Automotive

January 11, 2005

Alan Oldfield / Special to KGW-TV

Alan Oldfield, on special assignment for KGW-TV in Portland, Ore., reports from Detroit on some of the concept cars on display at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.

Alan Oldfield

Acura RD-X concept

Acura RDX concept

The Acura RD-X concept is very close to the production model that will be on sale in 2006.

Slotted below Acura’s MDX sport utility, the RD-X will have a 200 horsepower engine and is built on an all-new light truck platform. The RDX features Acura’s Super-Handling All Wheel Drive system, combining the performance of a sport sedan with the all-wheel drive capability and functionality of an SUV, according to the company.

It features 19-inch wheels and tires, Brembo brakes, polished rosewood floors and a paddle shifter. Another feature is a wiperless windshield. The RD-X shoots jets of air to clear rain off the glass. The RD-X will be built at the Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio.

Alan Oldfield

Chrysler Firepower concept

Chrysler Firepower concept

The Firepower grand tourer concept car, which debuted at this year's NAIAS, has an estimated top speed of 175 mph.

The Firepower is a rear-wheel-drive muscle car with a 5-speed AutoStick transmission coupled with a 6.1 liter HEMI V-8 that blasts it from 0-60 in less than 4.5 seconds.

It sits on 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inch wheels in the rear. The exterior is coved in Hydro Silver Pearl with dark carbon fiber and polished-aluminum accents.

Alan Oldfield

Jeep Gladiator concept

Jeep Gladiator concept

Jeep describes its Gladiator concept as a “lifestyle pickup.”

It features an open-air canvas roof, removable doors and a fold-down windshield so driver and passengers can “get in touch with the outdoors”, according to the company. The four-foot-wide pickup bed can be lengthened from its standard 5 foot, 8 inches to 6 feet, 8 inches by sliding the midgate inward, into the cabin, With the tailgate down, the bed stretches to 8 feet, 11 inches.

The Gladiator is powered by a 2.8 liter, 4-cylinder common-rail turbodiesel engine providing 163 horsepower. It sports a 6-speed manual transmission and a traditional part-time transfer case.

The Gladiator name harkens back to the 1962 fullsize Jeep pickup of the era. Just like in 1962, the spare tire is mounted on the side of the truck.

Alan Oldfield

Saturn Aura concept

Saturn Aura concept

GM calls the Saturn Aura a showcase for the future styling direction of Saturn vehicles.

GM is pushing the Saturn brand upscale, and the Aura features input from GM design studios around the world.

Up front, the Aura features projector-beam trapezoidal headlamps flanked by a new rendition of the Saturn chrome bar to prominently display the division logo. The Aura has 19-inch polished alloy wheels and low-profile Z-rated tires.

The 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve timing is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual tap up/tap down shift controls. Safety features include roof-rail-mounted, head-curtain side-impact air bags, side-impact thorax air bags, four-wheel ABS with traction control and StabiliTrak, GM’s electronic stability-control system.

Alan Oldfield

Saturn Sky concept

Saturn Sky concept

Saturn will increase its portfolio from three to six vehicles in the next two years, and the Sky will be its signature car.

The Sky features a manual convertible top, a clamshell hood, and 18-inch wheels.The 170 horsepower 2.4-liter engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, with an option 5-speed automatic. It has four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and nearly equal front-to-rear weight distribution ratio for better handling.

Tje Sky will be built in Wilmington, Del. It is slated for production in 2006 and should sell for less than $25,000.

Ford SYNus concept

The Ford SYNus concept is based on the architecture of the tiny Ford Fiesta.

Smaller than the Focus, Fiesta is what is known as a B-car. Popular in other markets because of narrow streets and dense traffic, B-cars are almost unknown in America. However, considering that the majority of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2010, Ford thinks the time may be at hand for the B-car market in the United States.

The SYNus' design takes its inspiration from bank vaults and armored cars.

When parked and placed in secure mode, SYNus deploys protective shutters over the windshield and side glass. Small windows on the flanks and roof are non-opening and bullet-resistant. The rear hatch has no window.

Perhaps the SYNusconcept's most eye-popping feature is a gigantic widescreen liquid crystal display in the tailgate. The largest flat-screen LCD ever mounted in a vehicle, it offers a choice of Internet surfing, movie viewing, or, via cameras, watching what's going on outside the vehicle. In motion, the display works with the cameras to function as the vehicle's rear window: by looking in the rearview mirror the driver can sees a high-definition, closed-circuit image of the rearward view.

2006 Ford Fusion

The Fusion was inspired by the recent 427 concept car.

When it arrives this fall, the Fusion will fit between Ford’s small Focus and its flagship Five Hundred sedan in the Ford product line. The Fusion offers a choice of a 2.3 liter four cylinder, or a 3.0 liter V-6. Both feature all-aluminum construction, dual overhead cams, four-valves per cylinder, intake variable cam timing and electronic throttle control.

Ford Shelby GR-1 concept

Ford describes its Shelby GR-1 concept is a “running prototype."

A dramatic front-engine, two-seat, fastback supercar, it boasts 605-horsepower from a 390-cubic-inch, all-aluminum V-10 engine packaged in a polished-aluminum body.

This show car builds on the success of the Ford Shelby Cobra concept, the 2004 NAIAS Best in Show winner.

According to Ford, the GR-1 -- Initially unveiled as a design exercise at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August -- is a sports-car salute to "performance art."

2006 Ford Harley F-150

The 2006 Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 SuperCab is the seventh product of the alliance between Ford and the motorcycle maker.

The '06 version has been given a black monochrome paint job with red-and-blue stripe accents and Harley badging. The truck sports a distinctive lower valence, custom billet grille, blackout headlamps and taillamps, chrome side steps and massive 22-inch aluminum wheels.

Inside, the Harley spirit is evident in the leather, embroidery and chrome detailing on the dash, captains chairs, center stack and even doors. Buyers have a choice of 4x2 and AWD configurations, marking the first all-wheel-drive F-150. The power plant is a 5.4L/300-hp V-8 boasting 365 lb-ft of torque.