Chevy displaying a classic Camaro at an auto show. In this case, Mitsubishi showed off this one-off prototype from 1973. Called the R73X, the only info we could find on it was the year and that it had a 290 horsepower 2.0-liter engine, a detuned version of the R69B engine that won Mitsubishi the Japanese Grand Prix in 1971. We're totally taking a very small website at its word here, so don't come at us with pitchforks and torches if we're wrong.
Anyhow, the point is this: Are we the only ones that are looking back fondly at old Japanese iron, and thinking that these cars had some real style that went unappreciated in their time? I mean, look at this little beauty. Rear drive, sleek lines, and a distinctive nose and tail. It got my car lust going, and not because it looks a little like a Mustang fastback, but because it's neat in its own right.
--KB
Kia knows the way to an automotive journalist's heart is free food, and boy, do they deliver. The basketball-themed event included ThunderStix, scantily clad models throwing head and wristbands to the crowd, Kia's North America chief Len Hunt giving a basketball-pun heavy speech about the Borrego, former NBA stars largely missing baskets and of course, hot dogs, pretzels and soda. If it had been beer instead of soda, we can only image the glowing coverage they would have earned. Why all the hoop-la? Kia is now the official automotive sponsor of the NBA. We give it six months before we see Borregos with 24-inch spinners.
--KB
We know we shouldn't take pictures like this. After all, it just reinforces all sorts of negative stereotypes about auto shows, Italian cars, big dumb males, etc. On the other hand, Lamborghini obviously went to a lot of trouble to hire models to stand next to its cars, and it's surely not easy standing there and playing nice to every goon with a camera that wanders your way. The least we can do is show that Lamborghini's money is well spent and, by maximizing their exposure...I mean...coverage, maybe they can shell out a little more money for their models next year. So, really, this is all about helping the careers of these two women, not us being primitives.
Yeah, that's it.
--KB
Honda created the Bluest Place on Earth for the introduction of the Pilot concept. With three giant screens of blue LEDs, a blue video screen and blue overhead lighting, the effect was strangely hard on the eyes. Then, after about five minutes, just as our eyes had finally adjusted to the blueness...
WHAM, all the lights turned a brilliant red. Now, I’m not positive that the Honda reps on hand were wearing sunglasses when it happened, but I do know that my watch was suddenly five minutes fast and, wow, I really want a new Pilot....
--KB
With jugglers, rappellers, fake snow and skiers, there was a lot to distract from the central message of GM CEO Rick Wagoner’s speech: Ethanol. Citing several statistics about the benefits of ethanol – namely its enviro-friendliness – he went on to be surprisingly honest about how little of the stuff is actually available. This is a sticking point for GM, since the company has invested a lot of time and effort into making ethanol its short-term alternative fuel of choice.
The problem is infrastructure: There are a lot of cars that are capable of running on E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline), but very few places to actually get it. Wagoner claims that if all the cars currently capable of running on ethanol actually did so, we’d save tens of millions of gallons of gasoline each year.
So what to do when you’re a major automotive manufacturer betting a certain amount of the farm (no pun intended) on an agricultural fuel? Why, partner with a company that makes the stuff of course. However, the partnership was announced with Coskata, a company with a method of making ethanol from virtually any biomass or as it turns out, old tires.
GM states that when Coskata’s production facility is working at full capacity by 2011, it will be able to produce 50-100 million gallons of ethanol annually. According to the company, Coskata’s process makes ethanol for less than $1 per gallon, using less than 1 gallon of water per gallon of ethanol, and significantly less energy and fewer greenhouse emissions. Too good to be true? Sounds like it, but GM claims to have vetted the process thoroughly, and by throwing its considerable weight behind Coskata’s process it’s furthering its commitment to ethanol by helping to provide an infrastructure for the fuel.
Good move by our count.
--KB
When it comes to auto show press conferences, Chrysler has a reputation for putting on a show. For the introduction of the new Dodge Ram pickup, the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company rounded up 120 head of cattle and had 10 wranglers drive them up the street to where the new truck would be introduced by Chrysler President Jim Press, clad in a barn coat. The cowboys coaxed the longhorns into making a lane, and two of the three Rams drove through to the presentation spot. While it mostly came off without a, uh, hitch, one of the longhorns decided a dominance challenge was in order resulting in some cow-on-cow action. After about a minute of laughter, Press said, “OK. Look at the truck!�
That was one of the few of Press's comments lacking a pun about how the Ram fits in the pickup market. For example:
“There’s a whole herd of choices.�
“Need to stand out from the herd.�
“This is a real truck, and that ain’t no bull.�
“This truck has separated itself from the herd.�
“And you won’t have to wait until the cows come home to get one.�
By then we’d heard enough of Mr. Press’ cow pun-ching performance.
