Detroit Auto Show: Chrysler's audacity of hope

January 12, 2009 | 8:11 am

It's abundantly clear at the moment that Chrysler LLC is whistling past the graveyard. And yet, that sure is some pretty whistling. Behold the Chrysler 200C, a mid- to- full-size concept that, given its timing and nomenclature, is a cinch to be the replacement for the ~~aging Gansta 300C~~ unloved Sebring.

Chrysler trotted this baby out as part of its larger push to promote plug-in and and electric mobility solutions. With ENVI labs' modular and scalable EV architecture, the 200C can/should/may travel up to 40 miles on all-electric lithium-ion battery charge before a small, sub-1-liter turbocharged gas engine kicks in to charge the battery, for a total range of more than 400 miles.

And now here's why you should ignore all that. Because it's a beautiful car, instantly recognized as such by every single person I spoke to about it. People were agog, simply agog, and I'm not even really sure what that word means. The 200C is a clear, formal, aspirationally modern design with clarity of lines and direction; the proportions are harmonious; it looks great from every angle -- and looks wildly like a Mercedes S-Class from a couple of angles. It simply is the best-looking real-world car at the show.

And so for all the chin music about electricity -- which I completely endorse, by the way -- the transcendent truth of automobiles is that people buy beautiful cars. I predict that the 200C will be available in two years with a variety of gas-burning engines in it -- and, yes, probably a hemi. Don't hate me for keeping it real.

And all that is assuming Chrysler survives.

For a dolorous comparison, check out GM's new Buick LaCrosse production car (left), which is a complete mess. Weird, contrapuntal, fussy, a design that goes nowhere fast. More to come on the LaCrosse, surely, when it is shamefully withdrawn from the market and the designers are reassigned (to shallow graves). I don't care if it flies like winged Pegasus and runs on empty Starbucks cups. Honestly, at this point in the game, how can GM muff the styling? Geez.

-- Dan Neil

Photos credits (from top): Chrysler; Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times

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Detroit Auto Show: A Cadillac defibrillated by a Volt

January 11, 2009 | 3:41 pm

One of the absolute smash hits of the Detroit show -- so sayeth I -- is Cadillac's concept Converj, a gorgeous, provocative, heated diamond of a sports coupe that could -- just theoretically -- contain the same range-extended gas-electric hybrid powertrain from the Volt.

GM has inevitably hung a branded name around this technology: Volt-tec. (Whatever happened to E-Flex?) Like the Volt, the car is proposed with a 16 kilowatt-hour battery and a 40-mile all-electric range. The Converj joins the Fisker Karma in the growing class of proposed luxury plug-in hybrids.

"The Converj," intoned GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, "proves electric cars can be luxury, and luxury can be electric."

Love the Converj with a "j." So street.

In any event, I caught up with the Converj designer, Simon Cox, who runs GM's London-based design studio. Lutz "wanted a vehicle that looked doable and relevant," Cox said. The packaging advantages of the Volt-tec powertrain is made manifest, says Cox, in the dramatic cab-forward posture of the car, "doable" because there's not a big chunk of an engine under the hood. In fact, the car has a nose worthy of a mid-engine Lambo.

Yes, well, there's just one leetle bit of a problem with Converj. The Volt-tec powertrain is obstinately front-drive and any Cadillac coupe worth its wreath and crest would be rear drive. I'm sure that can be fixed in rewrite.

And then, after kicking the Converj around awhile, Cox turns to me and asks, "So, what do you think? Is GM doing enough?"

-- Dan Neil

Photo: Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times

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Detroit Auto Show: Toyota's all-electric city car

January 11, 2009 | 10:29 am

As the California Air Resources Board's mandate for automakers to start selling plug-in hybrids and zero-emissions cars gets ever bigger in the window (2012), the number of battery-electric vehicle prototypes is growing fast.

Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz, among others, have announced plans to sell BEVs. The latest entry is from Toyota, which today unveiled an all-electric version of its iQ urban runabout called the FT-EV. The four-seat, lightweight commuter car -- with what might be the world's only rear-window-mounted air bags to protect rear passengers -- is expected to offer 50 miles of range.

As tempting as the BEV Toyota might be to the entire city of Santa Monica, Toyota makes clear that its Synergy hybrid gas-electric powertrain tech is its bread and butter, or seaweed and mochi. Thus sayeth the press release: "Although BEVs and new smaller vehicles like the iQ will be a key component of Toyota's sustainable mobility strategy, the conventional gas-electric hybrid, like the all new third-generation Prius, is considered Toyota's long-term core powertrain technology."

And that brings us to the new and improved 2010 Prius, which will be unveiled Monday. Check back Monday for your nerdy green fix. In other Prius news, Toyota announced that it would pull forward its plug-in Prius project and start delivering 500 Prius plug-ins equipped with Panasonic-supplied lithium-ion batteries in 2009. Of these initial vehicles, 150 will be placed with U.S. lease-fleet customers.

And here's a tasty tidbit: The new Prius was engineered to use either nickel-metal-hydride batteries or a lithium-ion battery pack with plug-in capability.

