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NEWS ARCHIVE :
North American International Auto Show – Day 1
Detroit, Michigan
January 13, 2008
Al Gore wasn't at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 North American International Auto Show, but he should have been. Practically every auto manufacturer present had some emissions-reducing, environmentally sustainable, gasoline-alternative vehicle on display.
Each manufacturer now has its very own list of buzzwords and catch phrases. General Motors has eFlex, Ford has EcoBoost
and Smart, which entered the U.S. market with next to no fanfare, has the Micro Hybrid Drive. Smart admits the Micro Hybrid Drive gets 10 mpg less than its diesel cars – which, it should be noted, get almost 60 mpg.
To generalize, the Japanese were pushing hybrids, the Germans were promoting diesels and the U.S. auto manufacturers were hedging their bets on ethanol. General Motors, however, is also working on hybrids and diesels, and BMW is developing a hybrid, too. But BMW made the most noise about its 265-hp (and 425 ft-lb) 335d.
Audi R8 TDI V12
The biggest car at the show was arguably a diesel. Gasp!
We knew Audi was going to show a twin-turbo TDI V12-powered R8, but we didn't know how much of a production reality this car would be. The 500-hp and 738 ft-lb monster has a redesigned body, a stunning interior (with plenty of carbon fiber and even red stitching on the black leather seats), as well as illuminated V12 TDI kick plates. In short, it looks like a fully thought-out project, and while no one will say it is a production car, Audi would be foolish not to.
Why? Because, a) The TDI R8 was the only car at the show to receive spontaneous and genuine applause, b)
Audi claims a sprint to 60 mph will take just 4.2 seconds, and c) Despite all the horsepower, the car will still achieve 24 mpg.
As for those wondering what the max rpm on the TDI R8 will be, no one at Audi was willing to say. But a quick look at the tach layout shows 6000 is as far as the numbers go, with a mark at 4500 rpm for peak hp/redline.
Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside & SLK
The big news from Benz was the launch of a stunning new SUV, the Vision GLK Freeside. The GLK is a sporty vehicle that looks like a really (and we mean REALLY) nice version of the Subaru Forester.
Kim Cattrall of Sex and the City introduced the vehicle, which unfortunately gave the impression that this is a chick car.
Mercedes launched the GLK with a Bluetec diesel engine. This impressive turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine makes 204 hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque. Not bad for a four-banger.
Mercedes also introduced the new SLK. While it is almost identical to the old model (i.e., it already looks outdated), the engine gets a bump of 33 hp for a total of 305.
Maybach
There was surprising news from Maybach at the NAIAS. The struggling über-luxury arm of Mercedes announced that it would, in fact, build the Landaulet, a massive limousine that uses exquisite materials and features a strange retractable rear roof. The car wasn’t designed for the owner to drive, but it will be on every chauffeur’s wish list as it features a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 that produces 604 hp and 738 ft-lbs of torque.
On top of all this, the Landaulet is more than a foot longer than the Rolls-Royce Phantom!
Lamborghini – Ad Personam Individualization Program
There were no “new” models at the Lamborghini booth. To say that a few folks were disappointed that they wouldn’t get to see the Reventón in person is an understatement. The Italian exotic car manufacturer instead promoted its new Ad Personam program, which will let owners customize their vehicles from the factory. The cars on display said it all. Two LP640s (a coupe and a roadster) featured one of two new paint colors, Blue Cepheus. The interior of the coupe had dark black and brown leather and Alcantara, while the roadster had a wonderful new untreated Tuscan leather.
To top it all off, a Gallardo Spyder sat front and center, sporting the other new color, which Lamborghini calls Marrone Apus.
We call it satin black.
Either way, it will certainly be hugely successful with the LP640 crowd.
Tomorrow
Check back for Day Two coverage from Detroit, where there will be more – you guessed it – environmentally friendly news. Fisker Automotive will unveil its plug-in luxury sedan and even Ferrari promises to give us some green news.
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