2009 NAIAS Day One
Summer in Detroit is fine and the livin’ is easy. With plenty of green space, the blue waters of Lake Michigan nearby and the Detroit Tigers usually in the hunt for a playoff birth, it offers a great deal for those seeking summertime fun.
But this is January and visiting Detroit is typically anything but carefree. Snow clogs downtown streets, turning a simple commute into an abnormally long excursion. Skies are grey, temperatures dip below freezing on a regular basis and there are neither peanuts nor Cracker Jack offered at a major league sporting event unless you stop in at the “Joe” for a Red Wings game.
So what exactly is there to look forward to in the Motor City at the start of each new year?
The North American International Auto Show makes its annual arrival at Cobo Center and the 2009 version promised to be one of the best in decades. Excitement for the event has been building for weeks as numerous manufactures pulled out, waiting for the next bit of bad news to hit an already shell-shocked industry. But mention the words, “new car” and hope springs eternal for many in the dead of winter. Here are several of the highlights from day one in Detroit.
Volkswagen Concept BlueSport
What’s new in convertibles is a theme running through this year’s NAIAS. No less than six new cars offer the advantages of open air driving as concepts and 2010 models. Not to be outdone, Volkswagen introduced one of the most desirable at this year’s show with the Concept BlueSport taking center stage.
A mid-engine design, exterior styling is reminiscent of the Audi TT with a little Porsche Boxster thrown in for good measure. When excellent DNA runs in the family, why not capitalize?
In Detroit, Volkswagen chooses to highlight a 2.0L, mid-mounted clean diesel (TDI) engine. Mated to a 6-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, performance numbers rate the two-person sports car as having 177 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft of torque. Zero to 60 mph is achieved in 6.2 seconds with top speed reaching 140 mph.
One of the things making the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport so intriguing is the anticipated cost for this vehicle. VW isn’t looking to compete with either Audi or Porsche at this point, and should the vehicle go into production sometime soon, pricing ought to be reasonable. Watch out Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. Someone left the garage door open and Volkswagen snuck in when nobody was looking.
BMW Z4 Roadster
A little higher up the ladder, BMW took the wraps off what is arguably the best looking German car to arrive on North American shores in quite some time. The new BMW Z4 Roadster is gorgeous in everyway. It strikes at the heart with clean lines, a removable hardtop and what should be excellent BMW driving dynamics.
Built in Regensburg, Germany, gone are the days of offering both soft-top and hardtop versions of the Z4. To make it easier, a retractable hardtop stows easily at the push of a button in a mere 20 seconds.
Two engine choices will be offered initially in the new Z4. The Z4 sDrive 3.0i features a normally aspirated inline 6-cylinder producing 255 hp and 200 lb.-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm. The higher performing, twin-turbocharged, Z4 sDrive 3.5i offers 300 hp and 300 lb.-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm.
A rear-wheel drive sports car, standard equipment includes a 6-speed manual transmission in both models. A six-speed automatic transmission is optional in the 3.0i, while the 3.5i makes available a new seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual. Weighing 200 lbs. more than the outgoing Z4, Dynamic Drive Control should make long, winding drives around Lake Michigan a favorite summertime excursion for a select few.
Mazda3 5-Door
Taking pictures of the 2010 Mazda3 5-Door at this year’s NAIAS resulted in a lengthy conversation with one of the show floor representatives on hand. Knowledgeable, witty and striking at 6’ 2”, my newfound friend was equally dumbfounded as to why Mazda continues to struggle as it seeks to gain market share in the United States.
Throughout the largest geographical country in North America, Mazda is a huge hit! While here in the USA, zoom-zoom nation is a devoted, but surprisingly small, group of owners who simply love their Mazda’s. For many automotive journalists such as me, and others in the know such as my hostess in Detroit, it just doesn’t make any sense.
Featuring a 2.5L DOHC 4-cyinder engine, the 5-Door “s” produces 167 horsepower and 168 lb.-ft of torque on regular unleaded gasoline. Mated to a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission, it carries 5 passengers and their gear in complete comfort and safety.
Independent front and rear suspension, rack-and-pinion power assist steering and 17” wheels with all-season tires provide excellent agility and improve ride quality. Stops are made easy with ABS and EBD and fuel economy is rated at 22/29 mpg city/highway for the automatic equipped Mazda3 5-Door. What are you waiting for America? Get out and give Mazda a try!
Summary
Day one featured many additional new vehicles under the bright lights of Cobo. Highlights included the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, 2010 Honda Insight, a Chrysler series of Range Extend Electric Vehicles and the stunning Bentley GTC Speed. More details will follow in our Day Two wrap-up as the days of summer continue. Forget the snow outside; the 2009 North American International Auto Show is sure to melt away the blahs at least for a few weeks.
