2002 Detroit Auto Show by TCC Team (1/7/2002)
Toyota show sponsor
sponsored by Toyota
2003 Dodge Ram SRT-10
DODGE GETS SRT-10 RAM
As if
the Los Angeles show’s 205-hp Neon RT weren’t enough, Dodge took the Detroit
opportunity to show off the Ram SRT-10, a fierce full-size truck with Viperesque
performance credentials. It sports the 2003 Viper’s 8.3-liter V-10 with 500 hp
and 500 lb-ft of torque; zero to 60 is promised in under five seconds, with a
top speed of 150 mph and a quarter-mile run in 13 seconds. Dodge also claims a
0-100-0mph time of 18 seconds, astonishing numbers for a truck. Clearly built to
outdo the Ford F-150 Lightning, the SRT-10 Ram also sports huge 24-inch wheels.
It goes on sale in late fall; the next-gen, heavy-duty Ram, in case you’re
curious, is to be introduced at the Chicago auto show in February.
CHRYSLER CREATES AMERICAN
AMG
DaimlerChrysler will create an entire lineup of American performance
products, starting with Dodge, but eventually including its Jeep and Chrysler
divisions, as well. Dubbed Performance Vehicle Operations, it’s being modeled
after the successful AMG operation of sibling Mercedes-Benz. PVO will also
handle Chrysler Group racing ventures, noted marketing chief Jim Schroer, who
boasted “Every (PVO) vehicle will out-muscle, out-run any production vehicle
from our competitors.” The venture is intended to build a halo for other
Chrysler Group products—and generate revenues that can help fund racing.
Meanwhile, PVO will begin working with outside performance parts suppliers, said
the new unit’s boss, John Hernandez. That will make it even easier for owners to
stay in the lead, whether street racing or testing their cars on the track.
2003 Ford Expedition
FORD REVAMPS
EXPEDITION
While Ford made headlines yesterday at the North American
International Auto Show with the wacky Mighty Tonka F-350 diesel-powered concept
pickup truck, it will make millions on the truck it showed on the final press
day: the all-new 2003 Ford Expedition full-size SUV. Ford went way, way out
there with some of the features and conveniences on the all-new 2003 Ford
Expedition full-size SUV, as big SUV competition gets hotter and hotter.
Preview: '03 Ford Expedition by Jim McCraw (1/8/2002)
MINI COMPACT, MINI
PRICING
When it goes on sale in March, the MINI Cooper and Cooper S will
sport appropriately small pricetags. The base 115-hp MINI Cooper is set to
retail for $16,850 including destination charges, while the supercharged 163-hp
MINI Cooper S will sticker at $19,850. Atop those prices, MINI will offer three
packages: the Premium and Sport each cost $1250, while the Cold Weather package
goes for $500. A CD player is standard on all models, the company says.
2002 Infiniti FX45 Concept
INFINITI MINTS BIONIC CHEETAH, THE
SEQUEL
A second, evolutionary version of the FX45 concept shown at last
year’s auto shows, the new “bionic cheetah” has a 4.5-liter V-8 with more than
300 hp, a five-speed automatic and 23-inch wheels. The FX45’s strikingly smooth
skin wraps around an all-wheel-drive platform that shares bits with the G35
sedan; it also offers an independent suspension. The interior sports aluminum
trim, an LCD information center and a rear DVD system, and electronic door
openers. It’s a clear precursor to the coming Infiniti SUV, say our sources, a
vehicle which will be joined by a two-door coupe based on the G35, and a new
midsize luxosedan.
NO CUTS IN FORD PRODUCT
PROGRAMS
Ford product development chief Richard
Parry-Jones promised to “battle back” any effort to cut into his future product
budget. “That would jeopardize the turnaround plan,” he told TheCarConnection.
If anything, the company needs to add even more products than previously
scheduled, Parry-Jones suggested. His position has strong support at the top:
Ford Chief Operating Officer Nick Scheele has promised to increase spending on
product. He knows how effective that can be — in Europe, where another
turnaround plan was crafted by Scheele, the automaker is in the midst of a
product offensive, launching 45 new vehicles during a five-year blitz. The
result has been a noticeable increase in share, and a sharp improvement in the
bottom line. After losing $1 billion in 2000, Ford of Europe broke even last
year and expects to report a profit in 2000.
Ford Revival
Plan on Friday? by Joseph Szczesny
(1/7/2002)
Scheele Hints at Turnaround Plan by TCC Team (1/7/2002)
PLANT CLOSURES CAN BE
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
Further signals are being given that Ford will not go
on an all-out plant closing binge when it launches its new turnaround plan on
Friday. North American chief Jim Padilla told TheCarConnection that Ford clearly
has more capacity than needed—some analysts put the number at nearly two million
units in the current environment. But should the market recover over the next
few years, Ford wants to “have the flexibility to come back” with enough
production to meet demand. Besides, said Scheele, union contracts and other
factors would mean that even if a plant closed, “Revenues would fall a lot
faster (through lost sales), than fixed costs would.” More likely, he hinted,
Ford will focus on cutting out shifts and overtime, wherever possible. There’s
another factor: the automaker’s contract with the UAW, which effectively bars
plant closures through September 2003.
