NAIAS | autoinsane

2010 NAIAS: The booth babes of Detroit

Thursday, January 14, 2010

You didn't think we were going to go and let NAIAS coverage pass without a good old-fashioned booth babes article, did you? By the way, we resisted adding a picture of Nancy Pelosi just for kicks. You can thank us later.

2010 NAIAS: Volkswagen New Compact Coupe doesn’t replace Scirocco in our hearts

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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2010 NAIAS: Volkswagen New Compact Coupe doesn’t replace Scirocco in our hearts

Call us spoiled, but we'll just take the Scirocco. Not that the Concept Coupe (props on the creative name guys) is a terribly ugly vehicle, but it's like putting ground chuck in a steak mold if you are a performance person. That being said, next to the Volt this is one of the better looking hybrids out there. Going with the unofficial theme of concept cars for NAIAS this year, this is another hybrid. Fire power comes from a turbocharged 1.4L inline four with 150 horsepower, which is backed up by 27 horsepower electric backed up bu lithium-ion batteries. The grand total of 177 means this car scoots to 60 in 8.1 seconds which is not to bad considering it should get around 56 mpg or so. Great figures, but we know you guys can put this tech in the Scirocco. Aiding in those high mpg's is VW's 'coast down' technology that automatically disengages the transmission after the driver lets off the throttle and allows the car to coast for longer periods of time, as well as regenerative braking. Although it's still in the concept stages it looks far too polished to stay there. We wouldn't be surprised if the Concept Coupe showed up in your local Volkswagen dealerships.

2010 NAIAS: Lexus shows LFA, no you can’t touch it

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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2010 NAIAS: Lexus shows LFA, no you can’t touch it

Poised on a pedestal and behind it's own security guard sat Lexus' super coupe. Powered by a 552 horsepower V10 the LFA leaps to 60 in 3.6 seconds and keeps going to 202 mph. The mostly carbon fiber car was off limits, we'd imagine that Lexus isn't ready to let the $350,000 rocket into the hands of just "any" automotive journalist just yet.

2010 NAIAS: Hyundai Brings Blue-Will Concept to Cobo

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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2010 NAIAS: Hyundai Brings Blue-Will Concept to Cobo

This odd looking duck is a look into what Hyundai is doing with hybrids. Powered by a direct-injected 1.6L that puts out 152 HP and a 100kw electric motor and a CVT transmission. Hyundai says this combination is good for 50-55 mpg in hybrid mode and 106 mpg in plug-in mode. Operating on electric only mode the plug-in hybrid is expected to do 40 miles, which is the same as the Chevy Volt. This is Hyundai's test bed for a lot of tech. Dubbing the design 'eco-sleek' it packs organic LED displays for the gauges and touch screen HVAC controls. Other tech goodies aid in fuel economy, with an exhaust manifold mounted thermo-electric generator, roof-mounted solar cells and regenerative braking. The thermo-electric generator converts heat to electricity to power auxiliary device. Hyundai has coupled this with low-resistance tires and brake pads to reduce friction. Even more interesting tech is packed into the Blue-Will, including an integrated bike rack. To save weight, carbon-fiber reinforced plastics and nano composites have been applied to the side sills, moldings and fenders. Press Release After the Jump

2010 NAIAS: GMC Granite Concept previews future small utility vehicle

Monday, January 11, 2010

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"If brought to market..." That's all you need to read to know that General Motors is seriously considering building what would be the smallest GMC ever. A full 2 feet shorter than the already compact GMC Terrain, the Granite concept vehicle, which will be introduced during the 2010 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS), would be a great addition to brand notoriously known for large trucks and SUVs. The Granite Concept features a turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder engine matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and plenty of brushed aluminum and metal. There is no chrome on the exterior Granite whatsoever. GMC calls it a Urban Utility Vehicle. We call it pretty sexy looking. Here's some photos of the concept and the full press release follows. Check back tomorrow for some real like impressions and more photos of the GMC Granite.

2010 NAIAS: Ford Bumps up Power, MPG’s in Next-Gen 2012 Focus

Monday, January 11, 2010

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Ford was able to satisfy both the power hungry and fuel-misers in the next generation Focus. Getting a bump of 20 horsepower to 155 horsepower and a mileage increase of 10%. This is accomplished from a 2.0-liter DOHC I-4 engine with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and direct injection (DI). This isn't an update to the North American Focus, nope this is the European-Spec model that we've been asking for. In fact, Ford says that the new Focus will use 80% common parts all around the world.

Buick Unveils the Regal GS, Checks Almost All the Right Boxes

Friday, January 8, 2010

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6 speed manual, 255 horsepower, 0-60 in under 6 seconds and a whole lot of extras. The Regal GS has a promising laundry list. The turbocharged 2.0 Ecotec will route those 255 ponies through an adaptive AWD system. Stopping power comes from 4 piston 14-inch Brembos. Holding the drive in place is a set of Recaro seats, which should come in handy with the trick suspension that GM has put in place. GM is using its HiPerStrust technology which helps to reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering. However, we have a few questions and speculations. If you’re familiar with the Opel Insignia OPC (That Opel Performance Center for those stateside) it packs a 2.8 V6 Turbo that puts out 325 horsepower, a whopping 70 more ponies. Don’t get us wrong, as-is the new GS looks very promising but we are wondering what is going on. Could the General be holding a GNX or maybe a GSX up its sleeve? Maybe the General doesn’t want to put the Buick up against the Caddy CTS....

Top 10 Detroit auto show oddities

Thursday, January 22, 2009

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Walking through this year's Detroit Auto Show was interesting to say the least. Smaller booths, better cars, fewer frills. But, despite the scale-back, I still found 10 things that left me scratching my head.

Subaru displays new Legacy concept in Detroit

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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Subaru, fresh off a sales increase for 2008, unveiled only one concept car at this year's Detroit Auto Show- a new Legacy, in extremely close to production form.We've got the full details and a huge photo gallery.

New 2010 Lincoln MKT – what do you think?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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Based on the super utilitarian Ford Flex, Lincoln's new 2010 MKT is one of the most polarizing vehicles to come out of Ford design in years. We take a look at the MKT and formally request your thoughts. Monster or model?