| Automakers are developing awesome concept cars | | | | showcase an ultra-powerful Corvette and a 550-hp |
| to wow more shoppers and to win back customers. | | | | Cadillac CTS. The Nissan Motor Co. will set free the |
| Aficionados find them excellent unfortunately, they | | | | 480-hp Skyline GTR, and Toyota will sell its new |
| cannot have them yet. They belong to the future. And | | | | Highlander SUV. |
| the future is not today. | | | | For Ford CEO Alan Mulally, the NAIAS gives him an |
| Ford Motor Co. introduced its fuel-sipping subcompact - | | | | opportunity to drive home the themes he has sounded |
| the Verve - at the North American International Auto | | | | as he tries to return Ford to profitability by 2009. The |
| Show with the hope of putting a halt to the ongoing | | | | Verve represents what Mulally wants Ford to become: |
| sales doldrums. But it would not go on sale in America | | | | a company that builds world-class, fuel-efficient cars |
| for at least a couple of years. | | | | the same way from the same parts all around the |
| Chrysler LLC will also introduce unveil three electric-car | | | | globe, realizing huge economies of scale, a release |
| concepts that are years away from reality. General | | | | said. |
| Motors Corp. will again tout the electric Volt it hopes to | | | | Toyota and Honda already have hot-selling small cars |
| build - by 2010, the auto maker promises, reported the | | | | in America. This raises the query of whether the |
| Wall Street Journal. Honda Motor Co. has a hydrogen | | | | Dearborn automaker's subcompact will be very late. "In |
| fuel-cell car and Toyota Motor Corp. plans to present | | | | North America, we've given short shrift to this end of |
| a small, aerodynamic truck prototype, the release | | | | the market," said George Pipas, Ford's top sales |
| divulged. | | | | analyst. "It's a valid concern." |
| "While the future of these companies will be greatly | | | | Ford, meanwhile, has a number of upcoming vehicles |
| dependent on new technology development, today's | | | | this year. Besides the new F-150 truck, Ford will launch |
| reality is that they must sell as many of these big | | | | a new small sport-utility called Flex and a new Lincoln |
| trucks as possible to fill their plants and drive cash | | | | sedan this year. |
| flow," said John Casesa, a former Wall Street analyst | | | | "We're not going to say that we don't mind not having |
| who now heads his own advisory firm. "They have no | | | | more small cars," Mulally said. Of the Verve, he noted: |
| choice." | | | | "Would we like to have it sooner? You bet. Do we |
| With gas prices rising, automakers are forced to | | | | care more about getting it right? You bet." |
| develop fuel efficient vehicles. But reality dictates that | | | | Aside from the goal of wowing shoppers, automakers |
| auto shoppers cannot have them for now. They will | | | | should also focus on the quality of their products. To |
| actually hit American roads in the coming years. | | | | stress, Bilstein will never ink a good reputation if quality |
| Like Ford, Chrysler's main new model is a huge pickup | | | | is sacrificed. |
| truck, the redesigned Dodge Ram. General Motors will | | | | |