2008 Detroit Motor Show

Corvette 1953

Mercedes GLK concept

Mercedes GLK concept

Mercedes GLK concept

Ford Verve concept

Ford Verve concept

Audi R8 V12 TDI

Audi R8 V12 TDI

Audi TTS concept

Bei Jing Shi Guang Ming

BMW 1-series

Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee

Chevrolet Volt

Chrysler ecoVoyage concept

Chrysler ecoVoyage concept

Dodge Zeo

Dodge Zeo

Dodge Zeo

Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma

Honda Pilot concept

Hummer HX

Jeep Renegade

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 roadster

Land Rover LRX concept

Lexus LF-A

Li Shi Guang Ming

Lincoln MKT concept

Mach5 Supercharged Race

Mazda Taiki concept

Mazda Taiki concept

Mazda Taiki concept

Mercedes McLaren Roadster

Mercedes McLaren Roadster

Mitsubishi Concept-RA concept

Mitsubishi Concept-RA concept

Saab 9-4x biopower

Scion

Smart Fortwo

Toyota A-BAT

Toyota Venza crossover

Volkswagen Passat CC

Volkswagen Passat CC

Ferrari 430 Scuderia

Ferrari F430 Spider

Cadillac CTS coupe concept

Photo: Reuters, AP, AFP, DPA, Getty Images, Bloomberg News

Cadillac BLS Coming To 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show

Cadillac reveals more details of new BLS Wagon
* Bio-ethanol fuel option available for 2008 in BLS Sedan and Wagon
* New two-stage turbo diesel engine with 180 hp / 132 kW
* Expressive design combines elegance and versatility
DETROIT - The Cadillac BLS Wagon will make its world premiere at the IAA International Motor Show, 13 to 23 September in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition to its first offering of a station wagon, Cadillac is announcing it will offer an alternative, bio-ethanol-fuel engine for the BLS Sedan and Wagon. Both moves demonstrate Cadillac's commitment to continued growth in the European market. Sales of the BLS Wagon throughout Europe will commence in November 2007. The bio-ethanol-powered BLS will be available at start of sale.
Bio-Ethanol power option for BLS
The BLS Wagon and Sedan models will be the first Cadillac models to be offered in Europe with the option of low-emission, bio-ethanol engines. Bio-ethanol is in use today in the USA and Brazil as an alternative to traditional gasoline fuels. The BLS with Bio-Ethanol power will go on sale in November 2007.
New diesel engine
The front-wheel-drive BLS Wagon is offered with the same range of power units as the BLS sedan, giving the choice of a turbo-diesel and three turbocharged gasoline engines. In addition, a powerful 1.9L four-cylinder two stage turbo-diesel engine with common-rail direct-injection delivers 132 kW (180 hp) and 400 Nm of maximum torque.
Depending on engine specification, the BLS Wagon offers the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a five- or six-speed automatic transmission. For BLS models equipped with an automatic transmission, a standard Sport Mode button allows the driver to select a sportier transmission shift pattern.
The range of gasoline engines includes two 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged units developing 129 kW (175 hp) and 154 kW (210 hp). A high-tech, 2.8L V-6 developing 188 kW (255 hp) features a twin-scroll turbocharger and variable phasing of the intake camshafts.
Expressive Design and Versatility
As the first station wagon in Cadillac's 104-year history, the BLS Wagon marks a new milestone for the brand. Clear, crisp and sharply defined contours, characteristic Cadillac design features, a striking wedge shape that is emphasized by the tapered lines of the side windows all make the Cadillac BLS Wagon an appealing new entry in the midsize station wagon segment.
"The BLS Wagon is an appealing addition to the Cadillac portfolio for customers seeking dramatically designed luxury vehicles that offer versatility and performance along with outstanding ride and handling characteristics," said Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor. "We think it will do well in many European markets where consumers desire a high degree of versatility and functionality in their vehicles."
From the front bumper and Cadillac hallmark V-shaped chrome-plated grille, to the trademark vertical tail lamps with the latest LED technology and rear bumper, the Cadillac BLS Wagon measures 4716 mm, compared with 4680 mm for the BLS sedan. At 2038 mm wide (including exterior rear view mirrors) and 1543 mm in height (including roof rails and roof antenna), the BLS Wagon combines a compact, sporty shape with a high degree of versatility and functionality.
Luxurious Interior
The BLS Wagon interior is highlighted by a three-spoke leather steering wheel and an analog clock in the center stack. The circular instruments have white numerals and red needles on a black background. State-of-the-art infotainment systems include high-quality audio units from American sound specialist Bose, a DVD navigation system with touch-screen operation, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone system with a hands-free kit and remote controls on the steering wheel.
The Cadillac BLS Wagon offers plenty of interior space to support a wide variety of luxury and leisure interests. With the rear seats in use, the boot measures 419 liters loading space, with an additional 12 liters below the floor. With the rear seats folded down, the total amount adds up to 1285 liters of flexible and versatile cargo space.
Comfort and driving dynamics
The chassis of the BLS Wagon has been developed to provide both the agility and comfort customers expect from a Cadillac. Fine tuning of the McPherson struts in front and a four-link rear axle ensures dynamic handling performance without compromising ride or load capacity.
BLS Wagon available in Europe in November 2007
The Cadillac BLS Wagon will be in European Cadillac showrooms in November 2007, shortly after world début at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt, (13 - 23 September 2007). It has four levels: Business, Elegance, Sport and Sport Luxury.
The standard "Business" trim level offers 16-inch alloy wheels, Cadillac's StabiliTrak electronic stability program engine immobilizer, front, side and head curtain airbags, driver trip computer, three-spoke leather steering wheel with control buttons, cruise control, air conditioning, a seven-speaker audio system with CD player and "Piano Black" interior decor trim.
The intermediate trim level "Elegance" features additional standard equipment, including, wipers with rain sensors, eight-way power seats, dual-zone climate control and 17-inch alloy wheels. Red walnut wood veneer trim enhances the interior decor.
The Cadillac BLS "Sport" adds 18-inch wheels and lowered sports suspension for the front MacPherson struts and four-link rear axle. The chassis tuning ensures dynamic handling performance without compromising comfort. The BLS Sport interior is highlighted by the use of stylish aluminum trim instead of wood and the circular instruments have white numerals and red needles on a black background.
The "Sport Luxury" level is available in combination with the 2.8 V6 engine and the 1.9 Turbodiesel engine. In addition to the "Sport" content, it includes Bi-Xenon headlamps, heated and electrically adjustable leather seats with memory function and wood trim, instead of aluminum trim.

