Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show, Nissan

That was short lived. Just a few days after announcing that it would be pulling out of both the Detroit Auto Show and the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan has changed its mind. Sort of. The Japanese automaker will indeed have a presence in the Windy City thanks to the support of its local dealerships, which will be manning the show in lieu of an official factory effort. This being the case, don’t expect a particularly showy display, but at least attendees will get the chance to see the new 370Z, Cube and Infiniti G37 Convertible that were all unveiled across the country at the LA Auto Show. According to Nissan, there’s next to no chance that the situation for Detroit will change.

To recap, Porsche, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce have all pulled out of the International Auto Show in Detroit. All’s not lost, though, as room is now available for a couple of Chinese upstarts to show their wares at the big boy table upstairs.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Nissan back on for Chicago Auto Show, still avoiding Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Mitsubishi

Eight weeks from now, the 2009 Detroit Auto Show will open its doors at Cobo Hall. And… Mitsubishi won’t be there. Like a handful of other high-profile manufacturers who have pulled out (including Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, Ferrari, Suzuki, and Porsche), the Japanese automaker based its decision on cost - the market for Mitsubishi automobiles in the Detroit area just isn’t significant enough to warrant the expenditure in today’s economy. The automaker’s move is rather significant as the Detroit show is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. However, skipping the 2009 show doesn’t prevent Mitsubishi from coming back in 2010. Regardless of whose left at the show come the second week of January (hey, at least Chinese automaker BYD will exhibit), Autoblog will be there to cover everything in detail.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req’d]

Another one bites the dust: Mitsubishi pulls out of Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Convertibles, MINI

Now that the very last of the first-gen convertible MINI Coopers has officially rolled down the assembly line, all eyes turn their attention towards the new R57 model. There are some undisguised spy shots floating around, though all but the most die-hard fans would be hard-pressed to spot the differences. The top works the same, featuring the same partly opened ’sunroof’ style and the fully opened wind-in-you-hair mode of the last model. Also, the top does not stow away like many modern convertibles, instead sitting atop the rear deck like many of the classics MINIs. Also conspicuously absent is the large external roll-bar of the old model, replaced with a single pop-up unit for ‘09. It’s under the skin where the changes are most apparent, most notably the new 1.6-liter BMW/PSA/Peugeot-Citroen mill. Expect standard Cooper and up-level Cooper S models to make it to the U.S. with the Cooper One and Cooper D added for Europe.

Rumor has it that MINI is set to debut the new ‘09 ‘vert at the Detroit Auto Show in January. We expect production to be fully ramped up so that customer deliveries will begin in earnest before summer. And if you don’t have your order in yet, expect a very long wait.

[Source: Auto Express]

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Supercars

The desire to take on Ferrari has birthed at least one iconic car (GT40) and launched an entire brand (Lamborghini), and for David Frem, a 25-year-old Lebanese design student, the ambition to chase after Italy’s prancing horse has created this: the Frem F1.

After three years of design and fabrication, Frem has created the F1 prototype as a steppingstone to the production version, aptly titled the F2, which is slated to appear at the Detroit Auto Show this January.

The F1 is currently powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-liter four-pot and mated to an Audi gearbox (DSG?), good for a claimed top speed of 124 mph — assuming it doesn’t undress itself in the process. But if the world’s first Lebanese supercar has any chance of catching up to Italy’s finest, it had better be packing twice as many cylinders and a bit more refinement.

Needless to say, the styling and build quality leaves a lot to be desired. The front end might bare a striking resemblance to Frem’s targeted marque, but the massive upright schnoz and gaping air intakes won’t lend themselves well to European pedestrian impact standards. And if you think the exterior is bad, the foam and wood interior, complete with offset steering wheel held in place by a bent metal bracket, is even worse.

If Frem hopes to have a show-worthy car ready by January, he’s going to need a lot more than just a massive wing and a prayer.

[Source: NextAutos]

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show

The 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is looming ever closer, which means the process to choose the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year has begun. The organization behind the very prestigious awards has trotted out the list of semi-finalists for both awards, which includes 26 vehicles total with 14 contenders for COTY and 12 for TOTY.

The defining line between each category has been muddled this year by a bunch of crossovers that could be considered either car or truck, though most were placed in the Truck category except for the new Toyota Venza. There are also two diesel-powered models being considered: the VW Jetta TDI and Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec.

The jury that decides the winners is comprised entirely of automotive journalists, two of which are part of the Autoblog family: John McElroy who writes a weekly editorial called Autoline on Autoblog and Gary Witzenburg who writes a weekly editorial called At Witz’ End on AutoblogGreen.

While the 2009 TOTY award is likely to go to either the new Dodge Ram or Ford F-150, this year’s coveted COTY award will be the most hotly contested one in recent memory. Seriously, which one would you choose? The giant-slaying GT-R? The class-busting Genesis? The Hail Mary pass XF? The techno starship MKS? The Grade-A retro Challenger? You get the idea. Vote for which vehicle you’d like to win in each category below in our straw polls.

