gavriil

2003 SEMA: Chrysler creates a Cruiser coupe; what other makers have planned

By RALPH KISIEL | Automotive News


Cross a two-door convertible Chrysler PT Cruiser with a permanent hardtop and what do you get?

The GT Cruiser Coupe, one of six custom vehicles designed by the Chrysler group's Skunkwerks team and aftermarket companies for this week's Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas.

The Cruiser Coupe is aimed at youth. It borrows design cues from the Chrysler Crossfire sports coupe.

Chrysler is one of 12 automakers with exhibits at this year's SEMA show. Another 28 Chrysler vehicles will be scattered around the show - cars and trucks sold for $1 to aftermarket companies for customization.

The Cruiser Coupe has a turbocharged 255-hp, 2.4-liter engine, a suspension similar to that found on the Dodge Neon-based SRT-4 and large wheels.

Skunkwerks also will show a diesel Jeep Liberty Renegade with no carpet, leather or fancy wheels - a raw, off-road Liberty with a 9,000-pound winch and radical steel bumpers.

Other Skunkwerks vehicles include a 300-hp Dodge SRT-4 Extreme, a low-slung Dodge Ram 1500 Stepside with Hemi V-8, a Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR with more than 600 hp, and a Chrysler Sebring touring sedan with 2.4-liter turbocharged engine.

The Chrysler group also will have a Speed Shop at its display where engines will be built.

Says David Elshoff, a Chrysler group spokesman, "Most of the people in our booth are actually engine builders and motorsport team members. They are actually doing engine builds and dyno testing, lathe turning, head milling and wheel mounting."

What some other automakers plan:

HONDA
American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and its Acura Division will have at least nine customized vehicles at their combined exhibit, with a focus on the Honda Element. This Element Concept will be different from the Studio E, the Element-based concept that Honda unveiled at this year's Detroit auto show. Studio E is a high-tech audio-visual studio on wheels.

Says Honda spokesman Matt Pearson, "This will show how versatile the Element is. It's not for off-road, but it's got much more of a rugged feel than the Studio E."

Acura will feature a 2004 Acura TL sedan with an A-SPEC performance package that includes a sport suspension kit including all four shock absorbers and springs, wheels and tires and body kit. The A-SPEC package will be available from Acura dealers. Acura also will show an Acura TSX sedan concept with the A-SPEC package.

Honda and Acura will have up to 15 additional vehicles spread throughout the show that were customized with aftermarket companies.

GM
General Motors will have 40 vehicles in its exhibition areas, and another 40 that were sold to aftermarket companies for customization.

With three of its show vehicles, GM is responding to the current obsession with terrorism and military hardware. They are a Chevrolet Police Tahoe, a Cadillac DeVille Armored Edition and a 1-ton 4x4 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Light Service Support Vehicle.

GM says the Tahoe is designed to give police agencies the capability for high-speed and heavy-duty law enforcement uses in a full-sized SUV.

The armored Cadillac was done with Scaletta Moloney Armoring Corp. of Bedford Park, Ill., which supplies armored civilian vehicles to the U.S. government.

The Silverado Light Service Support Vehicle is designed as a military truck for challenging off-road conditions. It has a full underbody skid plate, for starters, and a weapon rack.

Pontiac will show off its Grand Prix Autocross with a 350-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 engine. It is one of a number of performance-tuned, specially equipped show vehicles suitable for Autocross racing applications.

MITSUBISHI
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. will unveil a race-ready concept vehicle Tuesday, Nov. 4. The automaker would not provide advance product details.

"We also will have a number of Evos that have been tuned by the aftermarket," says Janis Little, a Mitsubishi product spokeswoman.

TOYOTA
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. will feature a wide-body Scion xA, which is a five-door hatchback, and a wide-body Scion xB, to show the modifications potential of the two vehicles, says Ming-Jou Chen of Toyota's Scion division.

Toyota Racing Development will display Celica, Matrix, xB and Solara models.

One of Toyota's featured vehicles at SEMA will be the Tundra D-Cab Yamahauler, created by Molly Designs Inc. of Southern California in just four weeks with Toyota and Yamaha.

The exterior features a custom bumper guard and grille, skid plate and side steps.

Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki also will have vehicle displays.

gavriil

I wonder if I should assume that the Grand Prix will be AWD. It's got to be with all that torque from the large V8. 350HP AWD Grand Prix. Hmmm...

chef chris

Gavriil,

Any word on the new Colorado from Chevrolet?

SJ Silver Type-S

I hear there are going to be a lot of good concepts of the new F-150, I would like to see those...