CAR SHOW FILLS CONVENTION CENTER WITH PHILLY AUTOPHILES
Triangle Entertainment
Mike Lyden, Motorhead
February 6, 2004
The fourth largest auto show in the United States is exhibiting again! The 2004 Philadelphia International Auto Show started Jan. 31 and will continue until Sunday, Feb. 8, so you still have time to get to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to see it. Show hours are noon to 10 p.m. during the week, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, respectively, and it’s only a mere $10 to get in.
Highlights from this year’s show include Pontiac’s new and future offerings, Chevrolet’s new 2005 Corvette and Ford’s current showcase. Volkswagen has a couple of exciting vehicles on display, as do the Italian and British manufacturers.
Pontiac
The muscle car from down under is finally ready to make its way into showrooms. This new GTO has an all-aluminum, 5.7-liter third generation LS1 V-8 power plant that sends 350 horses and 365 pound-feet of torque to its rear wheels through a standard four-speed automatic or an optional Tremec close-ratio six-speed manual. Not bad; the engine even makes use of cold-air induction. The exterior styling, however, is bland — to say the least — but still admittedly better than the excessive body-cladding of the Pontiac we used to know. The interior is actually quite nicely styled and looks to seat four passengers comfortably. Each seat has side bolsters, assumedly so that you can dazzle your friends by throwing them about the cabin without smacking them into each other, as the performance is what’s to be expected.
The G6, first introduced in Detroit this year, is also on display. A small, European-looking sedan, it is the first of many vehicles to be built on its platform, and it will be a volume leader in the future. Expect a coupe and convertible G6 to debut in the summer of 2005.
The Solstice — ah yes, this is the kind of car American car-makers absolutely need to build. The production model promises to stay very true to its original concept. This is a small, sporty and stylish two-seater convertible with great curves and a very livable interior. A rear-wheel-drive roadster with a 5-speed manual transmission and 18-inch wheels standard, this car is small enough that its 170 horsepower 2.4-liter eco-tech motor should definitely be enough to make for lively driving on your favorite back roads. Pontiac calls this an "attainable dream car," and with prices starting at just under $20,000, I would agree with them wholeheartedly. This car will be a huge hit and will be available for purchase fall 2005 as a 2006 model.
Chevrolet
Corvette — the new C6, an evolution of the C5, is touted as the highest-powered Corvette ever built. Chevy execs call this car an "attainable aspiration" as it can be acquired for about $50,000. A 6.0-liter V-8, the aluminum block LS2 makes 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The interior finish looks much improved over the outgoing model’s as well. It has keyless entry and a push button start, thanks to its relation to Cadillac’s XLR. Of note are its new dimensions; it’s actually 5 inches shorter, but only 1 inch narrower, making it relatively wider. It has exposed headlamps, as opposed to the hidden-type that have been a Corvette signature since 1963. It has standard 18-inch wheels up front, 19-inchers in the rear and a six-speed short-throw manual transmission. Some other bits of fresh tech are its unconventional door handles that consist of electronic membranes. They also automatically unlock when your keychain is within a certain distance. Not too shabby.
Ford
Expected to sell for between $130,000 and $150,000, Ford’s new GT may actually be a bargain. It’s a midengined, two-seater supercar that’s actually pretty much on-par with the Dodge Viper — 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The Ford GT looks much like the old GT40 race car, but shares none of its measurements and is powered by a 500 horsepower supercharged all-aluminum 5.4-liter V-8 that puts out 500 pound-feet of torque.
The new Mustang has a V-6 that makes about 200 horsepower, but luckily there’s a 300 horsepower V-8 option. As for its looks, I like the production version less than the original show car, but its interior looks more than decent. Of course, it’s a lot better looking than the outgoing Mustang.
The Ford 500 is also on display. Though it’s not much to look at and its rear looks a little Japanese to me, it is leaps and bounds above a Crown Victoria. It is also front-wheel-drive with available all-wheel drive and the first Ford product to utilize a continuously variable transmission.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen showcases its new Phaeton in both W-12 and V-8 guises. The 6.0-liter W-12 puts out 420 horsepower, and the more miserly 4.2-liter V-8 still makes 335 horsepower. Unfortunately, both earn a gas guzzler tax. This is one car that I would love to see dozens of on the road. It’s very tastefully designed, looks of quality build and German craftsmanship, and the interior appears to be nearly flawless. It has a commanding presence and a VW logo displayed proudly, and largely, on its grill and trunk lid. It’s like an Audi A8 from Volkswagen. Oh wait, that’s almost exactly what it is, minus the extensive use of aluminum. But surely, an Audi with a VW logo would sell for many thousands less than its up-market counterpart. Oh wait, the V-8 A8L starts at $68,500, and Volkswagen pricing starts at $64,600 for the V-8 and nearly $80,000 for the W-12. So, no. And that’s why we won’t be seeing too many of these gorgeous vehicles on the streets of Philadelphia or any streets for that matter. It’s truly a shame; it really is a handsome and stately-looking vehicle.
