From The Observer News (www.observernews.net)

Tippin The Scales Concept Cars



Aug 24, 2006, 11:26



What cars are coming down the pipeline in the next few years? Looking at concept cars, we see a pretty exciting lineup. A few years ago when Ford turned heads at the unveiling of their new Mustang design complete with a retro body style, some of the other sports car manufacturers decided to follow suit. The Camaro has come back into the limelight with the creation of its new concept car. And if the actual design is anything like the concept, Chevy enthusiasts have something to look forward to. After the release of the new Mustang, Ford owners had fuel added to their fire in the heated debate over which brand is better, Ford or Chevrolet. In 2008, the Chevy owners will have their heyday when the Camaro will be put into production. Even though sales won’t begin until first quarter 2009, these few years of separation will allow younger drivers to begin saving their allowances.



The 2009 Camaro—move over Mustang!

*************************
Retro seems to be the theme for sports cars in 2009. Another car to be pulled from the past is the Dodge Challenger. Similar to the Camaro, Dodge plans to start sales in first quarter of 2009. The production of the Challenger has now been confirmed, and the only remaining question is how close they will match the specs that were featured in the concept car. The sleek design included a 6.1-liter V8 Hemi under the hood, but rumors have said that Dodge might use a standard 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and save the former for the SRT class. As of now, the concept with the larger Hemi could achieve 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, run a quarter mile in 13.0 seconds with a top speed of 174 mph.



The 2009 Dodge Challenger—maybe a challenge to afford the gas

*************************
This next concept car has not yet been confirmed for production, but word has it that Toyota will put the Volta into production sooner than later. Named after the Italian inventor who developed the first electric batter, Count Alessandro Volta, this unique blend of a sports car and a hybrid can push you back in your seat with a rip-roaring 408 horsepower at the wheels. Unlike most sports cars of its caliber, the Volta will exceed 30 miles per gallon; and at low speeds, the engine can be driven strictly from electric power. The internal combustion engine is located behind the rear axle and is actually not directly connected to the wheels. On each side of the back axle, two separate electric engines provide the toque allowing the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds.



The coupe is a three-seater, with all three people sitting side by side. Its “drive-by-wire” technology allows the steering wheel and pedals to be shifted to any one of the three positions. I bet there will be a lot of blame shifting (and wheel shifting) if one of the drivers gets pulled over for a DWI.

Judging by the concepts, there will be some interesting new vehicles for sale in the next couple of years. Though with gas prices surging, it may be more practical of me to show what may actually be the preferred mode of transportation of the future: the mini-bike.
Hey -- it could happen!

 

The concept of the Volta sounds cool, but bet will be expensive. Need to find what it looks like.

 

Here is one image of the Volta.

[IMG]local://upfiles/17/E1D94B33E81749398221F0CA82892B39.jpg[/IMG]

 

Thanks for the pic. I actually like the look of that.

 

The Volta will be expensive and I doubt will be able to put up with the abuse of a traditional muscle car. The Volta won't have things as easy as one might think. I have heard rumors that the 6-speed versions of the Camaro with DOD will get around 30 mpg with similar power and a fraction of the price. The Camaro will be more of a threat than the Volta will ever be. Toyota is successful in taking over industries where the Big Three are weak (compact and mid-sized cars) but they have failed to take over the truck market.

I also like the looks of that car.