New Lincoln MKR concept

In the late '90s, the designers at Cadillac defined a new look that they dubbed Art and Science, which has since spread to all of Cadillac's production models. Whether you like the look or not, at least when you see a modern Cadillac you know what it is. Lincoln is late to the party, but at least they are now going to try. The design team at Lincoln led by chief designer Gordon Platto and exterior designer Xitij Mistry took a look back at all the classic Lincolns and what made them special, and then created a modern look and style that still invokes hints of the brand's storied heritage.
The MKR has a number of features that will be showing up on upcoming production Lincolns, starting with the 2009 Lincoln MKS. The split "bow wave" grille of the MKR invokes the look of the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr and, combined with the narrow horizontal headlights, will become the face of Lincoln much like the vertically stacked lights and the trapezoidal grille have become the face of Cadillac. The biggest change to the production MKS from the 2006 concept will be this new face. Since the MKS project was started before the MKR, a lot of things were already finalized so the MKR elements stop at the face.
Another prominent feature of the MKR that will adorn future production models is the shoulder chamfer. The concept features a curving character line that stretches from the outer edges of the headlights back to the taillights. Rather than a single sharp edge the corner has been shaved off providing two parallel lines sandwiching an angled surface. The roof line will also be reflected on the street with it's thick, forward leaning cantilever C-Pillar.
On the inside the elevated floating console provides a good armrest location and a cockpit feel without the feeling of sitting in a bathtub. This is another feature that may turn up in future Lincolns. As a concept most of the interior including the instrument cluster was non-functional. Even the driver door latch wasn't working so the door could swing open at any moment which thanks to the low speeds was not really a problem.
The day Ford invited us out to the track to sample the concepts turned out to be exceptionally steamy with temperatures in the low 90s and humidity to match. Since concepts generally don't have their cooling airflow worked our or in many cases implemented at all, this meant that the cars typically had to sit for several minutes between short bursts of activity to allow them to cool. Although the Lincoln MKR was advertised as having a twin-turbo direct injection V6, it actually runs with a standard Mustang 4.0L V-6. The two highly visible turbos are strictly for show on this particular car. Because of the heat, Ford removed all the cladding that hides the engine on the show stand.
One of the prominent design features of the MKR is the full glass roof stretching from the firewall to the trunk lid with a Lincoln logo on the underside of the glass. While this looks fantastic on the show stand, on this hot day in a car with windows that don't retract and no air conditioning the short drives were definitely a blessing. The Lincoln MKR literally was a greenhouse and if anything like this roof is ever built it will need some kind of filtering to minimize the heating effect. You can't really evaluate anything about the way the car drives trolling around at 10-15 mph, but under the bright sunshine this machine sure is gorgeous. If Ford makes good on its promise to incorporate these design elements into future Lincolns, the brand might have a future after all.

Source: Ford