On October 5, 2005, bright sunshine bathed the metal and glass Anaheim Convention Center in a warm glow while hot Santa Ana winds whipped the palm trees as the 2005 California International Auto Show officially opened the North American show season. Gaining in importance over the years, the 2005 show didn’t feature as many significant debuts as the 2004 show. Nevertheless, GMC kicked off the press conference schedule with a world introduction, Jaguar and Volvo showed brand new models to Americans for the first time, and Dodge made an announcement about a new production model that should arrive for 2007.
Rockets to the moon, beat poetry, anti-war demonstrations, The Beatles, and the Ford GT40 all made headlines in 1969. And now, with the
Heritage Edition, you can turn back the clock to Dearborn’s final Le Mans victory thanks to a special paint job that recalls the JW Automotive/American Gulf Oil-sponsored racing car.
Dodge Caliber You’re looking at the next entry-level Dodge model, the 2007 Caliber. Shown here in concept car form complete with oversized wheels and tires, the Caliber concept’s styling is expected to carry over to production almost intact, including the aggressive front design and handy hatchback at the rear.
Dodge Caliber When the
2007 Dodge Caliber goes on sale in the spring of 2006, it will be offered with one of three four-cylinder engines. The base motor makes 140 horsepower, while the top engine choice develops 170 horsepower. All-wheel drive will be optional. We think that Dodge needs to offer more oomph under the hood, especially since it is DaimlerChrysler’s performance division. Maybe the old Neon SRT-4’s scrappy motor will be offered in a future version.
Dodge Nitro Dodge announced that the Nitro Concept SUV will become a reality for the 2007 model year, slotting in under the Durango and sized to straddle the dividing line between compact and mid-size sport-utes. With bulldog front styling, a chopped-top roofline, squared-off edges, and flared fenders, the Nitro exudes attitude. Inside, Dodge jazzed up the Jeep’s cabin by adding a three-pod gauge cluster with electroluminescent lighting, lots of satin silver trim, and brushed aluminum pedals. Black leather seats with red inserts provide a sporty ambience, and the cargo area features ultimate utility thanks to a textured vinyl floor that slides out for easy loading and unloading.
Dodge NitroBuilt on a modified
Jeep Liberty platform, the
Dodge Nitro Concept has the Liberty’s 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 under the hood. It’s also got true off-roading capability, a full-time 4WD system, 20-inch wheels and tires, and a curb weight of more than 4,000 pounds. That means acceleration to 60 mph takes almost 10 seconds and fuel economy isn’t likely to impress much.
Ford GT Heritage EditionDecorated in Heritage Blue paint with Epic Orange stripes, the 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition is sure to turn heads even more than a regular GT. It even has four white roundels in which the buyer can paint a favorite number. Otherwise, this special edition is identical to a stock Ford GT.
Ford GT Heritage Edition Built on an aluminum space-frame chassis with super-plastic-formed aluminum body panels and an aluminum-over-carbon engine cover, the Ford GT is equipped with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 mounted behind the seats in a mid-ship configuration, making 550 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque. A six-speed manual transmission drives the rear wheels, propelling the $150,000 super car to a top speed of 205 mph.
GMC Yukon Bigger, more powerful, and more fuel efficient, the
2007 GMC Yukon arrives on the market just in time to require $75 fuel tank fill-ups. Still, some people need the ability to carry up to seven passengers and tow large loads, and the new Yukon is perfect for heavy-duty needs.
GMC YukonThe 2007 GMC Yukon gets styling that is more distinctive and upscale than its
Chevrolet Tahoe twin, and the new interior represents a significant upgrade in terms of materials and design. Engines equipped with Displacement-on-Demand technology – which cuts power to four of the eight cylinders for low-load driving conditions – give the redesigned Yukon a combined EPA estimated rating of 20 mpg.
2007 Jaguar XKCritics, including us, have carped about the styling of the new
2007 Jaguar XK. But Jaguar’s head communications guy, James Thomas, doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. That grille didn’t come from the Ford Taurus. Rather, it came from a long line of Jaguar XKs, E-Types, and D-Types. Jaguar owns oval grilles trimmed in chrome and mesh – not Ford.
2007 Jaguar XK Though it’s easy to see design cues ranging from Hyundai to Porsche, the 2007 Jaguar XK is mainly reminiscent of the previous-generation XK8 Coupe, especially from the rear view. This year, a liftback (aka
hatchback) provides greater cargo capacity.
Suzuki Blizzard Yummy. Dairy Queen has a new flavor…ah, no, that’s not right. Can’t imagine soft-serve vanilla mixed with nuts and bolts would taste very good. Rather, the Suzuki Blizzard Concept is a redesigned 2006 Grand Vitara with a nice set of wheels, a lowered suspension, air dams and rocker panel extensions, and a multi-vented hood. Up top there are two large body-colored storage boxes for snowboarding gear.
Suzuki Blizzard With a standard V6 engine, 4WD, and room for four, the Suzuki Blizzard Concept would make a great mountain goat, perfect for reaching those remote back-country trails coated with virgin powder. But snapping chains onto those wheels is likely to cause some damage, eh? Inside, the Blizzard has a useful ventilated wet storage area. Outside, there’s a chairlift thingamabob to help load and unload the roof-mounted storage boxes.
Suzuki Sea Take a rather tame Forenza station wagon, add blanked-out rear quarter windows and opaque rear door glass, toss on some bigger wheels and tires, slap a fake air scoop onto the lower flanks, fasten a surfboard to the roof, and
voila! -- you’ve got yourself a concept car perfect for a SoCal auto show.
Suzuki SeaThe Suzuki Sea Concept is designed to show what a custom appearance kit can do for people living the surf-bum lifestyle. And since the regular Forenza Wagon on which the Sea is based is pretty cheap, surf bums might actually be able to afford it. In back, there’s dedicated wet suit storage and a shower wand to use for rinsing off the salt and sand. No word on where the shower’s water might be sourced, however.
Volvo C70 Thanks to its slick retractable hardtop, the new
2007 Volvo C70 is going to carry a price tag just south of $40,000. That’s plenty of green for a small four-place droptop, though we shouldn’t be surprised that Volvo wants a four-season car given the California-based company’s spiritual home of Sweden.
Volvo C70Based on the same platform as the S40 sedan and V50 wagon, the 2007 Volvo C70 has a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine good for 218 horsepower under the hood. And in keeping with Volvo’s legacy of safety innovation, the C70 gets a side-impact airbag system that extends to protect the heads of front seat occupants even when the roof is lowered.
Photos courtesy of Ron Perry