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[Source: Inside Line]

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Audi

Good news and bad news go hand-in-hand, but in this case, it’s not entirely unexpected.

According to Audi RS6 project manager Jens Koch, the twin-turbocharged V10 sedan won’t be coming to the U.S. in its current iteration. Originally, Audi thought that the four-door body style would be more appealing to Stateside consumers rather than the Avant, but apparently there’s too much energy and expense involved in making the V10 powerplant pass the more stringent sniffer standards here in the U.S.

On the upside, the third-generation RS6 is being developed for the global market, so the next iteration should arrive on our shores in 2012. Koch hinted that the RS6’s weight problem and 5.0-liter V10 wouldn’t carryover to the 2012 model, and that the next RS6 will be more “revolutionary” and “far more RennSport than anything previously developed.”

Meanwhile, Audi will take the wraps off the RS5 this January in Detroit, with the next RS4 debuting shortly thereafter.

Audi plans to further its goal of taking on BMW’s M division and Mercedes’ AMG lineup with more Quattro-branded vehicles positioned above run-of-the-mill Audis, along with more clearly defined R-, S- and RS-derivatives. “S” badged variants will also be sportier than current S models, while the “R” lineup will be “significantly souped-up” and “RS” will be reserved for lightweight, track-friendly models.

[Source: InsideLine]

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, LA Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Crossovers/CUVs, Lincoln

Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, has confirmed that the Lincoln MKT crossover is due to be reveal this January at the Detroit Auto Show, while a refreshed MKZ will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Show in November.

We already knew the Ford Flex-based CUV was headed to Detroit, with power provided by either a 3.7-liter or a 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6. Both six- and seven-passenger seating arrangements will be offered, along with Blind Spot Monitoring and a Cross Traffic Alert system which utilizes two sonar modules to notify drivers that a vehicle has moved into their blind spot by shining a light on the corresponding outside mirror. Sales are expected to begin later in 2009 and Ford is insistent that the MKT won’t share any body panels with its platform sibling.

The facelifted MKZ sedan will sport the new split-wing grille originally found on the MKR concept. New taillights are also rumored to be part of the package and sales should begin later this year or early in 2009.

[Source: MotorTrend]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Saab, Detroit Auto Show

As posted earlier, Saab has released a new concept car at the Detroit auto show, according to The Car Connection. The vehicle looks to be a 9-3 convertible, but underneath is a rather high tech vehicle using three electric motors and a CVT transmission in addition to its E100 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged (whew) engine. The juice for the electric motors comes courtesy of a 42-cell, 300-volt lithium-ion battery bank. The vehicle uses a “modular” design so changes to the donor vehicle (Saab 9-3 convertible) are kept reasonable. One of those three motors powers the rear wheels via a differential and drive shafts, making this vehicle all wheel drive. Pretty high tech stuff, here.

So, what is this follow-up post for? It seems, according to the Saab Weblog, that GM may have put an internal embargo on Saab so as not to upstage their other internal projects. Did they not want the rest of the world to know that Saab had engineered a plug-in hybrid? According to the Saab Weblog, they have uncovered the “smoking gun”, proving that GM ordered Saab to glue shut the plug port at the rear and cover it with a plaque that says “HYBRID”.

This is to take nothing away from the Chevy Volt concept, which has some amazing hybrid technology of its own, but why not allow Saab to get some good press for themselves? Possible, however unlikely it may seem, is that Saab chose to postpone this new information until Detroit. Who knows? Anyone out there with some other inside information relevant to this story want to give us the goods?

Related:

• Detroit Auto Show: It’s here. GM’s plug-in hybrid is the Chevy Volt Concept
• Detroit Auto Show: Saab BioPower concept

[Source: Saab Weblog - Trollhattan Saab]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

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Retractable hardtops have been becoming a fashion with all major auto giants going for the same. And if you ask me it looks great and it also gives you an option to convert your luxury sedan to a sports car.

BMW has also added the feature in its…

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Chrysler

Click image for a high-resolution photo gallery

With a press conference set to the percussion of the Drum Cafe, Chrysler rolled out the Nassau “shooting brake” concept this afternoon to hint at the future styling direction for the brand and especially its RWD line-up.

Based on the LX platform and stuffed with the SRT8 powertrain (that’s a 425 HP 6.1L Hemi and 5-speed A580 automatic), the Nassau strikes a far different pose than its 300C predecessor. Viewed from a low front 3/4 perspective, the rear cargo area disappears and the silhouette takes on the popular “four-door coupe” appearance. Viewed from behind, well, it has a rather boat-tailed look.

The impossibly white interior features a center stack that brings a cell phone-like appearance, along with console-mounted multimedia controllers for the front and rear passengers. The driver gets to select gearbox position via pushbuttons on the instrument panel and a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel; the gauge package is said to be inspired by “expensive” watches.

