Power in Detroit
by Gary S. Vasilash

Although the official name is the “North American International Auto Show,” fundamentally, it is the “Detroit” show, and if there is one thing that Detroit means, no matter where you come from, is “big iron.” And while the iron may be giving way to aluminum and other materials, in point of fact, if there is one thing that can be said about the introductions at this year’s NAIAS – of both production vehicles as well as concepts – is that things were BIG.

The quintessential expression of this in Detroit was undoubtedly the Dodge Tomahawk. This is fundamentally a 505-cubic-inch Dodge Viper V-10 engine a power plant that produces 500 hp and 525 lb.-ft. of torque – onto which four motorcycle-wheels are attached (the only reason why this is ostensibly a “car” rather than a “bike” is because of the quad wheels). “Tomahawk is an icon of the extreme thinking for a brand that is known not only for the legendary Viper and Ram,

Dodge Tomohawk Dodge Durango

but also for all new, innovative vehicles, such as the Magnum SRT-8 and Durango concepts,” says Trevor Creed, senior vice president of Design, Chrysler Group.

Quick: what do those vehicles that he mentioned have in common? Horsepower. And as an interesting side note as to how much horsepower is internationally a characteristic of Detroit, know that the Tomahawk was driven out onto a stage by Chrysler Group’s chief operating officer, Wolfgang Bernhard who, incidentally, was born in Germany. He noted that the Tomahawk can “theoretically” go in excess of 300 mph – and he appears as though he might be the one to do it.

Or then there is the other concept that is noted elsewhere on this site, the Cadillac Sixteen, a classic, sleek, long (140-inch wheelbase) 1930s-era coach. Back in the ‘30s in the U.S., the Depression was over and times were good again. It was a period of exuberance. The Sixteen is named after its power plant, which has sixteen cylinders, for a displacement of 830 cubic inches, and delivers a maximum horsepower of 1,000 hp. Here is a line that is found in the press material that is nothing short of classic: “The engine features fuel-saving Displacement on Demand technology. . . .” Yes, the 5,000-lb. vehicle is undoubtedly thrifty on fuel.

But one gets the sense that things like the Tomahawk and the Sixteen are done simply because they can be. As Pure Form, both are brilliant in their own way. But out on the streets outside the exhibition hall, where the snow turns the potholed streets a slushy gray, there is another story entirely. The cross-town rival of the two introduced the production version of the world’s biggest selling vehicle: the Ford F-Series pickup truck. Like seemingly all introductions in Detroit, the new F-150 is bigger, more powerful than its predecessor.

Cadillac Sixteen Chevrolet Cheyenne

While one might argue that pickup trucks need more space to haul stuff and more power, one of the key aspects of the vehicle is that there is careful attention to the interiors; there are four trim levels, including the top of the line Lariat, which has power adjustable leather captain’s chairs, an in-dash message center, wood grain touches on the door. . . everything for the person who will probably never haul dirt.

But lest we just look at Ford from the standpoint of production vehicles, there is a concept that is worth calling out in this context of Detroit iron: the SVT F-150 Lightning concept. Under the hood there is a 5.4-liter DOHC supercharged and intercooled V8 that is “conservatively” rated at 500 hp. As there is currently an SVT Lightning, chances are that after the launch of the regular trucks is done, there will be something quite like this Lightning (as the engine was pretty much developed for the GT-40, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility).

Nissan took the opportunity at NAIAS to introduce a product that is probably more important to it – at least in the U.S. market – than the Maxima: the Titan. Yes, a full-sized pickup truck. While the Japanese builders have long been criticized for producing pickup trucks that aren’t quite as big as the American market likes, the Titan, powered by a 5.6-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8 is 224.2 inches long with a 139.8-inch wheel base, and if you get it with the King Cab version, the bed is 6.5-feet long.

When companies weren’t rolling out with new trucks, there was an emphasis on the development of new variants of SUVs, particularly those that (1) resemble the VW Magellan concept and (2) emphasis the “sport” at the expense of the “utility.”

Among the vehicles are the Dodge Avenger concept, the BMW xActivity concept and the Infiniti FX45 production vehicle. There is the Audi Pikes Peak – called a “sport wagon” by the Euros, but still considered an SUV in the U.S.– after all, the Volvo XC90 won the North American International Truck of the Year Award at the show. Rolls Royce was there with the Phantom. Bentley had the Continental. And there was the Maybach 62 with its U.S. market debut.

Infiniti FX45 Maybach 62

Big. Powerful. With the color blue being the new silver. With interiors that are made to be adjusted for people not only to be transported in, but to, essentially, live in. Which, given the size of the vehicles, the amount of horsepower, the cost of vehicles (Zero percent financing notwithstanding, none of these things are becoming less expensive), and the potential rising cost of fuel, it just may be that people will have to live in them.