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Title: Five Game Changers - provided by: Road & Track
Source:
2008 Detroit Auto Show
URL Source: [None]
Published: Jan 19, 2008
Author: Matt DeLorenzo
Post Date: 2008-01-19 10:49:32 by richard9151
Keywords: None
Views: 107
Comments: 1
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/detroit_auto_show_2008/378/Five-Game-Changers/;_ylc=X3oDMTFhZXRvbzBsBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNmaXZlLWdhbWUtbWFpbg-- Sometimes a concept isn’t just an idea, but rather a movement. At the North American International Auto Show, these five significant debuts point the way that the industry will reshape itself in the years to come. The Ford Explorer America is proof that the days of the traditional truck-based, body-on-frame sport/ute are indeed numbered. Eschewing V-8 power, this Ford concept uses a choice of 4- or 6-cylinder engines in a car-based unit-body that still retains the rugged styling of a true off-roader. Proof that the conventional compact pickup truck is being rethought comes in the form of the Toyota A-BAT concept, which also uses unit-body construction and the Prius’ hybrid drivetrain. The Fisker, from noted designer Henrik Fisker, also relies on hybrid power and exclusive coachworks to redefine the traditional 4-door luxury sedan. From General Motors, the Cadillac Provoq fuses fuel cell and lithium-ion battery technology to develop the next generation in small luxury crossovers. And the Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside demonstrates that high technology diesels will become an increasingly important element in achieving high fuel economy and low emissions. 1. Ford Explorer America 2. Toyota A-BAT 3. Fisker Hybrid 4. Cadillac Provoq 5. Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside If you care to look, there are photos available of each car, and, they are pretty interesting, IF, you like expensive toys. ... build this sleek 4-door sports sedan. But unlike Fisker's previous entries, the Tramonto (a rebodied Mercedes-Benz SL) and the Latigo (a rebodied BMW 6 Series), ... ...starting price will be $80,000 ... What is the point? It cuts the poor and middle class out of the equation, and esp. now with the lending/credit/banking/subprime problems. AND, they are making these cars so expensive and complicated that, when they are turned back by the rich, the upkeep on them will be so high that no one, except wanna-be-rich-middle-class-fools will even attempt to own them. Why is it that the new technology can not be put into small, compact and efficient cars and pickups that will serve the masses? ... claimed figures include 50 miles on a pure electric charge as well as 100 mpg when combined with the car's gasoline or diesel engine. The above could have been done many, many years ago. So could this; ... holding 13.2 pounds of hydrogen, enough to feed the vehicle's fuel-cell stack to provide 280 miles of range Hydrogen is not a secret; it has been around for a long, long time, and is certainly safer to use than gasoline. After all, propane has been used in engines for many, many years/decades. Of course, that is a petroleum product..... Ummmm, I wonder what the real problem is......
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#1. To: richard9151 (#0)
Good grief! Could that URL be any longer? I actually believe that URL format there is long enough and has enough unique characters to give every molecule in the universe its own web page...
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/detroit_auto_show_2008/378/Five-Game-Changers/;_ylc= X3oDMTFhZXRvbzBsBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNmaXZlLWdhbWUtbWFpbg-
 | Gold and silver are REAL money, paper is but a promise. |
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