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Detroit Auto Show 2011 Hot Girls

2011-01-14T02:26:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed and here we are in front of the 2011 edition of Detroit Auto Show. Of course, world’s biggest automakers came to US do reveal their latest concepts and wow everyone with their skills in an attempt to get closer and closer to building the perfect vehicle.
Yes, there were a lot of cars worth spending time taking a look at their shapes and reading a few words about their specs. We loved both 2012 Honda Civic Concept, especially the Si Coupe version, and the Hyundai Veloster Concept, with its innovative rear door. We were glad to see that Toyota still wants to save the planet when they present two new arrivals in their hybrid family, Toyota Prius C and Toyota Prius V minivan.

But the girls always caught our attention. And no, this is not a post written by Dragos Ionescu, our colleague who loves finding sexy girls posing next to hot cars.
Here’s a gallery of the sexy hostesses at Detroit Auto Show 2011, caught by the photographers next to the automaker’s concepts and world premiers.

Hyundai reveals 2012 Azera (Grandeur)

2011-01-14T01:45:00.000-08:00

Hyundai’s all-new 2012 Azera sedan has been revealed by the automaker’s Korean division. Dubbed the Grandeur in Korea, the new Azera will compete with vehicles like the Buick LaCrosse, Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES in the United States.

Hyundai explains that the exterior rendering reflects a ‘Grand Glide’ concept, or an image of a bird gracefully gliding across the sky. The front of the car has a bold grille not much different than the new Sonata’s, emphasizing the car’s premium look. The side profile is also familiar, sharing some arches with the Sonata. LED headlights and taillights give the car an up-scale look.

Expected to retain its front-wheel drive layout, the Azera will slot between the Sonata and the Genesis. Although the Sonata recently converted to an all four-cylinder lineup, the Azera is expected to be offered with two V6s — a 3.8L developing 305 horsepower and a 260 horsepower 3.3L. Both mills will be backed by a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Grandeur will make its Korean debut next week, so it’s unlikely the Azera will be on hand for the Detroit Auto Show later this month. Instead, look for the 2012 Azera to bow at the New York Auto Show this spring.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

2011-01-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

When it debuted nearly 15 years ago, the first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster was packed with technology, including a then-still innovative folding metal hardtop. Now, the third-generation SLK has made its online debut ahead of its first formal outing in March at the Geneva Motor Show.
The SLK will be offered with a pair of engine choices. At the top of the heap is a 304-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 in the SLK350 that helps the roadster scoot to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds with its standard automatic transmission. The German automaker says that this combination is capable of a 23 mpg combined fuel consumption figure.

A four-cylinder powertrain returns to North American-specification SLKs for the first time since the supercharged unit powered the first generation model. Set to go on sale shortly after the V6, the SL250 will be equipped with a 1.8-liter, 201-horsepower four-cylinder mated to either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. With the stick, it will be capable of a reasonable 27 mpg combined but will still sprint to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
Electric power steering – called Direct-Steer in Mercedes-Benz’s vernacular – will be standard, while the roadster’s sporty quotient will be upgraded thanks to Torque Vectoring Braking, which can lightly and selectively apply the rear brakes for added traction in hard cornering.

Harking back
Unlike the second-generation SLK, which looked rather like a mini version of the automaker’s SLR McLaren roadster, the latest SLK clearly draws its inspiration from the gullwinged Mercedes-Benz SLS supercar. Its blunt front fascia features a prominent three-pointed star and an upright design. In part, the design satisfies European pedestrian safety standards, but it also gives the sporty car a heritage-laced look that dates back to SL roadsters of the 1950s and 1960s.
From the side profile and rear end, we can see that the third-generation SLK looks more like its immediate predecessor, with a swoopy door opening and side-swept tail lamps.
Inside, the SLK is both much simpler and much more elegant than before. Its boxy design follows Mercedes-Benz’s latest interior language also seen on the latest C-Class.

