It may not be the same as attending the event in-person, but a live, interactive webcast of Volvo's press conference at the Detroit Auto Show, where the S60 concept and production XC60 for North America will be shown, could be the next best thing. The broadcast is intended for media types and members of the press, but the fact that it's being aired on DirecTV (channel 101, January 11 at 5:30 - 6:30 PM ET) means that anybody with a television and the satellite service can watch it live. Alternatively, users can register for a password to the online site, the location of which is not yet determined. The coolest bit of tech that's making an appearance for this event is the capability to send questions to a live host who will then relay selected inquiries to key Volvo executives. These days, the global economic downturn is affecting everyone, including those who would normally cover these events for the media. This being the case and assuming the event is a success, we'd expect to more manufacturers to adopt a similar system at upcoming auto shows. Of course, we'll be there live and you can always direct your browsers to our pages for the best coverage available.
When Ford introduced the new 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show in November, marketing boss Jim Farley promised the next chapter in the Mustang story would be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Well that time has arrived and to anyone who has been following the Mustang pattern over the last several years, it should come as no surprise that it's the Shelby GT500. Just like the last iteration, the new GT500 is the most powerful factory production Mustang ever. Like the more prosaic Mustangs, the GT500 is mechanically an evolution of the older model. Just as Ford used the current-gen Bullitt model as the starting point for the 2010 Mustang GT, the lessons learned from developing the limited edition GT500 KR fed directly into the latest Shelby-badged variant. Output of the supercharged 5.4L V8 has now been cranked up to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, and the handling is claimed to be better than before.
Just two weeks after we learned that Honda had suspended plans to introduce a new V10 NSX sports car in 2010 comes word that we may see the car anyway. Sort of. The production program is still dead, but it is being reported that the previously scheduled "concept" will appear at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in a couple of weeks. In typical Honda fashion, a concept version of a new model appears a few months for the street edition. In this case, the NSX was set to debut next fall at the Tokyo Motor Show with the conceptual preview at the Detroit auto show. Since the concept was already prepared before Honda made the decision to scrap the program, they will show it anyway. Honda's presence in Cobo will still be low-key however, with its press conference having been canceled. The NSX and the production Insight will simply appear on the show floor.
Could it be? Right in the midst of my own personal search for a mint Gen 1 (1989-1991) Taurus SHO comes pictoral proof that Ford may be resurrecting the Super High Output model. What we have here is one of many images published by Jalopnik showing the "SHO" moniker in its traditional font on the passenger side dash of a 2010 Ford Taurus. What does it all mean? That's tough to say. The safe bet is that Ford may be developing a Taurus SHO concept car that could debut after the standard model is revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show next month. It would also be safe to assume that a Taurus SHO would be powered by Ford's new EcoBoost V6, which is rumored to produce 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. That's a heaping helping more than the 220 hp produced by the Yamaha-built 3.0L V6 in the original SHO, but there's also a lot more Taurus to haul around these days.
While it's possible that Ford could be adding the SHO trim level back to the Taurus line, we hope these pictures portend the arrival of a concept car only. You might be wondering how such an avid SHO fan could speak such blasphemy, and the answer is that today's Taurus is far removed from the original that shocked the industry back in 1986. Back then the Taurus was a mid-size family sedan with a futuristic design that broke the mold, and the SHO was heralded as an M3 at half the price when it arrived in 1989. Today's Taurus is just too big and expensive to wear those shoes, though an M5 on sale for 50% off sounds tempting. If we're being honest, however, a Fusion SHO tuned by SVT would be irresistible.
As is so often the case these days, some early details regarding Honda's upcoming Prius-fighter have leaked out before the hybrid's official unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show. Included among the surprises is a Modulo-trimmed Insight featuring a full set of body mods from Honda's accessory catalog in Japan. We can't be sure if any of those bits will come Stateside (we're not betting on it), but it wouldn't be surprising if we got three trim levels similar to what's slated to be available in Honda's home market of Japan. We could get a base DX trim along with an up-level LX edition and a sportier EX model with such tasty bits as a paddle-shifted CVT automatic transmission and navigation system with 7-inch screen. With just 88 horses underhood along with an additional 14 from the hybrid's electric motor, don't expect the Insight to be a tire scorching performer, as its true calling with be in delivering the best fuel economy possible. In Japanese testing, the Insight has scored over 70 miles-per-gallon, which may be lower than what the Prius was able to register, but the Insight is also expected to cost several thousand dollars less than its rival.
