The Dodge Challenger is my favorite of course!


New York in a minute: What's your 2008 NYC show favorite?

Posted March 20 2008 04:28 PM by Todd Lassa



NEW YORK - Buzz regarding the 2008 New York show is that it was a bit light on product. I don't agree; the New York International Auto Show has not been a Detroit, Geneva, or Tokyo for many years. Variations of existing models, facelifts and the occasional new model from a small-volume manufacturer are what this show has been about since I first covered it in 1997. And this auto show season, which begins each September with Frankfurt (in 2007) or Paris (in even-numbered years) and ends with this show, has been a bit light all around.


Especially, as I have written, at Tokyo and Geneva. Nobody I know has counted the number of intros and compared them with previous years. It's more of a feeling, the presence or lack of blockbusters. And Tokyo and Geneva, while substantive, were both light on blockbusters. I blame it on the economy and design cycles. New York might not have any blockbusters, but there are a few standouts.

"Detroit is finally gettin' it." Words I overheard at the Dodge Challenger stand. Despite all the talk of low-emissions, high-fuel mileage cars, including a forum at the GM stand to talk about the Chevy Volt, Detroit's big cars at New York are the Challenger and the Pontiac G8 GXP and ST, showing off their rear-wheel-drive V-8 swagger (yes, I know, there are V-6 Challengers and G8s). It's Detroit's luck that it is finally "getting it" with cars that the 2020 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards could make obsolete. At least we'll have five to 10 good years.

On the flip side, two small-volume Japanese manufacturers showed pure electric vehicles, cars that will have environmentalists in Southern California bleating about how GM killed the electric car, and Tokyo revived it. Subaru's R1e electric looks like the science experiment that it is. But Subie is confident enough about it to loan two to the New York Power Authority for testing in greater Manhattan. This is, after all, a better city for a Lithium-Ion-powered car with a 65-mph top speed and 50-mile range than spread-out, canyon-filled Los Angeles. The R1e actually is an earlier, but streetable version of an advanced technology that Subaru showed at Tokyo. The R1e that New York gets has been under limited daily drive testing in Japan for about a year.

Archrival Mitsubishi showed its mid-engine electric iMiev cars, which have also been revealed earlier at Tokyo and other car shows. The basic design goes back to 2005. Technical director Tetsuro Aikawa says the mid-engine configuration is economically viable for electric cars, and creates more balanced handling. Mitsubishi will begin selling iMievs in Japan next year, and "we do plan to begin testing in the United States this fall." Its lithium-ion batteries can be charged in 30 minutes. The most interesting version is the iMiev Sport-S, a two-seat coupe with recyclable body panels, solar panels and solar glass for better air-conditioning efficiency. It may be electric, but it looks like fun.

The biggest story comes from some of the smallest manufacturers, Kia (which actually is growing quickly) and Suzuki (which has been around for 100 years). Kia's Koup concept needs a name and a B-pillar, then it's ready for production. Probably within a year. It has the Genesis coupe's base engine, a 290-horsepower, 289 pound-feet twin-scroll turbo 2.0-liter direct gas injection engine and six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, Brembo brakes (I told you it's becoming the Bose of binders) and "check-mark" side surfacing. Unlike the Genesis, it puts that turbo-four's exceptional torque through the front wheels. Based on the Spectra platform, it's clearly Kia's assault on the Honda Civic Si coupe.

Suzuki has had two years of 100,000-plus sales in the U.S., and it sell

 

The sooner we burn up all that nasty fossil fuel, the sooner we can all decide on its eco friendly replacement! Big V8's should be required until we've gotten rid of all oil reserves.