-- Dan Neil

Photo: Toyota

Photo: Toyota's FT-EV. Credit: Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times

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Detroit Auto Show: Behind the scenes at Chrysler's design lab

January 11, 2009 | 9:30 am

The public will get a good look at Chrysler's electric-car plans today when it reveals two new "production-intent" vehicles at Detroit's North American International Auto Show: a plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Patriot compact utility and a pure electric vehicle, called the Circuit, based on the British sports car Lotus Europa.

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Dan Neil went behind the scenes at Chrysler's ENVI product design division and talked with the folks who are trying to engineer Chrysler out of its current morass. It's a tall order, for sure, but Chrysler has been given up for dead before, only to come roaring back.

Click here for the full story on Chrysler's design initiative.

Photo: Chrysler

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Detroit Auto Show: Ford unveiling new Taurus today

January 11, 2009 | 9:24 am

Ford Motor Co. is unveiling its redesigned 2010 Taurus today. The front-wheel-drive model, which will be available this summer, will share a motor, a platform and a base price ($25,999) with the current Taurus. But nearly all the rest of the car has been redone to incorporate styling inspired by Ford's highly regarded European lineup and to bring in more luxurious features to set the sedan apart from competitors such as the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon.

The Taurus single-handedly redefined the sedan in the late 1980s and became the nation's top-selling passenger car. But it was also the Taurus, starting with an infamous oval-inspired redesign in 1996, that drew intense public scorn and became synonymous with cheap, uninspired manufacturing. Ford finally killed the Taurus in 2006 -- only to clumsily resurrect it a year later. Can the new Taurus save Ford again?

Check out our full story by Ken Bensinger here.

Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

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Detroit Auto Show: GM says, 'We're a freedom company'

January 11, 2009 | 9:03 am

General Motors Corp.'s head of R&D and strategic planning, Larry Burns, has an interesting set of ideas about the future of the auto industry. Chief among them might be that GM is not really in the automobile business; rather, it's in the business of selling people time.

In a wide-ranging chat with journalists at the North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show to the less fancified among us), Burns talked about the future of transportation (it's complicated), the drivetrain of choice (there are lots of them) and the need for government help with private development of alternative vehicles.

Perhaps his most interesting argument was that the auto industry is in a transformative moment -- from internal-combustion-only behemoths to, well, something else -- and that it must struggle to ensure that it survives the changeover. "If you look at major industries that have been transformed and you look at big incumbents, not many of them come out of that transformation strong," Burns said.

The key, he said, is to create vehicles that improve the driving experience, both from a personal point of view as well as a public stance. They should be cleaner but also safer, and they should get the driver from point A to point B faster, and here's the interesting part, without actually having to drive if he or she so chooses.

GM would do that by creating cars that sense other cars and can, essentially, drive themselves on demand, freeing the driver to sip coffee or, say, engage in the day's edition of the Los Angeles Times. That makes GM a "freedom company," Burns said. "I think one of the most important aspects of freedom is time."

So how does GM become the Timex of the automotive world?

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Detroit Auto Show: The Volt Bar and Grill

January 11, 2009 | 9:00 am

The Renaissance Center is a complex of cylindrical buildings on the waterfront in downtown Detroit. It's the global headquarters of General Motors. Among its other distinctions, the RenCen is the most baffling building to get around in since Daedalus imprisoned the Minotaur.

Thirsty wanderers will eventually come to the Marriott's hotel bar, which has within the last two months been renamed the Volt Bar, after GM's much-ballyhooed range-extended electric car that is supposed to debut in late 2010.

"Of course I know what the Volt is," scowled a bartender when I asked. "Where are you from?"

For those who might question whether federally bailed-out GM ought to be enabling boozers, fear not. The was a no-cost branding opportunity. The thing that makes it the Volt Bar appears to be a bit of signage recycled from an auto show display.

The menu hasn't changed -- there are still the massive burgers and horse-choking turkey clubs you'd expect. I would rename some items, though. Lithium-Ion Fries, for instance. High-Tech Battery Burgers. Traction Motor Turkey Club.

Order now; it will take another two years to reach your table.

-- Dan Neil

Photo: Dan Neil / Los Angeles Times

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Detroit Auto Show: Mercedes blitzkriegs Motown

January 10, 2009 | 10:26 pm

And they're off!

Not content to wait around for the opening bell on Sunday morning, Mercedes-Benz got things going here at the North American International Auto Show (the Detroit Auto Show to most folks) on Saturday night with a full-fledged, off-campus news conference with not one, not two, but three full reveals.

It was an ambitious offering, held at a newly reopened Detroit landmark, the Book Cadillac Hotel, which to an outsider might have seemed like the German Embassy transported to the Motor City. At the event, which the hosts dubbed a Neujahrsempfang, or New Year's reception, it seemed that few stops were not pulled out.

Indeed, judging by the elaborate level of production, rail-thin models, choreographed light-and-sound show, massive hordes of imported Daimler employees and two-block line of M-B shuttle vehicles outside the event, one could be forgiven for thinking that the economy was just fine and we were in boom times once again.

