2007 North American International Auto Show

Jaguar C-XF Concept

By Chris Paukert , March 2007

The 2007 North American International Auto Show may go down on record as the year the car fought back. In recent times Detroit has been flooded with all manner of SUVs and crossovers, but this year there were plenty of sedans and coupes in both concept and production form. With a particularly strong crop of sporting machinery from the Japanese, there was much to draw the enthusiast’s eye.

MAZDA RYUGA CONCEPT
Mazda continues to develop its new Nagare (“flow”) styling language, which the company says is designed to evoke “the emotion of motion” in a stationary automobile. The sub-RX-8-sized Ryuga (Japanese for “gracious flow”) has profile surfacing that was inspired by karesansui—the Asian dry gardens that traditionally employ raked sand and pebbles. The car’s nature theme is carried through to other parts of the Ryuga as well, with headlamps said to be inspired by “the flow of morning dew dropping from bamboo leaves.” Suffice it to say it’s a concept that wears its Japanese credentials on its sleeve.
Unlike the Nagare concept that immediately preceded it, the gullwinged Ryuga actually has a full interior, and the company indicates there’s room for a complete drivetrain underneath. Officials won’t admit whether this particular car is a runner, so for now we’ll just have to be content to stare at its beautiful future-think proportions.

FORD INTERCEPTOR CONCEPT
Prior to media days at the Detroit show, Ford officials were busy quashing rumors the company had designs on expanding its Mustang lineup to include a sedan and wagon variant. While that appears to be untrue, the debut of its massive Interceptor concept does indicate Ford isn’t shy about sharing underpinnings, even if the resultant product looks nothing like the iconic two-door. In fact, while it’s based on modified Mustang mechanicals, this visually arresting NAIAS concept owes more to Ford’s mammoth 2006 Super Chief pickup and 2003 427 concepts than it does to the pony car.
The intimidating-looking rear-drive sedan is powered by Ford Racing’s new 5.0-liter Cammer V-8 that delivers around 400 horsepower.
More than a few critics have dubbed this “Ford’s 300” (referring to Chrysler’s blockbuster LX-platform sedan), which could be a slight or a compliment, depending on how one looks at it.
We think the car looks fantastic, and hope it’s a less-than-subtle indicator that plans are afoot to replace the Jurassic Crown Victoria with a similar vehicle. After all, the concept’s name has heretofore been associated with the automaker’s law enforcement package, the Police Interceptor.
We don’t know about you, but if our rearview mirror was full-up with the Interceptor’s massive grille, lightbar and spotlights ablaze, we’d pull over faster than an officer could utter “License and registration, please.”

2008 LEXUS IS-F
Having attained critical acclaim and consumer recognition as a master of refinement, Lexus is out to prove that it has soul, too. The transformation that began with the company’s more assertive “L-Finesse” styling language gained major credibility at Detroit with the introduction of the IS-F. The production-bound four-door not only promises to be a stonking sports sedan, it also inaugurates the automaker’s new “F” performance arm that will square off against BMW’s Motorsport offerings and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG series.
We’ve heard nervous banter at cocktail parties from competing automakers about the IS-F mules undergoing testing at the Nürburgring, and word is the IS-F is a startlingly fast automobile. With a 5.0-liter V-8 generating something north of 400 horsepower (along with 350 pound-feet of torque), big Brembo brakes, and a tightened-up suspension, the IS-F would appear to tick all of the enthusiast’s boxes. The possible exception? The car will appear exclusively with an eight-speed paddle-shift gearbox—no manual transmission is expected.
Some of our Daily News site readers expressed reservations about the IS-F’s bulging flanks and hoodline, and while we share their concern, the reality is the IS-F looks much more cohesive in the metal.

TOYOTA FT-HS CONCEPT
Lexus isn’t the only one looking to regain some of its enthusiast cred. While Toyota’s showrooms and sales totals have been white-hot, the company hasn’t offered much for automobile aficionados since the demise of its MR2 and Celica lines. The awkwardly monikered FT-HS concept could change all of that, especially if it proves to be a harbinger of a neo-Supra, as many pundits are suggesting.
Toyota executives gave their California-based designers the brief of creating a twenty-first-century sports car, and this edgy little coupe is what they came up with. The front-engined, rear-drive car packs a 3.5-liter V-6 coupled to a next-generation hybrid system that Toyota promises will deliver around 400 horsepower, with 0-60 miles per hour in the four-second range.
According to Toyota, the defining design characteristics of the FT-HS are its integration of J-Factor and Vibrant Clarity: “J-Factor refers to the local and global acceptance of Japanese-inspired design and cultural sensibilities,” while Vibrant Clarity is “the combination of perfect imbalance, free-form geometrics, and integrated component architecture. The result of these three elements is subtractive mass, a minimalist style that is not only lightweight but also looks lightweight.”
And here we were thinking the FT-HS just looked kind of neat (in a Hannibal Lecter sort of way).