SCHROER: DISCIPLINE AND PIZZAZZ
EQUAL PROFITS
There’s a simple formula for making money in the car
business, Chrysler Group marketing chief Jim Schroer told TheCarConnection,
“discipline and pizzazz.” Commodity products require heavy discounting, he
stressed. Growth and higher margins will come only if customers are willing to
pay a premium for vehicles with emotional appeal. The big draws are exterior
styling and interior innovation, according to Schroer, who told TCC the Chrysler
division will focus on increasing its emotional appeal by reinforcing its design
leadership. He also admitted that Chrysler’s reputation for poor quality has
been a factor hurting the brand’s appeal.
2003 Mazda 6
MAZDA ROLLS SIX AND
EIGHT
Mazda is playing it by the numbers, six and eight, to
be precise. The new Mazda 6, first shown during the Tokyo Motor Show received
its American debut in Detroit Tuesday, as did the production version of the
long-awaited RX-8. The latter revives the automaker’s long-popular
rotary-engined sports car, which will arrive in the U.S. in 2003. Mazda intends
to promote the 6 as a more sporty and functional alternative to mainstay
Japanese sedans, such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Preview: 2003 Mazda 6 by
Marty Padgett (10/22/2001)
2003 Nissan 350Z
NISSAN TAGS AN AFFORDABLE
Z
Hoping to catch consumers—and competitors—by surprise, Nissan announced
plans to position its own reborn 350Z as an affordable sports car. The base
model, which hits showrooms next summer, will start at $26,269. The
high-performance Track edition will come in at $34,079. “On an ongoing basis,”
declared executive vice president Jed Connelly, “we expect half our volume will
be priced under $30,000. The two-seater, with its standard 280-horsepower
3.5-liter V6 and six-speed manual transmission will “offer $50,000-performance
for under $30,000 — just as promised,” Connelly declared during a preview at the
North American International Motor Show.
2002 Nissan Quest Concept
THE QUEST FOR A BETTER
MINIVAN
The Quest concept vehicle suggests Nissan’s next minivan will not
only be bigger, but for more radically styled than the old Quest produced for
years in a joint venture with Ford Motor Co. Nissan took the wraps off the
prototype Tuesday, unveiling a chiseled design that “set out to challenge the
notion that a minivan can’t be sexy and fun-to-drive,” argued designer Alfonso
Albaisa. The concept features a frosted glass roof with a full-length
roof-mounted console, 20-inch wheels and a power-operated, bi-fold tailgate.
Inside, there’s an array of electronics, including a DVD system and even a “baby
cam” for a parent to keep an eye on their children sitting in back. The images
are displayed on a 16-by-4.5-inch dash-mounted video screen. Though the minivan
market has declined in recent years, “it’s too big not to play in,” stressed
Nissan EVP Jed Connelly. He hinted the production Quest, due shortly, will bear
a strong resemblance to the prototype, “though not quite so edgy.”
2002 Isuzu XST concept
2002 Isuzu XSR
2002 Isuzu XSF concept
THREE FROM
ISUZU
The
troubled Japanese automaker, Isuzu, offered
up three variations on the Axiom theme to help wrap up Monday’s press preview
at the North American International Auto Show. The XST is a crossover SUV/pickup,
while the XSR is a sport-ute roadster clad in bright yellow paint. The
two-seater gets 230 hp out of its 3.5-liter V-6, more than enough to spin
its 20-inch custom-forged alloy wheels. The XST also boasts a pickup-like
fold-down tailgate and an assortment of high-tech features, including a DVD
system. The last version is the XSF, a high-performance package with a 3.5-liter
V-6 generating 275 hp. In the past, Isuzu has shown a number of show cars that
were thinly-disguised versions of upcoming products. But “We’re not ready to
flip the switch this time and produce” any of the concept vehicles, cautioned
vice president Rick Balsiger. They’re still not far along in the development
process, he said, conceding that Isuzu’s financial problems also mean a shortage
of the necessary resources.
2003 Subaru Baja
SUBE TO MAKE GEN-X EL CAMINO?
Is the
Baja the modern incarnation of the old Chevy El Camino. True, it’s got
significantly less power, but the two have a lot in common, visually. One big
difference is the back seat found in Subaru’s crossover car/pickup/SUV crossover
vehicle, the latest in a series of “segment-busters” the Japanese carmaker has
rolled out in recent years. Baja has “a healthy dose of attitude,” according to
chief U.S. executive Fred Adcock. The 2003 model features 16-inch wheels, a
fold-away bed extender and it’s powered by a 3.5-liter boxer six-cylinder
engine. With an introduction date of September, company official suggest they’d
like to sell up to 2000 a month of the American-made Baja. They hint it may be
priced around $26,000, though a final decision is months away.
GM INTERPRETS CHAOS
THEORY
General Motors saw its new car prices decline by nearly 1.3
percent last year, CFO John Devine told TheCarConnection. And the trend is
certain to continue. “Reality is, we’re all going to have to live with (the
trend). It’s not going to go away. But Devine also said that a manufacturer that
can create some excitement for its products is in a better position to command a
premium. Devine said the economic realities of the auto industry have shifted to
the point where it’s become almost impossible to predict how sales will trend in
the coming years. And that makes planning extremely difficult. “Some days,” he
said, “it feels like a revolution. Some days it feels like chaos.”
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