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16B - Michigan Daily - Weelid, etc. Magazine - Thurso January 20, 2000

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Diehards starved for car data can binge this week in Detroit

AUTO SHOW
gntinued from Page 78
mounted screen (similar to many
Lamborghinis!)
The other showstopping GM prod-
uct is the Buick LaCrosse. A giant
four-door luxury sedan, it features
Bugatti-inspired front-end styling
combined with the traditional

Oldsmobile Aurora rear. The front
headrests have TV monitors built into
the back of them so rear-seat passen-
gers can watch the tube. Overall, the
car is simply grand and luxurious.
Besides the North American manu-
facturers, dozens of foreign compa-
nies have new vehicles at the auto
show. Be sure to check out some of
the following:

Audi 2001 TT Roadster
Convertible. Based on the very suc-
cessful TT coupe, this topless model
is slightly more refined and delivers
an impressive 225 horsepower.
Porsche 911. The new turbo may
(still) be the ultimate sports car.
Redesigns include bigger air intakes
on the side and a more aggressive
front fascia. If you're over six feet

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tall, you'll find the interior a bit
cramped, but who really cares when
you're going zero to sixty mph in just
over four seconds?
BMW 323Ci Convertible (the new
"Ultimate Tanning Machine"). The
NAIAS is the world premiere of this
impressive new convertible. Using
clever geometrical arrangement, the
car has more space in the trunk, even
when the top is down.
Toyota E.com. You may miss this
concept car at first because it is so
very small. Its wheels are hardly any
larger than bicycle tires. Toyota
claims this car is ideal for local dri-
ving and for the European market.
The interior is sparse, but does have
AM/FM stereo with cassette and air-
conditioning.
Infiniti XVL Sedan. Celebrating
its 10th year, Infiniti is releasing its
first ever concept design to the public
at this year's show. Its exterior dimen-
sions roughly match those of other
European entry-level luxury sedans,
but Infiniti claims its price will be
lower. Strong attributes include a
drag coefficient rivaling that of a
Corvette (0.28) and a Continuously
Variable Transmission (CVT). In
other words, that means you won't
feel the car shift from gear to gear as
you accelerate/decelerate.
* Volkswagen Advanced Activity
Concept. This is VW's answer to the
booming luxury truck market. The
concept vehicle seats four people and
has a giant, turbocharged V-10
engine. This vehicle is a true hybrid;
it is difficult to decide if it is a car,
truck, SUV or some unholy truce
between the three.
Mitsubishi SST Spyder concept
car. Designed completely by
Mitsubishi in California, it's best
described as having a "geo-mechani-
cal theme."The designer's inspiration
came from buildings, trains and even
the human bicep muscle. This car
may be a replacement to the current
3000 GT Spyder.
Volvo V70 Wagon. Although the
term "wagon" has come out of fash-
ion in recent years, Volvo's latest cre-
ation is far from uncool. The sleeker,
smaller V70 has more interior room
than ever before and a choice of three
turbocharged engines. Backed by
Volvo's unmatched safety standards,
this could once again be the perfect
vehicle to take the kids to their soccer
game.
0 Lexus Sport Coupe. This car can
simply be described as beautiful. The
dazzling convertible has a V-8 engine
(standard) and equally impressive
price tag. The design of thc car was
supposedly inspired by the Fiench
Riviera. "I think the lines that define
the character of the Lexus Sport
Couple are reminiscent of a luxury
yacht," said chief exterior designer
Sotiris Kovos.
Suzuki SL6. This car is unveiled
for the first time and insiders are call-
ing it "the largest and most luxurious
truck Suzuki has ever made." Made
specifically for North America, the
SUV boasts three-row seating.
Suzuki claims it is "the next evolu-
tion of the SUV," but overall it hardly

appears so radical.
One of the most informative high-
lights of the NAIAS is a Volvo video
on side impact collisions. It shows
how the side beam absorbs energy
during a crash moments before two
airbags deploy. There is a lower side
airbag for the elbow and arm and one
large running along the side roof
panel for head injuries. When Volvo
first developed the side air-bag pro-
ject, it was considered a novelty. This
year's show shows signs of side
airbags becoming more prevalent in
all cars.
As the automobile industry
becomes more and more competitive,
small, niche manufacturers have
financial difficulties in keeping up
with giants like Ford, GM or Toyota.
Thus, although there appear to be a
few dozen different marquees under
which cars are built, most brand
names are owned (in part or full) by a
larger, better-known parent company.
This is clearly evident in the overall
layout of the cars at this year's auto
show Formerly separate and compet-
itive manufacturers now share the
same floor space and even sales rep-
resentatives.
Ford has been aggressive in its pur-
chasing, swallowing up the likes of
Jaguar, (most of) Mazda and even
Volvo. The recent merger of Daimler-
Benz and Chrysler was a monolithic
wake-up call to the auto industry as a
whole. Top executives from both
companies did not have any knowl-
edge of the merger until they received
the announcement in their morning
newspaper. Industry experts even
speculate there may be as few as six
major automotive manufacturers by
the year 2005: Two in North America,
two in Europe and another duo repre-
senting Japan.
Meanwhile, the auto industry is
keeping a keen eye on the
DaimlerChrysler merger in hopes of
seeing traditional Mercedes manu-
facturing and designs trickie over to
North America and vice versa.
Although the two companies are
greatly benefiting in their respfctve
market shares (due to their lack of
overlapping product lines), ths over-
all sharing of platforms and assembly
lines has not yet begun. Ford, on the
other hand, has already capitalized
extensively on its acquisition of the
Jaguar brand by releasing the Lincoln
LS and Jaguar X18. Both cars not
only share the same platform, but
many internal and external compo-
nents as well.
For many Michigan area residents.
the attendance of the NAIAS is a rite
of passage, a yearly tradition not to
be broken by changing trends in the
auto industry or around the world.
For others, the auto show is a new
spectacle. Bright lights, shiny cars
and, of course, lots and lots of pic-
ture-taking opportunities. Whether
you are an avid car enthusiast or just
a commuter who demands four tires
and a steering wheel, the NAIAS is a
rare opportunity to not only glimpse
one of the world's largest industries,
but to also help mold and shape the
future of it.

Pasta e Fagioli. That's

Italian generosity.

And

that's the way we do things,

you/Ze

because...
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enhower Parkway, opposite Briarwood Mall, (734) 663-6875

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