Technological revolution
For its third generation, the SLK gains a whole host of the latest assistance systems to support the driver, including the drowsiness detection system known as Attention Assist. There is also an optional occupant protection system known as Pre-Safe, a proprietary technology; and the Pre-Safe Brake, which can apply the brakes autonomously in the event of an impending front-end collision.
In addition to Pre-Safe Brake, the SLK will also come standard with Adaptive Brake, which is a combination of ABS, the acceleration skid control system ASR and active yaw control.
Crash results will also be improved, thanks in part to reinforced members, a new side impact structure and a new fiber-reinforced roll-over bar. The restraint systems with two-stage driver and front passenger airbags have also been enhanced. A new feature is the headbag, which provides generous lateral protection for the head during an impact. An additional thorax airbag in the seat backrest protects the upper body in the event of a side impact.
Mercedes-Benz will also offer optional Bi-Xenon headlamps that have the ability to swivel while turning with a technology known as Active Curve illumination, as well as Parktronic Parking Guidance, which is a system that uses ultrasonic sensors to spot suitable parking spots, and then provides the driver with a schematic of the best possible maneuvers to park the car.
Look for more details and pricing information for the SLK to be released closer to its on sale date this summer.

Honda Civic Concept

2011-01-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

If you were expecting more than evolution for the 2012 Honda Civic, it's time to bring your expectations down. Riffing off the breakthrough 2006 Civic, Honda's Generation IX icon gets a bit smaller on the outside and gets the brand's interpretation of Flame Surfacing, even going so far as to include a faux Hoffmeister kink on the coupe's inner c-pillar.

Honda showed both a sedan concept and Si coupe concept for the '12 Civic, which goes on sale in a few months. It's smaller on the outside, though it's difficult at first glance to see where. The sedan's rear deck looks shorter and tighter, though it's very likely that the next Civic will remain one of the most space efficient compacts on the market.

Its maker offered precious little information about the next Civic. The three powertrains include a more efficient conventional i-VTEC four that Honda says will make a 40-mpg highway EPA rating. The GX natural gas-powered Civic sedan will expand its market from four states to all 50. And the Civic hybrid will get lithium-ion battery technology.

The Si's nose is distinguished from the standard sedan's thin air intake on the lower fascia. On the Si, the lower grille is a much larger intake, bookended by thin horizontal slats with the foglamps, and there's a solid blacked-out horizontal bar. It's much like the CR-Z's lower fascia. As part of the Bangle influence, both versions have stronger side surfacing, resulting in pronounced tumblehome in the rear.

Honda's two concept bucks were bereft of full interiors, though the company showed a rendering of the next Civic's dash that continues the digital speedometer above an analog tach look, in a dual-cowl cockpit design. The '12 Civic continues with the ACE body structure and will have vehicle stability assist, standard, on all models. Both Civics showed off handsome graphite 19-inch 5 x 2-spoke wheels.

Honda also wheeled out Fallout Boy lead Pete Wentz to talk about the 10th anniversary of the Honda Civic Tour. As with the next Civic, Honda's North American chief, John Mendel, was coy about details of this year's pop music tour, saying the automaker will announce this year's headliner within a few weeks.

First Look: 2011 Chrysler 300

2011-01-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

The golden crest is gone, but the Chrysler name is still spelled out and surrounded by a pair of wings atop the front-grille frame. The eggcrate grille has been swapped for one composed of sculpted horizontal slats, as seen on the Chrysler 200 and Town & Country (and, unfortunately, the Hyundai Sonata). Projector-beam headlights have evolved to incorporate must-mean-it's-luxury LEDs.

Although the windshield is more steeply raked, the upright proportions, boxy roofline, and purposeful stance clearly recall the car that nabbed our Golden Calipers back in 2005. But now it's more refined and less cartoonish. Gone are the slab sides and sharp creases that hint at Gotham City chase scenes and staccato tommy-gun fire. Though the muscular wheel arches remain, softer lines and smoother arcs shape the hood and trunklid, while chrome-trimmed taillights serve as a dramatic flourish to this top-hat-to-spats reformulation. The LED daytime running lights are arranged in the shape of a "C" in Chrysler's honor.