– BB
For a moment there I was, 17 and watching Porky’s, not sitting and sweating in the third row of a Mercedes-Benz press conference at the Detroit Auto Show. It was then, as if in a dream, Ms. Kim Cattrall rolled out in the new Vision GLK Freestyle. Many of you know Kim from her role in Sex in the City. Not I, no sir. Call me stunted and weird, but I remember Kim as a 80s Angel Beach diva. Ah, memories. Clearly, others in the crowd also remembered Kim from the good old days, because she and that cute little red sweater number held the crowd in rapt attention, completely eclipsing Dieter and the car. Thanks to Kim’s star power, Dieter could have stood there and howled for all the good it would have done.
The shame of it is that the GLK is quite a cool little number, with aggressive lines and a very sporty stance. With a four-cylinder Bluetec diesel under the hood, the GLK promises good things off the C-Class platform. The car? On sale next January. Kim? The movie Sex in the City comes out in May. Until then, just head down to the local rental store and pick up a copy of Porky’s.
--BC
The Detroit Auto Show is often called a circus, and it is. Complete with jugglers, at least at GM's morning press conference. Juggler extraordinaire Chris Bliss juggled three tennis balls to the Beatles' Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End medley. It looks cooler than it sounds, as Bliss's technique is so effortless the balls look like they're floating in air. So, what was the point? GM CEO Rick Wagoner tied it all together when he said that the auto industry has a lot of balls in the air right now because of environmental and fuel economy concerns. Get it?
--KB
Just minutes before the boys at Dodge started herding cattle in front of the Cobo Center, Bill Ford and crew were dealing with bull in their own way. No, not the B.S. variety. Instead, it was professional bull rider Justin McBride, who took the stage as part of the official 2009 F-150 debut. After a testosterone-filled preamble, McBride (with some help from a teleprompter) saddled Ford’s updated light-duty pickup with praise, as did country swooner Toby Keith, NASCAR’s Rick Crawford, Monster Jam’s Linsey Weenk, and a smattering of proud F-150 designers and assembly line workers.
This will be an interesting year, as the redesigned Ram and F-150 vie for buyers’ attention. We can’t say which will be more successful, but we can say this: The F-150 launch smelled better.
--TB
At a recent media event, Ford executives confirmed that the European-designed Verve Sedan Concept will lead to a 2010 production model. That leaves the three-door Verve in question, at least for the North American market. Ford brought the Verve hatch to Detroit in an effort to gauge public opinion. If the feedback is positive, we might see this smaller and more contemporary version of the now-deceased Focus ZX3 arrive on dealers’ lots. Otherwise, it and any ideas of U.S. sales will be shipped across the Pond to be forgotten forever…or until gas hits $5.00/gallon.
--TB
General Motor's relentless march toward the title of Greatest Car Maker That Ever Was continued today at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, courtesy of the folks who give out the North American Car of the Year Award. In case you live under a rock - or hate cars - the Chevrolet Malibu won it, making it the second year in a row a GM sedan took home the honor. We can't confirm it, but reports indicate that they tried to give the truck trophy to the Cadillac CTS, but at the last minute decided on the Mazda CX-9 instead.
--BC
Mazda execs, by the way, are standing by for photo ops. With or without Bob Lutz. Waiting...waiting...still waiting...hello! HEY we won the Truck of the Year...Over here guys!
--BC
The MyRide.com editorial staff would like send a big “Thank you!� to MyRide CEO Jim Riesenbach for not requiring us to wear uniforms. We have a new-found appreciation for nicely tailored suits.
-- BB.
See? We told you it was the Michelin Media Center, and there he is, Michelin's walking-pile-of-tires mascot Bibendum. We're hoping that this post teaches you at least a couple of things. First, that the Michelin Man actually has a name, and that second, he's a pile of tires. Whitewalls, obviously, from the time when car tires actually were white for some odd reason. Sadly, his dog was not with him.
--KB
Well, from the Michelin Media Center anyhow. With several hundred chairs, countless network connections, and a throng of sweaty, smelly journalists (with the notable exception of our own sweet-smelling Bob Beamesderfer in the foreground above), the Media Center is not the best place to see the show, but it has two notable features. First, the room is vast, bigger than the display areas of several of the manufacturers. Second, the floor is constantly shaking because of the constant stampede of journalists. Considering that we're on the third floor, it's a little unnerving. More updates from the actual show to come soon as things get underway in lovely Detroit.
--KB
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