On the other hand, the new V-10 TDI Touareg is also on display, and that’s something to be happy about, indeed. The Touareg is the VW counterpart to Porsche’s Cayenne and is very road and off-road worthy. Now, prospective VW sport utility vehicle owners have the choice of a powerful twin-turbo diesel engine. While it’s rated at only a modest 310 horsepower, it achieves 553 pound-feet of torque. Now that is towing power. Of course, this comes at a base price of $57,800, about as much as a Porsche Cayenne S.
Ferrari
The new 612 Scagliette replaces the highly successful 456M, and it is molto bello. The front end is particularly stunning. Named for a coachbuilder and its engine characteristics, this bambino puts out 533 horsepower and 433 pound-feet. And of course, you have your choice of a six-speed manual or an F1-style clutchless paddle shifter.
Maserati
A handsome sedan to accompany Maserati’s Coupe and convertible, the Quattroporte is the first Pininfarina-designed Maserati since 1953. It uses the same powerplant as the other trident cars, but gets an extra 10 horsepower out of it to make it 400 even. That gets this large and elegant sedan to 60 mph in just under 5.2 seconds.
Lamborghini
There’s a special edition Murciélago at the show that features sections of exposed carbon fiber and some wild paint — too wild, perhaps, for anything other than a Lamborghini. It’s situated in the upper ballroom right next to its younger sibling, and one of my favorites, the new Gallardo (pronounced "guy-YAR-doe"). If you haven’t seen this car yet, you’re missing out.
Chrysler
The Chrysler 300C strikes me as a good buy at only $24,000 for the 6-cylinder and $34,000 with a Hemi. It has a Boston Acoustics stereo, too! This car is bigger than a Cadillac STS and has all the hi-tech goodies you’d expect from Daimler like its electronic stability program and anti-lock brakes.
The new Durango, the Hemi-powered version of which is a big seller, has a strikingly distasteful exterior, but a very well thought out interior that seems to focus on comfort and usability. But speaking of usable interiors, Chrysler’s very own Town and Country (that’s a minivan, people) has some really tricked out seats. Both the second and third row seats stow quickly and easily in the floor. DaimlerChrysler’s in-house record is 17 seconds to change the layout from seven seats to two. If I had a minivan, I’d want its seats to do what this one’s does.
Porsche
Porsche introduces something that finally makes a little sense as far as a sports car maker building SUVs; the base model Cayenne joins the S and Turbo in the model lineup. The weird thing is that it’s powered by a 3.2-liter V-6, not a flat six. That’s a first, and is indicative of more parts sharing with VW. Word is that this is the narrow-angle VR6 engine that can be found in a TT 3.2 or a V-6 Touareg. This new engine option musters up 247 horsepower and 229 pound-feet and gets the hulking Cayenne to 60 mph in about 9 seconds. The VR6 is a good, solid engine, just not a Porsche engine. Though, I suppose sourcing parts from VW is better than investing the funds to develop an entirely new motor themselves. The good news is that this Cayenne does come with a manual transmission; the Tiptronic is still available as an option.
Saab
Saab introduces its new Saabaru, I mean, the new 9-2X Aero. For this car, Saab borrows heavily from a Subaru parts bin. And by "borrows from" and "parts bin" I mean "re-badges" and "existing production model." It’s like a Subaru Impreza with a little bit of plastic surgery. Sure, there’s a Saab logo on the steering wheel, but the ignition’s right next to that steering wheel. In fact, the entire interior is very Subie. Sure, its headlights look pretty similar to the rest of the current Saabs, but just above it, on the hood, there’s an air scoop a la, dare I say, Subaru. And that scoop is there to help cool the turbo-charged 4-cylinder boxer engine. Oh yeah, and it has all wheel drive. It’s a Subaru, through and through. Luckily, they don’t seem to be charging too much of a premium; fully loaded, it should be around $25,000, and a non-turbo version should be about $20,000. Unfortunately, General Motors Corp. is not doing very well with its Swedish acquisition, which is why we’re being exposed to a Japanese Swede. This is a thing that causes much frustration, I’m sure, particularly when you compare their results with those of rival Ford, whose Swedish crops are yielding nothing but green. Speaking of them…
Volvo
Volvo has a few new cars headed our way, specifically, a small sedan, the all-new S40, which looks like a slightly shrunken S60, and a new wagon, the all-new V50. Both the 40 and 50 have interiors that are huge improvements over the old 40 series. Of particular interest is where the center console joins with the dash. It’s a pretty neat design touch on such an entry-level vehicle. The base model S40 starts in the mid twenties, and the turbo-charged five-cylinder model, for about $27,000, comes standard with a six-speed.
Also worth beholding are the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Bentley Continental GT, and the Aston Martin AR 1 Roadster and Vanquish. With all these new cars to see right here in the city, you have to get to the show.
mad