The cabin receives as compelling a treatment as the Charger, including similar HVAC controls and the optional 8.4-inch infotainment screen backed by Garmin's navigation software. Additional available features include 20-inch wheels, heated and cooled seats and cupholders, and a dual-pane sunroof. The soft-touch dash and higher-quality plastics feel just as good as in the Charger, but are styled differently and trimmed with classy, handsome wood and, of course, that analog clock.

To assist the cool, refined ride, engineers found it necessary to tune the interior cabin noise -- not just for overall sound level, but for sound quality as well. The 300 is fitted with two premium-composite underbody panels that are responsible for over 8 feet of acoustic insulation and smoothing lower airflow. Being a flagship has its perks,

after all.

Like its predecessor, the 2011 Chrysler 300 will be offered in rear and all-wheel drive; the latter system employs an active transfer case and seamless disconnecting front axle that Chrysler claims improves fuel economy by 5 percent. Touring and Limited models come with the corporate Pentastar V-6, which delivers 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in full-size sedan guise. Chrysler's ubiquitous HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology will continue to power the 300C and should deliver 360 horsepower and 390-pound-feet of torque.

Suspension geometry was altered in the pursuit of better handling and the electro-hydraulic power steering is tweaked for the driver's touch.

Prices will range from $27,995 for a base 300 to $38,995 for a RWD 300C, with AWD versions going up to $41,145.

When it launched six years ago, the 300 was an immediate hit and went on to become one of the brand's most valuable players. While times (and parent companies) have changed in the intervening years, the importance of the 300 in the new lineup can't be overstated. Chrysler needs a grand performance from its flagship now more than ever.

First Look: 2012 Buick Verano

2011-01-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Will Buick repeat its Enclave magic with the Verano? The Enclave shares its platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia. It also shares Buick-GMC dealership floors with the Acadia Denali, a premium crossover that comes with similar sticker prices. Yet GM says there's virtually no cross-shopping between the Enclave and Acadia Denali. Different customers, the company says, so Enclave sales continue to increase, four years into the product cycle.

The Cruze was supposed to be a new-age Chevrolet compact, with premium attributes at a Chevy price. Well-equipped models have pretty nice interiors and a long roster of features. Where is there room for a Buick version? North American market Chevy Cruzes even got the Z-link rear suspension (except for the fuel-miser Cruze Eco) that GM was saving just for the Buick.

While the Cruze is a global-market car, the Buick Verano, like the Regal, is heavily based on an Opel/Vauxhall, in this case the Astra four-door sedan. Chief engineer Jim Federico notes that the Buick/Opel has an especially rigid body structure, so he was able to tune it for a more comfortable ride, while maintaining good handling attributes. True to Buick's reputation, the Verano will have the tightest body sealing possible and engine compartment acoustics to ensure it's among the quietest compacts extant.

The Verano shows off the kind of elegance that made the 1961-62 Special a standout. It "has the kind of proportions not unlike the LaCrosse," notes Buick design director David Lyon, with its long cabin and sleek aero. It shares no sheetmetal with the Cruze, and unlike the Chevy or the Opel/Vauxhall, it has "portholes," or ventiports, on each side of the hood. The Kennedy-era Special comparison is apt because GM's first modern compacts were distinguished by engines as well as layout. The Special, with its all-new V-6 and mini-LeSabre/Invicta/Electra 225 styling, won our 1962 Car of the Year award, one year after the Pontiac Tempest and two years after the Corvair.

