Detroit's Delights

Story by John LeBlanc/Photos by John Cooke

January 17, 2006 - DETROIT - The hangover from 2005’s constant announcements of declining market shares, impending layoffs and factory shutdowns from the domestic automakers only added to the irony that the majority of this year’s concepts from Ford, Chrysler and General Motors were luxury sedans, crossover-utility-vehicles, or large, traditional sports-utility-vehicles. (By the way, if you hear the sound of fiddling in the background, that’s not Nero.)

Regardless, here are the top six concepts from Detroit for those who love to get behind the wheel:



Chevrolet Camaro It’s official: the pony car wars are on—again! Just like in the late 1960s, Chevrolet and Dodge are playing catch up to a wildly successful Ford Mustang. A parade of vintage ’69 Camaros rolled down a mocked-up “Chevrolet Main Street”, stretching the length of the GM’s show floor space, preceding the unveiling of the Camaro concept. Propelled by a 6.0-litre, 400 h.p. V8 borrowed form the Corvette, and hooked up to a six-speed manual, the Camaro is based on General Motors’ Australian-built rear-drive platform, similar to the current Pontiac GTO (unavailable in Canada). There are styling hints from the ’69 Camaro, both inside and out, but the designers have made an effort to ease up on the retro touches. E.T.A. 2009 IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… Ford Mustang



Dodge Challenger Despite this being the show’s worst kept secret, along with the Camaro, it was also one of the show’s most eagerly anticipated presentations. An aggressively styled, rear-wheel drive two-door four-seat coupe with an SRT-tuned 6.1-litre, 425-hp, 420-lb-ft Hemi V8, hooked up to a six-speed manual (a first for Chrysler) promising 0 to 96 km/h in 4.5 seconds, will do that. With four inches chopped from the wheelbase of the donor Chrysler 300C, the Challenger’s styling hearkens back to the first 1970 Challenger retaining characteristic exterior and interior design details. E.T.A. For Chrysler dealers, not soon enough, but just in time to take on the new Camaro in 2009. IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… Ford Mustang



Nissan Urge Nissan envisions a sports car line-up that starts at the high-end with the future GT-R supercar, then the current Zed, then a sports car for first-time car buyers with a US $20,000 price target. Sound familiar? This front-engine, rear-wheel drive MX-5/Solstice-fighter’s wheelbase matches the bigger Zed’s, but is 41 centimetres shorter overall and weighs only 1,089 kilograms. Where the Urge differs from the Mazda and Pontiac is its 3+1 seating configuration. The concept has a six-speed sequential gearbox, but Nissan is only committing to a “quick high-revving engine” for the drivetrain. E.T.A. 2009. Maybe. IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… Mazda MX-5, Pontiac Solstice



Mazda Kabura The third time might be the charm, as the Kabura is the latest in a trio of small, rear-drive concepts from Mazda following the Sassou and Senko. Hardcore enthusiasts have always longed for a hardtop Miata-sized Mazda, and with Ford also displaying the similarly-sized Reflex hybrid concept here, Kabura looks closer to production than either of its predecessors. A 2.0-litre four banger similar to the MX-5’s supplies power, and just like the Nissan Urge, the Kabura has a 3+1 seating arrangement. E.T.A. Just as MX-5 sales start to swain a bit, say, late 2008. IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… An MX-5 (with a hardtop)



Audi Roadjet Concept sketches of a five-door A4 have been floating around for years, but the Roadjet is proof that Audi is committed to adding such a vehicle to the next-gen A4’s lineup. Although the concept had a 2+2+baby-seat configuration, expect a conventional five-passenger set-up in the production model. While the exterior hints at the ever-evolving Audi design language, the interior is a radical departure segregating many driver controls to the horizontal plane between the front seats. The 300 h.p. 3.2-litre V6, now longitudinally mounted, and the new seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox should also make it into the next A4. E.T.A. No earlier than 2008. IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… Mazda6 Sport



Aston Martin Rapide There’s two primary reasons why this luxury four-door, four seater sports car exists. First, the same flexible manufacturing techniques that have allowed the formerly near-dead Aston Martin brand to now boast a lineup that contains the V8 Vantage, DB9 and Vanquish, also provides the foundation for the Rapide. The second reason is that current Aston head cheese, Dr. Ulrich Bez, was at Porsche when his version of a four-door 911 was canned, only to be recently resurrected in the form of the planned Panamera. The new Rapide is a fulfillment of his dream. Regardless, the car is beautifully proportioned, and matches the performance of the two-door DB9 that it is based upon.
E.T.A. If Bez gets his way, one day before Porsche launches it’s own luxury four-door, four seater sports car. IN THE MEAN TIME, TRY… Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com

© National Post 2006. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.