CHEVROLET VOLT CONCEPT
The Volt sedan concept was one of the Detroit show’s most interesting propositions, more so because of what lurked beneath its four-door skin than how it appeared on the outside.
The centerpiece of General Motors’ latest push to simultaneously slake environmentalists, Wall Street, and consumers, the Volt is a plug-in hybrid with a twist—it’s always powered by electric motors. Oh, there’s internal-combustion happening onboard (an E85-friendly, turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder) that recharges the car’s lithium-ion battery pack, but there’s no mechanical linkage between said engine and the wheels. Instead, a 161-horsepower electric motor is lashed to the front wheels—it’s the same unit employed in Chevy’s fuel-cell Equinox.
The Volt’s so-called E-Flex system should handle most commutes without ever using a drop of gasoline, as it is capable of running forty miles on battery power alone. Further, it can be plugged into a standard 110-volt outlet and charged in around six hours. For longer trips, if the Volt’s twelve-gallon tank is filled, it has a theoretical Kegel muscle-flexing range of 640 miles.
GM admits the Volt’s Achilles’ heel is that the technology necessary to mass-produce the required batteries doesn’t truly exist yet. That said, it expects such cells to be ready by 2010-12 if current development rates continue.

ACURA ADVANCED SPORTS CAR CONCEPT
Acura’s Advanced Sports Car Concept is the second installment in a series begun by the Advanced Sedan Concept that debuted at Los Angeles. Fortunately, we find this one to be quite a bit more compelling.
Whereas Acura’s ASC was a frightening look at an executive sedan circa 2020, the Detroit sports car concept looks to be planted firmly in the here and now. The aesthetics of the ASCC centers upon what designer Jon Ikeda calls Keen-Edge Dynamic styling. Proportionally, its long-hood configuration lends itself to Chevrolet Corvette comparisons, but in truth the car has a look all its own.
Said to portend the next-generation NSX, the ASCC was not without controversy, as it signals the automaker’s supercar has a new driveline configuration, with a V-10 engine wedged in between the front fenders instead of a mid-engined V-6 as before.
The production Acura NSX is slated to debut at this fall’s Tokyo Motor Show and is seen as a linchpin in Honda’s bid to launch the Acura brand globally.

JEEP TRAILHAWK CONCEPT
Jeep rolled out its Trailhawk concept, an attractive synthesis of its core values and most iconic products. Combining the skeleton of the Wrangler Unlimited with the style of a next-generation Grand Cherokee, the SUV concept secrets a 3.0-liter Bluetec diesel that pairs 215 horsepower with 376 pound-feet of torque.
To our eyes, the brawny off-roader is a rolling antidote for those of us who believe the brand has lost its way with softer offerings like the Compass and Patriot. The Trailhawk’s broad-shouldered styling, serious suspension clearance, and thirty-four-inch tires not only look the business, but earn it Jeep’s Trail Rated stamp of off-road approval. Its removable roof panels are a nice nod to the Trailhawk’s Wrangler roots, and would be a welcome feature in a larger-format production vehicle.
Build it—diesel heart and all.

HONDA ACCORD COUPE CONCEPT
Honda was reluctant to share details on the coupe concept below, suggesting only that this two-door previews a more dynamic look for its next-generation Accord Coupe. It’s believed the Detroit show car was simply a mockup, sans interior and drivetrain, which would go a long way toward explaining why details on the car were so scarce.
Either way, the Honda concept indicates the company is taking a more dynamic and polarizing approach to styling on the next production Accord Coupe, which strikes us as a good thing. Accord two-doors have always been nice vehicles, but seldom have we found them to possess adequate sheetmetal changes to set them apart from their more staid sedan counterparts. This concept’s Audi A5-like front three-quarter view and powerful rear fender graphic could illustrate the automaker is finally ready to give the Coupe a more distinct identity, or it could simply mean that both body styles will receive more aggressive designs.

VOLVO XC60 CONCEPT
Volvo took advantage of its center-stage billing at Cobo Hall to throw down its XC60 Concept, which is said to closely mirror a forthcoming kid brother to the company’s successful XC90 crossover.
The XC60 immediately won us over with its chunky good looks and strong family cues (drop-shoulder stance, L-shaped vertically oriented taillamps, and Scandinavian minimalist interior), and we can’t wait until the Land Rover LR2-based production version (likely for 2008) finds its way to our offices. Although we expect a pavement-biased suspension, the fact that the XC60 will share many of its grubby bits with a Land Rover bodes well for at least a modicum of off-road capability.
Of course, various show car details are unlikely to survive the transition to production: we fully expect the multi-element tailgate, “ponytail slot” seatbacks, and complex electronics of the iPod-esque center console to go by the wayside by the time the XC60 reaches dealerships.

KIA KUE CONCEPT
To this point, the Korean auto industry can claim very few successful show cars—at least from an aesthetic standpoint. But awkward proportions and blatantly cribbed design cues are to be expected as a new nation in the automotive industry gets up to speed. Certainly, the Japanese did it before them, and the Chinese are already drawing fire for taking such practices to new heights.
Fortunately for fans of Kia and parent Hyundai, Korea is starting to find its design voice, as evidenced by Kia’s handsome scissor-doored Kue crossover concept. The four-place, two-door unibody packs a supercharged 4.6-liter 400-horsepower V-8 and twenty-two-inch wheels in a very clean shell.
As one might expect, the Kue emphasizes on-road performance over utility and off-road capability in both its proportions and construction. One of the most cohesive designs in its company’s history, the crossover may break little new ground, but it’s a good-looking vehicle that is said to show the way for future Kia designs.
Over decades, most nations have managed to cultivate distinct automotive styling identities. The Italians are known for their emotional, passionate shapes. Intrinsically American designs are renowned for their brashness and bold proportions. And the French? They are well-regarded for their quirky innovations and oddly elegant proportions. Could a Korean identity really be all that far behind?