Yet another edition of the good the bad and the it shouldn't have been evn displayed

[GMfan1111]

Hi everyone I know this Critiques debut here on GMI got off to a rocky start but this time I have made some improvements and in a separate post i will add photos of the cars featured here. And If you want to share your opinion or disagree on an entrant go ahead and post a reply Just remember I can't write about every car at the show otherwise this critique would go on forever Oh well enjoy and i will post photos as soon as i can


Hi guys NAIAS The super bowl of all auto shows has to a close. There


were all sorts of interesting cars at the show Cars that were sporty, Cars



that were eco friendly, and cars that made us wonder why they were even



built.For anyone that is not familiar with the format in these critiques, I pick



cars from the auto show and put them into three categories the Good, The



bad,The it shouldn't have been even displayed, and a new NAIAS exclusive


Phenomenal category, in all there are usually about 9 cars total that are


featured in these critiques though I will add more as I see


fit. All the technical information regarding these cars is the copyright of


edmunds.com but the opinions expressed here are of my creation. Anyway


with all of that Legaleze out of the way here is the Good the bad and the it


shouldn't have been even displayed enjoy

The Phenomenal

2009 Chevy Corvette ZR-1 - The Mother of all Corvettes has arrived. While final horsepower numbers are not out yet expect power to be in the low to mid 600 range from the supercharged version of the LS9. For people that want to show their special engine off they will not be disappointed as GM has kindly put a mall window on the hood so people all around can see just how powerful your ZR-1 really is. Enjoy it while it lasts though because with CAFE going into effect soon we might not see another Vette as powerful as this one for a long time.

2009 CTS-V - Of course if your one of the folks that wants the ever popular blend of performance and luxury the CTS-V from Cadillac will not disappoint. With a 550 horsepower version of the ZR-1's V8 under the hood this V car might be the one that can help raise sales for Cadillacs V brand (which has been below Cadillac’s expectations). Since this car is a Cadillac expect the usual Cadillac features BOSE Stereo, Navigation system and other goodies which include Recaro front seats. Also since this is a Cadillac with a 550 horsepower V8 under the hood expect a sky high price tag but I think it will be worth every penny.

2009 CTS coupe concept - This interesting concept shows us what a CTS would look like in coupe form. The coupe is also expected to usher in the new language of Cadillac design just like how the Evoq helped usher in Cadillacs "Renaissance" back in the mid 90's and early 2000's. But unlike the evoq which eventually turned into the XLR roadster that has been a financial and sales nightmare for Cadillac. The coupe promises to stay within its CTS roots. Caddy has confirmed that a production version of the coupe is coming and we'll have to wait until then to find out whether the CTS coupe can live up to the hype.


The Good

2009 Ford F150 - Since the beginning of time The F series from Ford has been the best selling line of trucks on Earth. Even though no archaeological evidence has yet confirmed this theory when you have been the king of trucks for over 30 years and your current F-150 hasn't been redesigned in five years, it really starts to feel that way. Despite the persistent efforts of its American and Japanese rivals Ford has always found a way to still hold on to its throne. For 2009 Ford did not want its truck to look wimpy so they decided to go for the brutish tough guy look which includes among other things a gigantic grille with a zip code the size of Texas, Fat mirrors, and a tall cargo box. You thought the tailgate was boring and bland? You were not alone, Ford thought so too, and that’s why they tried to make it look interesting by adding a lip spoiler and some ribbing to it. It helps make the truck look unique but it might present a problem to the really small portion of the American population that likes to use their vehicles as a rolling art canvas. Also according to Ford, V6's are for wimps so that’s why from 09 onward whether Greenpeace likes it or not every engine available will be a V8. With this redesign Ford has created a truck that is a formidable contender to its American and Japanese rivals and with seven trim levels and all kinds of configurations this truck will appeal to even the pickiest of consumers.

2009 Dodge Ram - Unlike Ford which went for the bigger is better method of design Dodge decided to go with a more refined but still very macho looking school of design. Dodge claimed the new Ram "has its head down and it looks ready to charge" While many people will doubt that claim, the front of the truck looks much better than the current generation Ram. And for those that are stuck with taking Billy and his posse to soccer practice or you just want more space for your tools no worries Dodge has put storage compartments in every possible place imaginable. The storage spaces that stand out though are the new "ramboxes" on the bedwalls of the truck. Each compartment can hold up to 4.3 cubic feet of items and it can be either drained or with the drain plugs in you can keep the keep the entire team happy with cool drinks or keep a dozen six packs cold for tailgate parties.

Mazda Furai Concept - Remember the Ryuga, Nagare, Hakazi, and Taiki concepts? the Furai is the fifth installment of Mazdas growing flock of stunning concept cars. Furai when translated into English means "the sound of the wind", And no it's not the sound the wind makes when Terrence and Phillip are on South Park, but rather the sound the wind makes when the Furai is moving at full power. However, this concept is unique in two ways. For starters its a running concept car. A rarity when most concepts of the Furai's type are either without engines or just body shells. In addition, the Furai has a feature called the "air fang". The air fang is a leaf like cup that takes air directly through the intake without the loss in efficiency and without ruining the Furai’s clean shape, unlike the conventional air snorkel found on many F1 cars. While its doubtful the Furai will make production If this is the direction Nissans design language is going consumers will be in for a treat.


The Bad

2009 Kia Borrego – Mid size SUVs are not big sellers anymore. Apparently someone forgot to tell Kia that because for 2009 they are making their first mid sized SUV. Kia claimed that the Borrego was based on the Kia Mesa concept but if you compare side by side shots of the two cars you’ll see they look quite different. Also the name they picked “Borrego” reflects the boring and cheap nature of this SUV. The fact that the Borrego has a V8 in it is a plus but it just can’t overcome the questionable name, bland looks, and the fact that Kia was late to the Mid size SUV party.


Toyota A-Bat Concept- At least Toyota has the name right for this concept because each time I look at it I’m incredibly tempted to hit it over and over with A Bat. Ridiculous exterior styling and lame joke aside the A bat does have a spacious interior and it also has a pretty ingenious way of recharging the electric power pack. However Maybe Toyota designers should go back to the drawing board before they design another concept


2009 Honda Pilot prototype concept – Honda claims that at one time it ruled the large crossover category with its 2003 Honda pilot and it did in 2003. While Hondas long term plans for supremacy in the crossover segment did not quite turn out the way it wanted thanks in part to competitors such as the GMC Acadia. Honda has decided that the pilot still has enough life in it for a redesign. For 2009 Honda has given the Pilot blocky Lego brick like styling with the point being that it was supposed to emphasize strength and power. Just don’t expect any V8s or V10s in the pilots future it will still be powered by a V6. And Honda also claimed that the interior will have enough leg room for a male of substantial size. Of course, the one thing Honda forgot to mention was if it would have enough leg room for a woman of similar substantial size.


The it shouldn’t have been even displayed

Chinese car companies – Geely and friends came back for another year to display their latest deathtraps umm I mean cars. It’s a shame that they only had their display during the press days. Because I would have liked to have seen some of their cars, and hear their empty promises about how they will be coming to the US market in the near future which, in reality means they will never come here and the cycle will repeat itself all over again at the 09 NAIAS

Well that’s it for this edition of The Good The Bad and the It shouldn’t have been displayed. NAIAS certainly lived up to the hype and I can’t wait until the NAIAS 09 when it will start all over again. Normally I would go on into a long speech at this point but I’ll save it for the Chicago show Anyway until February have a week everybody