Luxury State-Of-The-Art Roadsters
Jan 22, 2004
The 2004 North America International Auto Show that wrapped up in Detroit, USA last Sunday was a must-attend event for the car enthusiast.
The 2004 North America International Auto Show that wrapped up in Detroit, USA last Sunday was a must-attend event for the car enthusiast.
Naturally, the fun part of the car show was not to see your everyday Toyota Corolla, (mine has clocked 369,000 kilometers and still going)but to check out those cars you will never own, even when the lotto gods smile on your gambling habits and you win millions.
Going to the show was a family affair, with my friend and I driving in from Toronto to meet my brothers, my nieces, and nephew—all very opinionated car critics.
One of the major attractions of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the unveiling for the new cars of the future, or so-called “concept cars.â€
For example, the Volkswagen’s Concept 1, which debuted in Detroit in 1994, became the new VW Beetle in 1998. Honda showcased its boxy Model X in 2001, which became the Honda Element in December 2002.
Of the over 20 concepts unveiled in Detroit, the most notable, because of looks and sheer audacity in the sports car category, were the Chrysler ME Four Twelve, Dodge Sling Shot and Volkswagen Concept T –– the latter by far, and the meanest looking, ugliest off-road dune-buggy in the show.
In the luxury category, the Lincoln Aviator and Mercedes-Benz Vision GST lacked any real imagination as they reproduce what is already out there — the former steals stylings from the BMW X5, while the later takes its cue from the popular Toyota Sienna.
In the sports utility category, Ford Bronco with its sharp edges is a rip-off of Mercedes G500. However, the real show stopper was the Land Rover’s Range Stormer, which though based on the classy Range Rover, takes a radical departure from its predecessor.
Riding on 22-inch wheels and sporting a supercharged V8 engine, the luxurious two-door Stormer offers technology to select settings from “dynamicâ€â€™ for high speed to “deep ruts†for extreme off-roading. There are two DVD screens in the rear, and one in the front that swivels away when not in use, a very sophisticated entertainment system.
Best of all, the stylistic doors swing upwards like wings of a sea gull. The vehicle, which hopefully rolls off the assembly line in 2005, still has no price tag but, do not expect anything cheaper than $100,000.
In spite of my Euro-car sensibilities, two American sports cars, already in production, caught my eyes.
The first was the well-crafted 2004 Cadillac XLR with a 320 hp V8 that ranks with cars like the Mercedes SL500, Lexus SC 430 and Jaguar XK series. Though a bit boxy in the rear, the supreme topless beauty can flawlessly undress and dress up while in motion. The XLR will set you back $80,000, which is a better deal compared to $90,000 for the Mercedes SL500.
The other eye-catcher was the little Pontiac Solstice, a 170 hp 2.4-litre topless sports car in the image of Mazda Miata and Mini Cooper, which, with smooth rounded styling, made it the car you most want to hug instead of drive.
Checking out the luxury line-up, I could not shake that nagging suspicion that the marriage between Daimler, Benz and the American Chrysler has somewhat lowered the quality of the renowned German’s craftsmanship for which Mercedes stood at the pinnacle of the auto world.
Though my son happily jumped in and out of the S430 and the CLK 320, my interest was drawn to the Smart Fortwo Mercedes, a cute urban two-seater that gets 60 miles per gallon, and should be easy to park right inside your bedroom. Designed for Europe’s prohibitively narrow city streets, and on the European market since 1998, this baby Benz will hit the North American market starting at $12,000. For the mere mortals, the dream luxury vehicle at the show was the Phaeton, (pronounced fay-tun) Volkswagen’s newest high-end luxury sedan that shoots and scores well beyond Mercedes S430. With 420 hp, superior craftsmanship, and “to-die-for†electronics, and seats that massage your back on your way to your favourite massage parlour, the Phaeton leaves Mercedes S430 in the dust.
No wonder the wise-heads at VW named the car after Greek mythical figure Phaeton, son of Helios, the sun god, whom according to legend borrowed his father’s chariot and promptly fried the earth.
Yet, for reasons unknown, Volkswagen stubbornly refused to follow Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which created separate luxury brands in Acura, Infiniti and Lexus respectively. Instead, the Phaeton proudly wears the traditional VW insignia. Though reasonably priced at $69,000, compared to Mercedes S430 at $73,000, we figured that many people would opt for Mercedes because it is a known status symbol while the Phaeton is not.
