No auto show would be complete without its share of prototypes and concept vehicles presented with great pageantry and flourish by the major manufacturers.
The Detroit Auto Show is no exception, and even if some prototypes are similar to production cars ready for deployment, others are the fruit of some rather spectacular design and engineering work.
Never turn your back on a prototype. A brief look at history tells us how often they’ve been the heralds of the technologies currently featured in our vehicles.
Of the wide range of prototypes on site in Detroit, these were my favourites, chosen for their style, their significance or simply because they inspired me.
Here’s the first batch, in no particular order.
GMC Granite
The Granite is the little crossover that made a big impact. Presented as the smallest GMC product ever built, it resembles the well-known Orlando but has a little something extra that gives it a unique personality.
Its style is original, assertive and quite different from the usual GMC offerings. Extremely small (even if it looks big in the photos), it features suicide doors and square, expressive lines. The cabin is utterly contemporary and contains digital instruments. As for the engine, the Granite concept is powered by a four-cylinder, 1.4-litre, 138-hp mill coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Chrysler Delta
About the only thing prototypical about the Chrysler Delta is its name and concept: barring a few differences, it’s the carbon copy of the Lancia Delta already available in Europe. But, surprise, surprise, to underline the potential partnership between Chrysler and Fiat’s subsidiaries, the car was simply rebadged with the American automaker’s colours.
Nothing was mentioned of course about a future release in America, even if the car received nothing but praise. It could in fact prove a worthy successor to the aging Sebring or the Dodge Avenger.
The Detroit Auto Show is no exception, and even if some prototypes are similar to production cars ready for deployment, others are the fruit of some rather spectacular design and engineering work.
Never turn your back on a prototype. A brief look at history tells us how often they’ve been the heralds of the technologies currently featured in our vehicles.
Of the wide range of prototypes on site in Detroit, these were my favourites, chosen for their style, their significance or simply because they inspired me.
Here’s the first batch, in no particular order.
GMC Granite
 |
The Granite is the little crossover that made a big impact. Presented as the smallest GMC product ever built, it resembles the well-known Orlando but has a little something extra that gives it a unique personality.
Its style is original, assertive and quite different from the usual GMC offerings. Extremely small (even if it looks big in the photos), it features suicide doors and square, expressive lines. The cabin is utterly contemporary and contains digital instruments. As for the engine, the Granite concept is powered by a four-cylinder, 1.4-litre, 138-hp mill coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Chrysler Delta
 |
About the only thing prototypical about the Chrysler Delta is its name and concept: barring a few differences, it’s the carbon copy of the Lancia Delta already available in Europe. But, surprise, surprise, to underline the potential partnership between Chrysler and Fiat’s subsidiaries, the car was simply rebadged with the American automaker’s colours.
Nothing was mentioned of course about a future release in America, even if the car received nothing but praise. It could in fact prove a worthy successor to the aging Sebring or the Dodge Avenger.