Chrysler's recent crop of concept cars haven't been approved for production-but that didn't stop the company from letting the press get their hands on them for a spin.
The automaker brought an assortment of show cars - a handful from each category - out on a warm spring afternoon, some just to sit and look pretty, but most for us to actually slip inside and drive down the tony waterfront in Grosse Pointe, Mich. The selection covered quite a range, from entry-level roadsters to high-line sedans, as well as a variety of Jeeps and trucks.
And while they didn't confirm any of the vehicles were headed for production, some hints were offered. Which of the vehicles is closest? You'll have to stay tuned to TheCarConnection's auto show coverage.
Until then, tell us - which Chrysler concept do you think should head into production?
A lot of strange and intriguing e-mail crosses my digital transom. There are the rants and the raves, the corrections and the questions, and of course, plenty of press releases. You learn whose notes you want to read first—the e-mail hors d’ouevres, if you will—and those always include old friend Dick Nerod.
Now retired from General Motors, Dick is seemingly as active as ever, even if it’s just sending out notes like the one I got this morning on the N2A. Rather than interpret his words, here’s what he tells us: “This is built by N2A (No 2 Alike) motors. Cost $75,000 over cost of new Corvette. The company is planning a production run of about 100 vehicles. Sits on a Corvette C6 chassis, front styled like a ‘57 Chevy, side like a ‘58, rear like a ‘59. Hence the designation "789."
Apparently, this design mashup made its appearance at Autorama earlier in the year and is the brainchild of Fred Kanter, a collector and entrepreneur who also happens to own the rights to the Packard brand name. From what we’ve been able to piece together, it took him about 14 weeks to produce the carbon fiber body, though pretty much what’s underneath is stock C6 ‘Vette. That means about 400 horsepower from the LS2 V-8.
We’ve seen plenty of similar ventures over the years, including the disastrous Excalibur, thirty-some years ago. Whether N2A will pull it off is uncertain, but the look is certainly intriguing. To our own, jaded eyes, the most striking angle is the rear, which really does capture the best features of the ’59 Chevy.
What’s going on in Detroit on fuel economy? What’s the best General Motors publicity campaign on wheels? And why are the French suddenly our favorite people in the world again? Listen up to the latest podcast of TheCarConnection.com’s letters to the editor, where this week, we’ll talk about the Obama machine’s misstep on fuel economy, the rise in gas prices and what America should be doing about them, and whether Chevrolet’s Volt or the Blue Devil corvette is the GM halo car. Our readers will tell us why the editor’s a “dysfunctional Bushie,” why we all need to “stop panicking,” and lastly, why we all need to “get off our Viagra and Cialis” and stop driving while drunk—that’s courtesy TCC’s newest and certainly oddest reader.
TheCarConnection's blog gives you news and opinions on the latest, hottest, greenest and fastest new vehicles on the market--and what's coming down the road.
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