2011 CTS-V Coupe Race Car

2011-01-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

It's believed by many automakers that involvement in motorsports improves not just race cars, but road cars as well. To that end, Cadillac will be returning to the Sports Car Club of America's World Challenge series in 2011 with a race-prepped CTS-V Coupe which General Motors will display at the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Cadillac is no stranger to the SCCA World Challenge, having contested the GT Class series in a Cadillac CTS-V sedan during the 2004-2007 seasons. Cadillac even won the Manufacturer's Championship in 2005 and 2007, also scoring the Driver's Championship in 2005 with driver Andy Pilgrim. Pilgrim is back for the 2011 effort, alongside fellow American driver Johnny O'Connell, himself a motorsports veteran.

The SCCA World Challenge series is production based, meaning all cars competing are racing versions of road cars able to be purchased by the general public. While each car is upgraded in terms of both performance and safety, including some bodywork modification and tuning of the engine, suspension, and brakes, the cars remain relatively close to their production specification.

"Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe, " said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. 'The racecars in this series are production based which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom."

Pratt & Miller, an engineering firm in Michigan that has also been responsible for Chevrolet's all-conquering C5.R and C6.R race cars, along with the new Corvette GT2 class American Le Mans Series racers and road-going C6RS, will be co-developing the CTS-V Coupe race car with GM's performance department. Like many others competing in production-based series, General Motors says it will use what it learns to further the development of its street cars.

"The SCCA World Challenge lends itself to a natural transfer of knowledge," said Jim Campbell, GM vice president for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting edge of performance.

The 2011 SCCA World Challenge series opens March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

2011 Audi A6 - 2011 Detroit Auto Show

2011-01-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

Audi is earning a name for its expertise in aluminum vehicles, with the all-aluminum A8 flagship sedan recently debuting in its third generation. Aluminum construction is lighter, lending cars both better efficiency and performance, but it is costlier, which is why the technology is concentrated at the high end of the product range.
With the new 2011 A6, Audi aims to democratize aluminum a bit, spreading some into the mid-range luxury models in ways that maximize the benefit without making the A6 uncompetitively expensive. In addition to some of the common bolt-on aluminum bits such as the bumper beams, hood, fenders and trunk lid, the A6 has aluminum castings in places such as the suspension strut mounts.
And the steel is advanced too, made so it is thinner where it can be and thicker only where it needs to be, contributing to minimized weight. The company says drivers can expect gas mileage to be as much as 19 percent better in the new car compared to the outgoing model. The body’s weight is reduced by 15 percent, with the A6’s total weight starting at about 3,500 depending on the powertrain.
Look for a 204-hp 2.8-liter V6 engine to be the base engine in the U.S. with predicted highway fuel economy of 32 mpg. A supercharged 300-hp 3.0-liter V6 engine will be the high-end option, giving the A6 0-60 acceleration of 5.5 seconds while achieving an expected 27 mpg highway.
Efficiency hounds will have two thrifty options to choose from in the A6 line: a 245-hp 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine providing 0-60 acceleration of 6.1 seconds while sipping fuel at 39 mpg or a hybrid electric that is slightly slower and less efficient. The hybrid can, however, whirr around town on electric-only power at speeds as high as 62 mph over a distance of about two miles.
The A6 will offer Audi’s signature all-LED lighting as an option, with a combination HID/LED system also available and halogens as the basic lights. Interestingly, Audi has connected the adaptive lighting system to the navigation system, letting the active lighting system aim into curves before the driver even turns the steering wheel.
Maybe in the next car, the nav system will turn the steering wheel too, rather than just the lights. If so, the driver will be able to better enjoy the soothing sounds of the A6’s mack daddy stereo, the 1,300-watt Bang and Olufsen Advanced Sound System which boasts 15 speakers covered in appropriately technical-looking aluminum grilles. The Advanced Sound System no doubt draws its name from the fact that when the owner’s teenage son drives the car, the whole neighborhood will know he’s coming in advance.

DAN CARNEY is a veteran auto industry observer who has written for MSNBC.com, Motor Trend, AutoWeek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Better Homes and Gardens and other publications. He has authored two books, "Dodge Viper" and "Honda S2000" and is a juror for the North American Car of the Year award. Carney covers the industry from the increasingly strategic location of Washington, D.C.