As guests were plied with lobster risotto, Merlot and creme brulee, the company's chief executive, Dieter Zetsche (known as the mustachioed Dr. Z for those of you familiar with old Mercedes commercials) rolled out the brand new E-Class sedan, as well as a limited-edition SLR open-top sports car, and a concept called the BlueZERO that can run on battery, hydrogen or range-extended electric drivetrains -- and will, in limited numbers, starting later this year.

Buzz levels peaked notably when Zetsche said that the new 2.5-liter turbodiesel version of the E-Class would turn in 44 miles per gallon highway fuel economy. That's worthy of a big exclamation point considering the fact that the current E-Class diesel, with a 3.2-liter engine, tops out at 32 mpg.

So, despite the heady feel of the event ...

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Buzz building as Detroit auto show nears

January 10, 2009 | 12:07 am

Despite the current economic mess, carmakers will still compete for the world’s attention at the Detroit auto show starting Sunday. As the official Motown news conferences grow nearer, the hints about what automakers will be unveiling are becoming stronger.

Here are some of the more notable product announcements expected:

China’s first hybrid: the incoherently named BYD F3DM sedan
BYD is the auto company name, F3DM is the car. The company, known in China as a provider of cellphone batteries, has partnered with the Des Moines company MidAmerican Energy Holdings to create what they call an “advanced Fe lithium-iron battery and its new Dual Mode (DM) plug-in hybrid system.” What this appears to mean is that BYD will beat Toyota and Honda to the punch by being the first to announce a mass-production hybrid that can be driven in either battery-only or hybrid mode, as selected by the driver. We’ll reserve judgment until after next week to find out what Toyota and Honda have baked into their new hybrid offerings. It is, however, China’s first mass-produced electric hybrid vehicle and will retail for 149,800 yuan ($21,200). It’s expected to make its way to the U.S. in 2010.

Toyota’s FT-EV: more information released
Bloomberg is reporting more on Toyota’s secretive electric-vehicle debut. It’s tiny, it’s battery-powered and it can be recharged at electrical outlets. The concept version of the FT-EV “urban commuter” car will make its debut at the Detroit show Monday, and it’s a modified version of the iQ mini-car that was originally shown at the Geneva Auto Show in 2007 (shown here). Real photos will come Monday and no doubt more details, but it has been reported that the vehicle will have a range of 50 miles and will go on sale in 2012.

The Beat -- GM’s mini-car -- gets teased on the "Today" show
Although there's been no official announcement, GM seems to have a production-level mini-car up its sleeve ready for the Detroit show. Product guru Ed Welburn appeared on the "Today" show with Matt Lauer for a Detroit preview this week and lifted only the edge of a car cover. Under it was a recognizable design based on the Beat mini-car, which has been a concept on the auto show circuit for a few years and was being developed in partnership with Daewoo for Asia.

GM has said in the past that the Beat could not pass federal safety requirements for sale in the U.S.; however, that hurdle has apparently been jumped. The name of the car, if GM chooses to keep it the same as the concept, is somewhat controversial because Honda sold a car in the 1990s named the Beat, but only in Japan.

News conferences at the Detroit Auto Show start Sunday and end Tuesday. Stay tuned to UP TO SPEED for updates and debuts.

-- Joni Gray

Photos: BYD F3DM Sedan from BYD and Toyota IQ Concept. Credit: Katsumi Kasahara / Associated Press

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Detroit Auto Show 2009 -- a look behind the curtain

December 30, 2008 | 11:54 am

Much as one might love the Los Angeles Auto Show and feel gratified to see it grow in significance over the last few years, Detroit in January is still The Big One -- for North America, at least. And Motown 2009 will see several major launches, such as the next generations of Toyota Prius (pictured) and an all-new Ford Taurus.

Before we get to those, however, let’s take a quick look at what Audi has to offer. Even in these rocky economic times, our inner gearhead is always pleased to see a faster, more powerful sports car. The all-wheel-drive R8 has been lauded and applauded -- even with just a 420-horsepower 4.2-liter V-8 and a top speed of 187 mph. So that must have emboldened Audi to come up with a version that uses the same 5.2-liter V-10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo, tune it to produce 525 hp and give the car a top speed of 196 mph. All for around $180,000.

The compact SUV crossover that time and everyone else forgot, the Chevrolet Equinox, gets a fresh set of duds for the new year, plus a new 182-hp four-cylinder engine. Lexus will unveil a new dedicated hybrid model, called the HS250h. A new generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class is also expected to make its world debut.

Ford’s new Taurus family sedan is slated to be more like the Mondeo, a car that has been perennially popular in Europe for its price and poise. This 2010 model’s styling comes from Ford’s design studios across the pond. No official images have been released yet, so keep an eye on this site.

Only a teaser shot of a badge signals an interesting product from Toyota. It bears the initials EV and is said to be a subcompact electric vehicle concept. Toyota is considering the production of something along these lines with a target price of around $20,000. Otherwise, it’s the 2010 Prius that will probably cause the biggest stir on the Toyota stand, although generation three doesn’t differ that much from generation two. The engine gets a mild hike from 1.5 to 1.6 liters, and although the car will start off with nickel metal hydride batteries, these may be replaced by lithium ion packs around 2011.