Land Rover stole the show at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last weekend as it unveiled the LRX concept, a prototype for a new compact off-roader that is likely become the brand's entry model if the company's new owners, the Tata Group, give it the go-ahead.
The three-door LRX, with its handsome, purposeful looks mated to a clean 2-litre diesel hybrid powertrain with only 120g/kg of CO2 emissions, was displayed alongside a 1948 LandRover - 2008 is the brand's 60th anniversary.
The LRX's hybrid system incorporates an integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) that lets it use electric drive alone at lower speeds. And unlike hybrid technologies used on other SUVs, mechanical drive to all four wheels is retained.
Despite environmental pressure on the US auto industry, the 'Big Three' still depend on the full-size pick-up market for a huge chunk of their business. So green issues were put aside on Day One of the Detroit show, as both Ford and Chrysler unveiled new models.
With typical showmanship, Chrylser brought the streets of Detroit to a standstill - by driving a herd of 120 longhorn cattle down the road. The cattle - complete with cowboys and cowgirls - were there to announce the launch of the all-new Dodge Ram. Improvements include better interior finishes and a more powerful 5.7-litre hemi V8. The Ram will gain some green credentials in 2010, when hybrid and turbodiesel versions will join the range.
Ford didn't brave the Detroit chill, launching its F-150 pick-up inside the Cobo Arena. Ford has added many customer-oriented features to the truck, including flip-down steps on the tailgate and flexibile load restraints, while a stiffer chassis improves load-carrying and towing abilities. But there's no diesel until 2010, when the F-series also receives Ford's Ecoboost gas turbo direct injection engines.
Saab's future style made its debut at Detroit on the new 9-4X luxury sports-utility vehicle. The VW Touareg-sized 4x4 features styling cues inside and out that will feature on all future Saabs.
External features include a new, bolder treatment of the Saab grille and wraparound front and rear windscreens, while inside the driver's cockpit area is bolder, with a less vertical dashboard than on current Saab models. Interior trim colours feature distinctly 'Scandinavian' colours.
The car is likely to go on sale by the end of 2009. The prototype at Detroit had a flex-fuel two-litre turbo petrol engine developing 300bhp.
Ferrari brought two models - the 430 Scuderia and the 599 GTB Fiorano - to the show, besides a biofuel-powered technological demonstration prototype which uses the F430 Spider as a base.
The Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel uses an 85 per cent ethanol mix and was developed using experience gleaned in competition. Formula 1's technical regulations demand that petrol (gasoline) with 5.75 per cent biomass-derived content must be used, while the FIA GT and American Le Mans Series (ALMS), both of which were dominated by the F430 GT2 in 2007, use fuels with 10 per cent ethanol. Furthermore, E10 biofuels will be employed in the next A1GP Championship which Ferrari will be supplying with V8 engines.
General Motors repeated its successful GM Style auto show curtain-raiser, a glamorous eve-of-show party featuring performances by Mary J. Blige, pop band Maroon 5 and local Detroit rocker Kid Rock.
Cars on the catwalk included an original 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, and the new Buick Riviera concept first seen at the Shanghai Auto Show last year. The car was designed in China - where Buick is a major player. Also on show was the Chevrolet Malibu, the 2008 North American Car of the Year, and the car GM hopes will conquest sales from the market-leading Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Fresh from ripping up the Le Mans racing rulebook with the diesel-powered R10 TDI, Audi is exploring the possibility of breaking yet another mould with a road-going TDI supercar based on the R8. The R8 V12 TDI concept, unveiled in Detroit, replaces the production sports car's mid-mounted petrol FSI V8 with a 12-cylinder TDI endowed with an incredible 1,000Nm of torque.
Chrysler unveiled three brand new concept vehicles - the Chrysler Ecovoyager concept, Jeep Renegade concept and Dodge ZEO concept take advantage of the best new technologies and couple them with the room, comfort, speed and style customers want from their family vehicle.
The Chrysler Eco voyager four-door, four-passenger concept was developed for customers wanting a travel experience on par with a private jet, but without a lot of fancy gadgetry. The Jeep Renegade concept vehicle is a sporty, minimised two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather fun of dune-surfing or rock-crawling. The 2008 Dodge ZEO (Zero Emissions Operation) - concept is a four-passenger, all-electric, '2+2' sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand.
VW showed off the elegant new Passat CC. Drawing on the virtues of the Passat model, the new four-seat CC model features the profile and subtly aggressive stance of a coupé yet benefiting from four doors and four individual seats with plentiful headroom.
The Mazda Furai concept celebrates 40 years of Mazda's rotary engine and international motorsports heritage. On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in North America than any other brand of car.
