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Coolest Concept Car: Detroit Auto Show 2007
Amongst all the fanfare, loud music, bright lights and awe-inspiring booth displays at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, it is the concept cars that ‘stand’ tall and proud on their slowly twirling stages. Like the popular kid in high school that everyone looks up to, these amazing creations take center stage and hold it with a solid grip, commanding attention from anyone that walks by.
Automakers use the concept car as an opportunity to throw all the rules out the window and showcase their next vision of design, technology and automotive lifestyle. As we strolled the large hallways of the Detroit Auto Show we were clearly drawn to a few exceptional concept cars. These were the creations that burned an unforgettable image into our minds and whispered “Hey… look at me” every time we walked by.
Our picks for Coolest Concept Car are below:
Fifth Place: Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept
The Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept was unveiled from under a simple white cloak, whisked away by turbulent air from a man-made tornado (See the video here). What was left behind was a silver-bullet of a car that eschewed the mid-engine layout of the last Acura exotic, the NSX, in favor of a more traditional long hood and short rear deck approach. The stance is both muscular and striking. With crisp lines and subtle curves that photos just don’t show. The ASCC seems to have a sense of kinetic energy about it, even while just sitting there on stage. We were excited to see such bold styling from Acura and hope this will impact designs to come.
Fourth Place: Ford Interceptor
There was a lot of talk before the Detroit Show about Ford unveiling a four door Mustang. Though the unique Interceptor concept is based on a stretched Mustang platform, there is nothing Mustang about the styling (see the video here). Looking to classic cars from the 1960’s for inspiration, the Interceptor evokes emotion from onlookers with its muscular stance, aggressive and bold front end and gangster-car-esque profile. To us it really captured the theme of American style and attitude and it would be a great addition to the Ford family.
Third Place: Chevy Volt
Concept cars aren’t just about style, they also provide a showcase for cutting-edge technology. The Chevy Volt takes third place by combining both of these attributes into a promising package. Designed as an electric car that embodies a sporty soul, the Volt electrifies onlookers with a four door coupe appearance that belies its efficient and green drivetrain. Using GM’s new E-Flex platform, the Volt is considered a fully Electric Vehicle. The standard engine that pairs with the electric motor is only used to re-charge the batteries and in a brilliant move that engine can be filled up with anything from E85 to Hydrogen. Some great forward thinking was put into the Volt and they wrapped it in a cool looking package.
Read the In-depth Analysis at Autoblog
Second Place: Toyota FT-HS
Known for reliable family cars, Toyota grabbed the eyes of many with its FT-HS concept. This Future Toyota Hybrid Sport (FT-HS) car features some forward thinking design ideas that got our hearts racing and driving feet happy. Using what the designers refer to as "Subtractive Mass" and a "Perfect Imbalance”, the FT-HS blends striking geometrical shapes that resemble both modern sculpture and architecture. Check out how the front and rear fenders have areas ‘carved’ out to save weight and create dramatic visual designs. In the interior Toyota took design even further. Utilizing a concept they refer to as ‘solo space’, the driver is wrapped inside an angular yet swooping cockpit that features a hub-less steering wheel that seems to float in front of you. Add to this a 400 hp Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain and you got yourself one clean, mean driving machine.
First Place: Mazda Ryuga
Our pick for Coolest Concept Car goes to the sensual Mazda Ryuga. The designers of this amazing vehicle took the concept of ‘motion in nature’ and blended that with futuristic design elements to create a concept car that they say embodies what its name means in Japanese – gracious flow. The elegant lines on the side of the Ryuga (that extend from the front fenders to the flowing rear quarters) were inspired by karesansui, the dry rock gardens where raked lines represent ripples of water caused by the wind. Deep stuff here … and it gets even deeper.
The headlights were meant to represent morning dew dropping from bamboo leaves. We say they just look sweet! It gets better too, the deep red color was influenced by lava flow and the unique interior, accessed through huge gull-wing doors, features a floating center console design and a gauge cluster straight out of Star Trek. Most important though is the sheer fact that the Ryuga was the car that kept all of us coming back for more. We just couldn’t stop looking at it, wondering how cool it would be to drive it and staring in awe at the creative designs held within. That is what a cool concept car should do. Great job Mazda!
-CC
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I live in a big city and as long as it's not freezing or raining I usually always walk anywhere within a 10 block radius. If I need to go to the grocery store and don't want to walk that far with a handful of bags, I'll take the bus. I ride my bike sometimes as well. If I need to travel farther distances, I do drive, but only when I have to. Of course, for those that live in the suburbs or rural areas, it may be more difficult. There are other options though. Carpooling, for example, is a great solution that enough people don't make use of in my opinion. Also if you happen to live in the suburbs or the country, simply making a more efficient use of your driving time would help in terms of gas costs. Gas costs money. New high technology batteries cost money. Hybrid cars costs money etc. But Carpooling can typically cut costs by as much as 4/5ths. A bicycle may cost a couple of hundred dollars up front, but it doesn't run on fuel. Bus passes are usually dirt cheap. Walking is always free. Try to make use of these when you can! You'll need to talk to others in your local communities to organize a carpool or get information regarding a bus pass, and walking requires no explanation, but for those thinking of giving a bicycle a try here is a good <a href="http://www.dealsdepot.com.au/
a65/Finding-the-Best-Mountain- Bike/article_info.html">guide</a> that goes into detail about what to look for when picking out a bicycle. I wouldn't recommend purchashing a bicyle online -- you should probably visit your local bicycle retailer or large department store for a purchase like that. It's still a good idea to read about some of the differences between bikes and what to know about different speeds, frames, and sizes etc. Anyway, just thought I would pass that along. I enjoyed reading your post though. Very informative. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work! -
3rd, 4th and 5th Place looks too much alike. Do we need another generation of clone cars? Here we go again....
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Although Ford owns about 1/3 of Mazda (I understand) this is not ford. This is pure Mazda! The Mazda that succeeded with the Rotary (Wankle) engine. The Mazda that brought us the RX-7 in '79. The Mazda that gave us the 3rd Gen RX-7, which to me is the finest design of an affordable race car for general production ever - and the Mazda that revolutionized the Sports Cars by designing and releasing the Mazda Miata (MX-5) and continued to produce it for the next 18 years. The car that every car company has tried to copy.
I look forward to seeing more of this proto-type and hopefully see something along this line on the streets in the near future. -
If that Mazda drives anything like my Mazda RX8...sign me up! Love it!
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