Plenty of high-res shots from the press conference are included in our gallery.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Jaguar

click above image to view 66 high-resolution image in our gallery

Jaguar has been pushing its product with the Gorgeous campaign for over a year now, but anyone who thinks that the current S-type can be properly described as such probably needs a new prescription for corrective lenses. To show that it’s aware of the problem, the British automaker rolled out the C-XF concept into Cobo Arena last night as a hint towards what corrective action we can expect when the new XF replaces Jag’s aging entry-level sedan.

The car’s entire shape is drawn around the recessed metal-mesh grille, and perhaps this is the most production-ready aspect of the C-XF’s styling. The striking silhouette follows the current design trend towards making four doors blend into a couple-like rooflines, and is augmented with short front and long rear overhangs (the latter of which tapers dramatically); unfortunately, that probably won’t make it to the production XF. Inside, carbon fiber mixes with poplar - blackened with torches - and copious amounts of machined aluminum to provide a rather gorgeous interior experience. Especially noteworthy are the trio of B&W drivers in the rear parcel shelf, and a rotary shifter residing in place of a conventional lever.

Check out the gallery for 66 shots from the official introduction and the press release can be found after the jump.

For our comprehensive listing of everything from Detroit, click here.

Continue reading Detroit Auto Show: Jaguar C-XF concept brings Gorgeous to the four-door crowd

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Podcasts

We took a week off from podcasting to bring you our excellent coverage of the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but now we’re back with episode #54. Of course, the topic at hand is the Detroit Auto Show, and as a special guest we have Sam Abuelsamid on the show. Sam normally contributes to AutoblogGreen, but you’ll start seeing posts from him on Autoblog more often. He was also part of our Detroit coverage team and walked the floor of Cobo for us like a man possessed. Along with the usual suspects of Damon and Alex, our four-man panel reveal our Best of Shows for the 2007 Detroit Auto Show this episode, which includes Best Production Vehicle, Best Concept and Sleeper Hit of the Show. Likewise, we also reveal our Worst of Shows in those categories, as well. We’re not going to spoil the surprise here, so subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, download episode #54 and follow along as we praise and pan the vehicles of the 2007 NAIAS.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Dodge

click above for 83 high-res images of the 2009 Dodge Ram

Since both The New York Times and AllPar.com have already broken the embargo, we don’t mind telling you all you need to know about the 2009 Dodge Ram. The look is as aggressive as a Ram should be, but slippier through the air than past models. Instead of upping the ante with an even larger grille, Dodge designers instead tipped the angle of the grille forward to impart the face of their truck with a solid presence. Another interesting styling touch is molding the rear bumper around the two chrome tipped tailpipes instead of having the pipes just poke out beneath.

Mechanically speaking, the ‘09 Ram comes ready to play with a new 5.7L HEMI V8 with 380 HP and 404 ft.-lb. of torque (the Toyota Tundra’s 5.7L V8 produces 381 HP and 401 ft.-lb. of torque for comparison’s sake). There’s also a 4.7L V8 available with 310 HP and 330 ft.-lb. of torque and a 3.7L V6 making 215 HP and 235 ft.-lb. of torque. Transmissions include a six-speed manual and four- and five-speed automatics, and gear ratios run from 3.21 to 3.55 to 3.92 to 4.10. When optimally configured, the new Ram can sprint to 60 MPH in a mere 7 seconds. Snappy for a full-size truck, wouldn’t you say?

More after the jump, including the 2009 Dodge Ram’s official rap sheet and 83 high-res images in our gallery below.

Continue reading Detroit 2008: 2009 Dodge Ram breaks through the gate

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Trucks/Pickups, Dodge, Ford, Mitsubishi

Click image for a look at the other model debuts by the NYT

The Old Grey Lady has officially kicked off the Detroit Auto Show 24 hours early, and they brought some party favors for all their readers to boot. The New York Times’ Automobiles section has a Detroit preview article (dated 1/13, incidentally) in its feature spot. No longer under wraps are the 2009 Dodge Ram, 2009 Ford F-150 Platinum, Mitsubishi Concept-RA, Ford Verve sedan concept, and the Fisker plug-in luxo-hybrid, as all are featured prominently in the piece’s accompanying new vehicle gallery.

The biggest fish in the tank are the two full-size trucks. While Chrysler inadvertently gave us a sneak preview of the Ram last month, Ford has kept the new F-150 well under wraps until now. The model pictured is the tip-top-of-the line F-150 Platinum, in case you were wondering. As for the others, the snazzy blue Ram Sport is looking good to these eyes (more on the ‘09 Ram here), while the Verve concept looks to be a slightly tweaked version of the one shown in China, updated with a coat of red paint and a modified fascia (note the differences in the foglamps). The Mitsubishi Concept-RA has us hankering for a new Eclipse, while the shapely Fisker PHEV looks like a green vehicle we’d be more than happy to pilot daily. You can read the Times’ full preview here. Team Autoblog will assemble in Motown starting tomorrow, but it looks like the fun’s begun in earnest already.

[Source: The New York Times]

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