Mazda neither intends to race Furai, nor is it a supercar the company plans to build and sell in the near future. Rather, Furai is a design study that lives between those extremes.
The three-door LRX, with its handsome, purposeful looks mated to a clean 2-litre diesel hybrid powertrain with only 120g/kg of CO2 emissions, was displayed alongside a 1948 LandRover - 2008 is the brand's 60th anniversary.
The LRX's hybrid system incorporates an integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) that lets it use electric drive alone at lower speeds. And unlike hybrid technologies used on other SUVs, mechanical drive to all four wheels is retained.
Despite environmental pressure on the US auto industry, the 'Big Three' still depend on the full-size pick-up market for a huge chunk of their business. So green issues were put aside on Day One of the Detroit show, as both Ford and Chrysler unveiled new models.
With typical showmanship, Chrylser brought the streets of Detroit to a standstill - by driving a herd of 120 longhorn cattle down the road. The cattle - complete with cowboys and cowgirls - were there to announce the launch of the all-new Dodge Ram. Improvements include better interior finishes and a more powerful 5.7-litre hemi V8. The Ram will gain some green credentials in 2010, when hybrid and turbodiesel versions will join the range.
Ford didn't brave the Detroit chill, launching its F-150 pick-up inside the Cobo Arena. Ford has added many customer-oriented features to the truck, including flip-down steps on the tailgate and flexibile load restraints, while a stiffer chassis improves load-carrying and towing abilities. But there's no diesel until 2010, when the F-series also receives Ford's Ecoboost gas turbo direct injection engines.
Saab's future style made its debut at Detroit on the new 9-4X luxury sports-utility vehicle. The VW Touareg-sized 4x4 features styling cues inside and out that will feature on all future Saabs.
External features include a new, bolder treatment of the Saab grille and wraparound front and rear windscreens, while inside the driver's cockpit area is bolder, with a less vertical dashboard than on current Saab models. Interior trim colours feature distinctly 'Scandinavian' colours.
The car is likely to go on sale by the end of 2009. The prototype at Detroit had a flex-fuel two-litre turbo petrol engine developing 300bhp.
Ferrari brought two models - the 430 Scuderia and the 599 GTB Fiorano - to the show, besides a biofuel-powered technological demonstration prototype which uses the F430 Spider as a base.
The Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel uses an 85 per cent ethanol mix and was developed using experience gleaned in competition. Formula 1's technical regulations demand that petrol (gasoline) with 5.75 per cent biomass-derived content must be used, while the FIA GT and American Le Mans Series (ALMS), both of which were dominated by the F430 GT2 in 2007, use fuels with 10 per cent ethanol. Furthermore, E10 biofuels will be employed in the next A1GP Championship which Ferrari will be supplying with V8 engines.
General Motors repeated its successful GM Style auto show curtain-raiser, a glamorous eve-of-show party featuring performances by Mary J. Blige, pop band Maroon 5 and local Detroit rocker Kid Rock.
Cars on the catwalk included an original 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, and the new Buick Riviera concept first seen at the Shanghai Auto Show last year. The car was designed in China - where Buick is a major player. Also on show was the Chevrolet Malibu, the 2008 North American Car of the Year, and the car GM hopes will conquest sales from the market-leading Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Fresh from ripping up the Le Mans racing rulebook with the diesel-powered R10 TDI, Audi is exploring the possibility of breaking yet another mould with a road-going TDI supercar based on the R8. The R8 V12 TDI concept, unveiled in Detroit, replaces the production sports car's mid-mounted petrol FSI V8 with a 12-cylinder TDI endowed with an incredible 1,000Nm of torque.
Chrysler unveiled three brand new concept vehicles - the Chrysler Ecovoyager concept, Jeep Renegade concept and Dodge ZEO concept take advantage of the best new technologies and couple them with the room, comfort, speed and style customers want from their family vehicle.
The Chrysler Eco voyager four-door, four-passenger concept was developed for customers wanting a travel experience on par with a private jet, but without a lot of fancy gadgetry. The Jeep Renegade concept vehicle is a sporty, minimised two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather fun of dune-surfing or rock-crawling. The 2008 Dodge ZEO (Zero Emissions Operation) - concept is a four-passenger, all-electric, '2+2' sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand.
VW showed off the elegant new Passat CC. Drawing on the virtues of the Passat model, the new four-seat CC model features the profile and subtly aggressive stance of a coupé yet benefiting from four doors and four individual seats with plentiful headroom.
The Mazda Furai concept celebrates 40 years of Mazda's rotary engine and international motorsports heritage. On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in North America than any other brand of car.
Mazda neither intends to race Furai, nor is it a supercar the company plans to build and sell in the near future. Rather, Furai is a design study that lives between those extremes.