American dreams

What's going to be hot at the Detroit Motor Show next month?

Rain Forester
The Impreza done with, Subaru is already preparing the next big launch, the new Forester. The Internet is already buzzing with unofficial photos, and thankfully, they look good. No, no Tribeca-type come-down. Under the hood, things are likely to remain the same, which means the lovely 2500cc boxer-four powers this brute.

Chicken and lamb
For Kia, naming their tough new SUV after a Californian desert is not a bad idea. Except that it means lamb in Spanish, and that, for something that resembles a brute is, er, a bit lame.

Nevertheless Kia's Borrego will have just the right amount of force to scare the bejesus of all the Scion and Mini drivers around New England. Kia will borrow the Hyundai-developed new 3000cc V6 and a brand-first V8, which should not be too different from the 375 bhp Tau V8 in the Hyundai Genesis saloon. Sources also suggest a body-on-ladder-chassis, off-road friendly air suspension and a price tag that will suit a lot of people.

Vantage point
Aston Martin's newest Vantage is far from just an upgrade on the old car. Termed as their 'performance concept car', the V12 Vantage RS which was unveiled at Aston Martin's new design centre is fully functional, powered by a race-derived 600 bhp V12 motor and claims to go to a 100 kph in 4 seconds.

The car looks as beautifully deceptive as the V8 but has carbon-fibre bits all over the car including the entire hood and the boot. The grille has enough slats to instantly grate roadkill and a retractable spoiler to quickly disperse the remains.

Development of the Aston Martin Vantage RS started while the company was still owned by Ford and Aston Martin will judge reaction to the car at Detroit before they actually decide whether or not the car will actually see production.

Winged Pilot
A prototype of Honda's next-gen ute, the Pilot will also be on display at Detroit. Released sketches of the Pilot show that the Honda's new SUV design is tending towards butch and experts believe that the car on display will be as close to the final production version as possible. Just like what Honda did with the Accord.

Wind fall
The Furai in English means the sound of wind, but Mazda thinks it's what their new race-bred sports concept should be called. We think Whoosh sounds better. Anyway the Furai is based on Mazda's flowing car design, the Nagare, and will be powered by a 450 bhp three-rotor ethanol-powered wankel engine.

Alongside the Furai, will be the much awaited 2009 Mazda RX-8 . Although details are sketchy, Mazda says that the car will have improved handling, acceleration, updated design, features and all-round better quality. Really? We can't wait for that one.

Hummer-dinger
GM's design heads assigned three freshers in the design department to go wild while designing a new Hummer HX concept and though each one had their own ideas, a young lad named Min Young Kang's design was chosen by the bosses as the concept to be preview at the 2008 Detroit show.

This Hummer HX concept will be powered by an engine that will burn both gasoline and ethanol. The Hummer slanted rear roof resembles the army spec vehicle a lot as is removable. The roof panels are also removable, as are the fenders, doors... engine, seats. You get the picture don't you? Yes this concept will stay a concept.

Volt meter
After Bob Lutz said that the Volt's aerodynamics would be better had they put it in a wind tunnel backwards, designers had their hands full giving the Volt an electrifying makeover before it could go into production.

The trademark GM grille has been blanked out and the headlights, unlike the concept, are now flush with the body panels. More miles to the charge then. The low roofline stays along and the pic you see is more or less the car that will roll out of GM's Detroit Hamtramck facility in 2010.

Coupe de coupe
What was being called Volkswagen's Passat 4-door coupe is now finally taking shape. VW's officially launched site has teaser pics to what looks like a luxurious Phaeton-like car with a large greenhouse. The car will have 160 bhp and 300 bhp engine options with more engines being added to the line-up later in 2008.

Going RA RA
Remember lusting after that Mitsubishi Eclipse in The Fast and Furious? Well here's what punters believe will be its replacement in Europe. Mitsubishi's aggressive styling of the RA shows that they are all set to make it as desirable as the Eclipse once was.

The car is as potent as it is eco-friendly with a lightweight aluminium space frame that is shrouded in recycleable impact resistant plastic.

The engine is a MiVEC 2200cc, 200 bhp, 31 kgm, inline-4 diesel powerhouse that will drive all four wheels and the car will have a host of electronics to keep it planted. With a cutting edge, completely functional drivetrain, the RA is one of the potential concepts at Detroit that could soon go into production.

9-4 job
While GM will have a fair share of their cars on display at Detroit, Saab is also rumoured to be bringing their latest crossover, the 9-4X, to the show. The 9-4X will share the compact architecture of GM's already famous Theta platform and will be built alongside the Saturn Vue in Mexico.