We head for the Motor City and the best auto show on earth.
Maybe you don’t associate Detroit with words like “fabulous,” “glamorous,” or “must-see,” but one visit to the city’s annual auto show turn will turn that vaguely uppity notion on its head. You’ll be dazzled during the annual January event by more new sheet metal than you can crash, even with the help of Lindsay and Britney. And you’ll come away reminded that Motown is still the capital of the car world, global as it’s growing.
But not everyone gets to enjoy the subzero temps and indifferent hotels that frame the annual Detroit auto show — that’s where the diehards and experts at Gaywheels.com come in. We’re headed for Detroit this weekend to bring you coverage from the auto show floor, and from some special events, like the GM Style fashion show that promises live music from Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5, not to mention a constellation of auto-world stars including the new Corvette ZR1.
If you can’t make it, watch here and we’ll bring it all to you. Our coverage starts here with a peek at five new vehicles coming to Detroit–stay tuned for more from Detroit’s Cobo Hall next week.
BMW X6
You know and love BMW’s X5 SUV, right? BMW doesn’t think the existing sport-ute goes far enough to attract the sexy-sexy types who don’t want the negative image that an SUV brings–but they still want the room, the performance, and the BMW badge. The X6 wears a slinky coupe-like body, and sports a set of tech hardware designed to inspire envy. The top version, the xDrive50i, sports a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, which makes 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The xDrive35i, meanwhile, also offers twin turbos and has an output rated at 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. There’s also Dynamic Performance Control, which works together with all-wheel drive to give better control in the corners.
Subaru Forester
Ladies who love ladies love the Subaru Forester. And what’s not to love about the new edition of Subaru’s most pragmatic crossover, now that’s its got some supple body curves? The Forester’s gotten bigger and put the extra size to good use–the wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer, which translates into more interior legroom, but it keeps its compact body and its off-road credentials, including 9 inches of ground clearance and Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system. The engines are four-cylinders, one turbocharged and one, um, not turbocharged. Manual and automatic transmissions will be offered, too.
Saturn Vue Green Line 2 Mode
We’ve driven and adored Saturn’s new Vue, so much handsomer and refined than the first crossover Saturn sold under the nameplate. Now we’ll probably like it more, since a hybrid version is in the cards. The Vue Green Line 2 Mode (long name, huh?) gets a version of GM’s new hybrid technology, which operates in distinct highway and city modes to provide great fuel economy. Saturn figures the Green Line will get 50 percent better fuel economy in the city than the standard V-6 Vue. The Green Line’s 3.6-liter V-6 gets help from two electric motors turning in 55 kilowatts of power each–yes, that’s more than the audio system, we think.
Mercedes-Benz SLK
The fabulous Mercedes roadster–no, not that one, the other one–gets a sweet update for 2009, and the re-sculpted nose is as always your first indicator that something’s aging gracefully. The more angular design signals other fluffing inside, including a new set of instruments, a new steering wheel and all the in-car gadgets you’d want, including Bluetooth, an iPod interface and a voice-operated controller for some in-car functions. The same range of V-6 and V-8 engines returns, but Benz promises better fuel economy with less emission of carbon dioxide.
Ford F-150
It’s the best-selling vehicle in America, but Ford’s F-150 never rests, on the work site or on our Web site, apparently. Ford’s planning a heavily revised truck with a massive new grille, new headlamps, new sidelines and a revamped tailgate–and that’s just outside. There’s lots of secrecy around this redesign, but Gaywheels will have more details on the new truck as the Detroit show rolls along next week. Won’t you join us?