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February 12, 2009
Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Little Tibling?
Atomicalex
I can’t be the only person who is wondering why Hyundai is bothering to slap the Genesis name on this car. The first time I saw the Coupe, I was pretty excited because I thought it was the new Tib(uron). C’mon—it looks like a Tib! And it’s priced like a (nice) Tib! Hyundai announced that the car will come with a weight-reduced R-Spec package starting at $23,750 for those with racing intentions. A track package that preserves some creature comforts will start at $26,750. Another pic after the jump.
Jeep Off-Road Course
Atomicalex
A dude named Brian drove me around this wild off-road simulation course in a Dodge Ram Quad Cab. 30 degrees of slope doesn’t look like much from the ground, but from on top of it, it’s a whole ‘nother story. Climbing up the hill was bad enough, going down was crazy! The traction hill was 16 feet high with a 35 degree slope. Tons of pics from the passenger seat after the jump.
Chicago: Work Trucks
Atomicalex
In the category of things that we didn’t see at Detroit are work trucks. Both GM and Ford had tons of big (F750?!?) trucks kitted out with fire equipment, EMS, dump beds, you name it. Note the Non-CDL signs – that’s interesting….
February 11, 2009
Ford Transit Connect
Atomicalex
Who the hell needs a truck any more when you can get this thing? 1600 pounds load capacity. 24mpg highway. 135 cubic feet of cargo space. 6 feet of load floor. 4.7 feet of load height. Drives like a car. 19.5 foot turning radius (take that, Accord!) Quirky-cool looks. Optional electric drive. $21,475 sticker.
Five lucky winners of Ford’s Connect with Connect contest won fully-kitted-out Transit Connect vans from Ford, showing the flexibility of the platform. This kayak dude didn’t know what to say when he saw his—he just stood there and stared in disbelief. Another winner was so happy, she burst into tears!
Video Tour of New Taurus SHO
Neuwerks
While at the Chicago Auto Show, we took a few moments to get up close and personal with the new Taurus SHO!
GM: Transformers 2
Atomicalex
GM’s press conference was basically an ad for the upcoming Transformers 2. They rolled out a new Bumblebee, the StingRay, and two little microcars named Mudflap and Skids. A bunch of pics from the poorly lit show floor after the jump.
Ford Chicago Assembly
Atomicalex
The Ford peeps bussed me out to the Chicago Assembly plant where they will build the new Taurus and the new SHO (complete with track package!) The plant covers over 2.8 million square feet and has at any given time about 1400 vehicles in process. That takes over 7.5 miles of conveyor belt, according to the plant manager Anthony Hoskins. We toured the final assembly side of things, where the unit body is mated to the interior and drivetrain, the wheels are put on, and final QC is done. Final assembly is a 5 hour process, if you started a car and moved it non-stop down the line, you’d spent a total of about 12 hours building it. About 35 SHO enthusiasts were along for the tour, holy cow you guys and gals are serious about your Tauri! More pics after the jump.
Do You Like Rock Band This Much?
Neuwerks
For you diehard Rock Band players out there, Chevrolet has your ultimate setup in the form of a totally tricked-out Silverado. This mobile Rock Band entertainment system features lifted suspension, four doors, a trusty 4WD system, and enough subwoofers to crack the moon. All of these features combined together will let anyone get their game on almost anywhere!
Besides the amazing integration of the video game setup, there were some other interesting details such as the guitar neck shaped external mirrors, and copious use of police-style lighting throughout the entire truck. This interesting contribution to the show was a working proof of concept showing that you can truly take your Rock Band setup almost anyplace you like!
Spyker the Unknown Euro at Chicago
Neuwerks
Not many people think of the Netherlands when they hear the phrase exotic car, however, that small corner of Europe does have one exceptional vehicle whose US identity can be as shrouded as the vehicle pictured below. I have never seen one of these cars in person. My only experiences has been from web pictures, and in simulation mode on Grand Turismo on my PS2. Thankfully they have brought a couple examples of this car to the show, and I aim to spend some time looking them over. For those unaware, this car was the first widely available (in Europe) production car to feature a Mid Engined Audi 4.2L V8 engine, predating Audi’s own R8.
Corvette Stingray Concept
Atomicalex
I think that this is special enough to warrant its own blog. As part of the whole Transformers 2 thing, the Corvette guys got to play, too. The new Stingray concept it pretty hot. I like the back end better than the front, mostly because I like the tail. I love the new Stingray badge – totally dangerous! A bunch of pics after the jump.
