Wednesday, January 11, 2006

2006 Detroit Auto Show (part 3)

Ferrari FXX

Ferrari also calls the FXX a prototype, but it's a production car by definition because the company is selling it for about $1.8 million.

It's also a modified version of Ferrari's last supercar, the Enzo, with almost 500 pounds of curb weight stripped out of it and a larger 6.2-liter version of the Enzo's 6.0-liter V12. Power is up from the Enzo's mere 660 hp and 485 lb-ft to 800 hp and 508 lb-ft of torque. Additionally, the F1 transmission shifts almost twice as quick, and the FXX has a new aerodynamics system that supplies 40-percent more downforce than the Enzo's bodywork. Ferrari says the car will hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

2007 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG

Hmmm... Are we getting numb to these hyper-performance luxury sedans? I ask this because no one said a word about the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, even though it was the first time anyone outside Stuttgart had laid eyes on it.

Maybe it's because the S65's engine is a carryover. A 604-horsepower, 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, hand-built V12 carryover. It teams up with a sport-calibrated five-speed automatic transmission to deliver a crushing 738 pound-feet of torque to the sedan's 20-inch rear meats, the largest factory tire size ever offered on a Mercedes-Benz.

2007 Dodge Caliber

Set to replace the aging Neon, the new 2007 Dodge Caliber looks like a huge leap forward in function, practicality and styling. Bigger than the Neon in every dimension except length, the five-door Caliber will start at an impressively low $13,985, which is $410 less than the base Neon.

2007 Chrysler Aspen

The 2007 Chrysler Aspen has a rather unfortunate name—Aspen, which could stir up some not so fond memories of Chrysler products from a couple of decades past. The good news is this is based on the Durango, one of the better (and more sensible) "real" SUVs on the market. One has to wonder if this new Aspen will steal customers from the Jeep Commander (and vice-versa), which will be sitting on the same showroom floor.
© blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/