Ford is struggling to recover from a $12.7 billion loss in 2006, GM just lost its number one spot after 76 years to Toyota, and Chrysler has been getting sold for God knows how long. So why are the Big Three just sitting back and watching the deck of cards crumble right in front of their eyes? Why aren’t they speeding up development on cars that American people want instead of resurrecting cars like the Ford Taurus which no one cares for?
Well, we decided to take a look at three concepts the Big Three have shown at the Detroit Auto Show and how they can save Detroit.
Ford Interceptor: This Mustang-based concept has a “Built Ford Tough” attitude which is powered by a 5.0 liter V8 Cammer engine that produces 400 horsepower and runs on E85 ethanol. Just look at the sharp, yet round cuts that give it an aggressive “get the hell out of my way” look when it appears in the rear-view mirror of any car. If thrown into production with a little more than 400 horsepower and other technical tweaks, the Ford Interceptor could compete strongly against any German or Japanese high-performance sedan (hint: the BMW M5 or the upcoming Lexus IS-F). Not only that, with just a few design changes the Ford Interceptor could even explore the terrain of the four-door-coupe craze that’s been going on these days with luxury cars (hint: Mesh it up with the Lincoln MKR concept as a four-door-coupe that will give the Mercedes CLS and the upcoming Audi A7 a run for their buck). Whatever you do with the Ford Interceptor Concept just don’t shelve it.
Chevrolet Volt: Probably one of the hardest to mass produce out of the three concepts, the Chevrolet Volt is surprisingly the only one that has shown some progression. After being a victim of much criticism that this was just publicity stunt and wouldn’t ever be put into production, GM awarded two development contracts for the batteries with they will evalute later this fall. The Chevrolet Volt is expected to have a charge time of 6.5 hours offering 40 miles on battery alone with a 640 mile range with a full tank of gasoline. The car is expected to make its production debut in 2010.
Dodge Demon Roadster: Now, we don’t know how much the Dodge Demon Roadster can actually do for Chrysler, but out of the three concepts mentioned here, this one is probably the closest to its production version. While the Mazda Miata MX-5 isn’t Mazda’s best-selling model it’s created the “Zoom Zoom” motto you hear today, so now you feel a little “Zoom Zoom” behind every Mazda vehicle you sit in. Maybe the Dodge Demon Roadster can do the same for Chrysler, maybe not. But the rear-wheel-drive and the 2.4 liter engine that produces 172 horsepower, places the Dodge Demon Roadster perfectly between Mazda Miata MX-5’s 2.0 liter 166 horsepower engine and Honda S2000’s 2.2 liter 237 horsepower roadster. Chrysler and Dodge, just remember to make it a hardtop convertible, and try to extract a little more horsepower from that 2.4 liter engine. Take some pointers from Mazda and Honda.
So come on Detroit, get up off this lazy and unmotivated lag you guys are on and get moving with these three wonderful cars as soon as possible.
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