I finally made my way down to the lower level third hall today only to find Dub magazine cars, insurance company displays, and a few odd pieces of Chinese vehicles that have nothing to do with trucks. But they're still worthy of a quick look.
As I went down the escalators to the lower level of the auto show, I wasn't too shocked as the Michelin Design Challenge (http://www.michelinchallengedesign.com/) as the first exhibit. It's been the first exhibit beyond the glass doors there for the past three years. And it's guarantied to have some great concept vehicles on display. This year, one of my favorite concept vehicles -- the Dodge Hornet -- was on display and the manufacturer needs to produce it soon. The Dodge Hornet concept vehicle is designed for the B-segment market. Its sporty-wide stance is aggressive looking for this tiny compact Dodge and would give MINI and Scion a good run for their money from consumers who buy vehicles to tune.
I circled the floor and about died laughing when I stumbled across three of the funniest looking vehicles I've ever seen at North American International Auto Show. Normally most of the concepts that make debuts here are comical in their own way, but I have to say these tiny battery-operated people-movers made by a Chinese company called Bei Jing Li Shi Guang Ming Automobile Design *** Inc take the cake. The single pod vehicle goes by the serene name of "A Piece of Cloud." The "Detroit Fish" seats four and just needs a set of eyelashes on the headlights to fully look like a bug from a children's book.
The one that looks like Mickey Mouse's shoe is called "The Book of Songs." Whatever song he's singing isn't what the people in the U.S. want to hear unless they're waiting in line at Disneyland.
Another Chinese manufacturer named Geely wants to start building cars for the U.S. One vehicle in question and already on its way to be on the roads in the U.K. is the LTI TX4, "The Classic" Rolls Royce/Bentley knockoff taxi. All thought most of their other vehicles on display look out of date by 10 years; this retro taxi cab has the most personality. Will we ever see it here? That's just about as likely as having any one of Geely's vehicles reaching U.S. standards by 2010. It's a fat chance, but could happen in a different lifetime.
CHAMCO Auto is another Chinese automaker that's planning to import trucks and SUVs in the U.S late 2008; only if they too can pass all U.S. safety and emissions regulations. CHAMCO is currently based in Anaheim, California, and Parsippany, New Jersey, and have about 75 planned dealers in the U.S. We're told that these vehicles will start around $13,500 for the base models. Not a bad price for a point A to point B truck that looks like the Toyota Tacoma from three generations ago.