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese company with huge ambition to become the world's largest automaker. If there's any chance of making that monumental task a reality, the company will need some amazing products, a stage to present them to the world and a little luck. At least one of those requirements has been met, as BYD is set to capitalize on Nissan's absence at the Detroit Auto Show in January by placing its products right on the main floor with all the rest of the major automakers. BYD's working on the product problem too, having just released its first plug-in hybrid, called the F3DM, in its home market ealier this month. If that weren't enough, the automaker reportedly plans to release two more all-electric models in 2009, with the goal of bring its products to the crucial American and European markets in 2011. All of these impressive developments have been made possible with the help of a $230 million investment from Warren Buffet. Much like the upcoming Chevy Volt, the BYD F3DM and F6DM sedans and the E6 van rely on an electric motor and an on-board battery pack to provide motive force for the first 60 miles, after which a normal gasoline-powered engine kicks in to keep the party going. Needless to say, we'll keep an eye out for the budding Chinese automaker next month in Detroit.
BMW Blog has trained its spyglass on what it says is a list of BMW rollouts for 2009, and it will begin next month with the brand spankin' new Z4 showcased at the Detroit Auto Show. It is March, though, that will bring year's first real bounty. At Geneva, BMW will be showing off a concept version of the Progressive Activity Vehicle (half 5 Series, half X6), the Concept eDrive (an electric 1 Series or 3 Series), a Z4 Individual, and the Rolls-Royce 102EX (otherwise known as the RR4). Then in April, BMW's taking the show to Shanghai with the 760Li.
Post-Shanghai, you'll get a few months to digest. Then at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, BMW is expected to have the production-ready Progressive Activity Vehicle on display and the MINI Crossover. It is there, perhaps, that they'll also trot out a show pony speedster they call the Vision-Z with eDrive, their idea of "progress of sports cars for the future." And sprinkled on top throughout the year come launches of the 7 Series xDrive, 7 Series Hybrid, X5 M, X6 M, and X6 Active Hybrid. For bimmer lovers, 2009 is going to be a jubilee year.
Honda and Toyota may not be joining their colleagues at Nissan, Mitsubishi and Suzuki in canceling their participation in this year's Detroit Auto Show, but they still won't be laying on the glitz and glamor that have become the mainstay of past events.
For starters, both Honda's and Toyota's CEOs won't be attending, even though the market is vital to their success. Beyond that, neither will be holding press conferences to unveil their new hybrids, simply placing the vehicles on their show stands and waiting for questions. No parties, either, as they acknowledge the economic state of the industry leaves little to celebrate this year. The automakers didn't give any specific reasons for their decision to scale things back, but sources suggest that the move was made out of deference to the difficulties faced by their rivals in Detroit.
Automakers have been fleeing the Detroit Auto Show in droves over the last few months. Porsche, citing slow sales in metro Detroit, was the first to announce it was pulling out of the NAIAS, but Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce all followed suit shortly thereafter. While much of the blame can be placed squarely on the broad shoulders of the global economic meltdown, organizers of the event also point to the quickly deteriorating conditions at Cobo Hall and the lack of available space when compared to such venues as the Chicago Auto Show. Even if they can't fix the economy, the U.S. Michigan Senate has stepped in to fix Cobo. A total of 166,000 square-feet of space will be added to the 700,000 that is already present. NAIAS officials are hopeful that this added room, along with a general tidying up of the joint, will bring those manufacturers back and keep any others from leaving after '09. To reach a deal, a five-member board will oversee Cobo Hall, including the governor of Michigan and representatives from Detroit and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. We're sure negotiations will go just swimmingly from here on forward.
We're technically embargoed from telling you anything about the new 2010 SRX, but that hasn't stopped Cadillac from releasing a teaser video on YouTube of the new wreath and crest CUV sliding around in the snow. Set to replace the current SRX that didn't sell well despite being a perfectly competent machine, the new SRX will debut next month at the Detroit Auto Show as the latest model to continue Cadillac's resurgence as a brand that actually matters in the marketplace. The new SRX promises to be much more appealing to the mainstream, especially if you like drifting on frozen lakes, and really, who doesn't?
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