Money being no object, my choices would be the sporty Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Volkswagen Phaeton and that little American cracker, the Solstice.
For now, my old Toyota Corolla will do.
Ends
Naturally, the fun part of the car show was not to see your everyday Toyota Corolla, (mine has clocked 369,000 kilometers and still going)but to check out those cars you will never own, even when the lotto gods smile on your gambling habits and you win millions.
Going to the show was a family affair, with my friend and I driving in from Toronto to meet my brothers, my nieces, and nephew—all very opinionated car critics.
One of the major attractions of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the unveiling for the new cars of the future, or so-called “concept cars.â€
For example, the Volkswagen’s Concept 1, which debuted in Detroit in 1994, became the new VW Beetle in 1998. Honda showcased its boxy Model X in 2001, which became the Honda Element in December 2002.
Of the over 20 concepts unveiled in Detroit, the most notable, because of looks and sheer audacity in the sports car category, were the Chrysler ME Four Twelve, Dodge Sling Shot and Volkswagen Concept T –– the latter by far, and the meanest looking, ugliest off-road dune-buggy in the show.
In the luxury category, the Lincoln Aviator and Mercedes-Benz Vision GST lacked any real imagination as they reproduce what is already out there — the former steals stylings from the BMW X5, while the later takes its cue from the popular Toyota Sienna.
In the sports utility category, Ford Bronco with its sharp edges is a rip-off of Mercedes G500. However, the real show stopper was the Land Rover’s Range Stormer, which though based on the classy Range Rover, takes a radical departure from its predecessor.
Riding on 22-inch wheels and sporting a supercharged V8 engine, the luxurious two-door Stormer offers technology to select settings from “dynamicâ€â€™ for high speed to “deep ruts†for extreme off-roading. There are two DVD screens in the rear, and one in the front that swivels away when not in use, a very sophisticated entertainment system.
Best of all, the stylistic doors swing upwards like wings of a sea gull. The vehicle, which hopefully rolls off the assembly line in 2005, still has no price tag but, do not expect anything cheaper than $100,000.
In spite of my Euro-car sensibilities, two American sports cars, already in production, caught my eyes.
The first was the well-crafted 2004 Cadillac XLR with a 320 hp V8 that ranks with cars like the Mercedes SL500, Lexus SC 430 and Jaguar XK series. Though a bit boxy in the rear, the supreme topless beauty can flawlessly undress and dress up while in motion. The XLR will set you back $80,000, which is a better deal compared to $90,000 for the Mercedes SL500.
The other eye-catcher was the little Pontiac Solstice, a 170 hp 2.4-litre topless sports car in the image of Mazda Miata and Mini Cooper, which, with smooth rounded styling, made it the car you most want to hug instead of drive.
Checking out the luxury line-up, I could not shake that nagging suspicion that the marriage between Daimler, Benz and the American Chrysler has somewhat lowered the quality of the renowned German’s craftsmanship for which Mercedes stood at the pinnacle of the auto world.
Though my son happily jumped in and out of the S430 and the CLK 320, my interest was drawn to the Smart Fortwo Mercedes, a cute urban two-seater that gets 60 miles per gallon, and should be easy to park right inside your bedroom. Designed for Europe’s prohibitively narrow city streets, and on the European market since 1998, this baby Benz will hit the North American market starting at $12,000. For the mere mortals, the dream luxury vehicle at the show was the Phaeton, (pronounced fay-tun) Volkswagen’s newest high-end luxury sedan that shoots and scores well beyond Mercedes S430. With 420 hp, superior craftsmanship, and “to-die-for†electronics, and seats that massage your back on your way to your favourite massage parlour, the Phaeton leaves Mercedes S430 in the dust.
No wonder the wise-heads at VW named the car after Greek mythical figure Phaeton, son of Helios, the sun god, whom according to legend borrowed his father’s chariot and promptly fried the earth.
Yet, for reasons unknown, Volkswagen stubbornly refused to follow Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which created separate luxury brands in Acura, Infiniti and Lexus respectively. Instead, the Phaeton proudly wears the traditional VW insignia. Though reasonably priced at $69,000, compared to Mercedes S430 at $73,000, we figured that many people would opt for Mercedes because it is a known status symbol while the Phaeton is not.
Money being no object, my choices would be the sporty Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Volkswagen Phaeton and that little American cracker, the Solstice.
For now, my old Toyota Corolla will do.
Ends