Notable; Viewing the North American international Auto Show: sheet metal for today & tomorrow.

Lexus LF-A Concept

Typically, vehicle manufacturers roll out a concept car one year and if it is ever seen again, it is in production form. But in a continuous improvement approach, the LF-A concept shown at the 2005 NAIAS has been further developed, this time to the extent of having done the engineering analysis at the Higashi Fuji Technical Cente ... and at the Fuji Raceway. It has a V10 engine--under five liters--that is said to produce over 500 hp. Dimensionally: length, 175.6 in.; width: 74.6 in.; height: 48 in.; wheelbase: 102.3 in. Visually: stunning.--GSV

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2007 Hyundai Veracruz SUV

Although Hyundai may be considered to be something of an economical brand, that doesn't stop the company from benchmarking the Lexus RX 350 (the Veracruz is claimed to have a quieter cabin) and Mercedes GL (the cargo capacity behind the front seats is 86.8-[ft.sup.3], bigger than the full-sized Merc's 83.3-[ft.sup.3]). It's powered by the 3.8-liter V6 installed in the Azera sedan (see: http://www.autofieldguide.com/driven/0406dri28.html). Seating is for seven (three rows of seats). And, yes, this is a crossover.--GSV

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2008 Lexus IS-F

Based on the existing Lexus IS platform (see AD & P October '05 or http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/100502.html), the IS-F has a performance-tuned 5-liter V8 that's estimated to have more than 400 hp and more than 350 lb.-ft. of torque. And an eight-speed, direct-paddle shift transmission. As the existing IS has a smaller engine (either a 3.5- or 2.5-liter V6), the IS-F has a larger hood to contain the V8. As well as wider front fenders, grille, and rear-deck spoiler. There are 19-in. forged alloy wheels with the "Brembo" logo visible on the brake calipers (six-piston aluminum calipers for the 14.2-in. discs on the front and two-piston calipers on the 13.6-in. discs in the rear). According to chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi (who'd worked on the last-generation Toyota Supra), "We wanted to develop a car that was totally different from the regular Lexus R & D process, we wanted to make something more interesting for our sport-minded Lexus customers."--GSV

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Jaguar C-XF Concept

Yes, the taut sheet metal is stunning, but the presence of the C-XF is predicated on more than the form. The monochromatic color pallet is key. Explained Julian Thomson, Jaguar's head of Advanced Design, "We describe the effect as 'tone-on-tone'--we want people to think about the materials, the textures, and how they interact with the functions of the car." The overall color is "Metashine" silver. Note the chrome and aluminum trim and the white ceramic used on the tailpipes. "The tonality has a functional aspect," he said, "but also extreme beauty; mechanical designs that are fit for purpose are often beautifully designed--we've taken our inspiration from machinery as diverse as aircraft to cameras in seeking to make the car look like it was milled from a solid piece of metal." Many designers use the "milled" metaphor. Jaguar delivers.--GSV

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Volvo XC60 Concept

Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars design director (see AD & P December '05 or http://www.autofieldguide.com/columns/1205profile.html), is throwing down: "It is time to once and for all forget all about boxy Volvos." Which explains the XC60 concept and the sculpted forms, shapes and bulges. "If you say that you recognize a Volvo from 50 meters today"--presumably because of the historic, distinctive boxy forms--"I want to get to the point where you will instantly spot it from twice that distance in the future." As this crossover will look like every other crossover, one may spot it, but not recognize it. Beneath the hood resides a 3.2-liter, 265-hp bio-ethanol six. (Sweden is working toward oil independence by 2020; by 2009, every gas station in the country is to offer ethanol.)--GSV

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2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country Minivans

"Minivan design is truly about the interior." Trevor Creed, senior vice president, Chrysler Group Design, is absolutely solid with that statement. While the exterior sheet metal on these sales-leading minivans is new for this model year, just as the Stow 'n Go fold-in-the-floor seating marked a difference with the previous-models, this time it is Swivel 'n Go, second row seats that swivel 180[degrees] to face the third row. And there's a removable table that can be fitted in the space between the two rows. Also, they've widened the roof by 6 in. compared to the previous model so the total passenger interior volume is up to 163.5-[ft.sup.3] from 161.3-[ft.sup.3]. As for the exterior ... well, even Ralph Gilles, noted designer of the 300 (see AD & P July '06 or http://www.autofieldguide.com/columns/0706profile02.html), remarked that the company's own reference to the vehicles as "bread and butter" is not off the mark.--GSV

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F Marks the Spot

Lexus has started engineering a series of performance-oriented vehicles that will carry a special "F" badge. Bob Carter, Lexus group vp and general manager, admitted, "We realize that to some, Lexus vehicles are perceived simply as mainstream luxury vehicles." Which isn't all bad, considering that the Toyota division sold 322,434 units last year. But still, they want to create another niche. "Most people do not know that when the idea of Lexus was first conceived 20 years ago," Carter explained, "the original project was internally coded 'Circle-F.' The Circle-F designation evolved into the name Flagship One, or Fl, which became the code for our very first car, the LS." And this has led to the F designation.--GSV

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On the Horizon

Audi

The A5 coupe is based on the next-generation A4 platform, and will spawn a convertible. This platform reportedly keeps Audi's longitudinal engine placement, but places the powertrain farther back to improve handling. All-wheel drive is standard in the base V6 version as well as the V8-powered S5 and RS5 models. A larger A7 coupe and convertible also are planned, though they reportedly will have four suicide-style doors, and offer V10 power in RS form.

BMW 

Americans finally will see their version of the 1 Series, a family that includes a small sedan and convertible by late 2008. This car also will provide the underpinnings for the Z2, a Miata-like two-seat convertible that is smaller and less expensive that the Z4. From the bulkhead forward the Z2 and Z4 are nearly identical, and will share some engines and suspension pieces.

Also in 2008, BMW will build the X6, a coupe-like all-wheel drive design that will trade off-road performance for greater on-road grip, and offer inline six and V8 power. Approximately six months later, it will be joined by a new 7 Series based on a modular chassis that will support the next-generation 5 and 6 Series as well as an "affordable" Rolls-Royce. Word is it will showcase the two-mode hybrid system licensed from GM, and the next take on BMW's design language.

Chevrolet

Pontiac has the Solstice, Saturn the Sky, and soon Chevrolet gets a version of the car. Power will come from a V6 engine mated to the Kappa's current manual and automatic transmissions. This will mean a redesign of the engine compartment, a cost that will be shared with Saab. The Swedish carmaker is set to get its own version of the car, which will not be called "Sonnet" as it does not fit with Saab's current naming convention. Given the limited size of the roadster market and flexibility of the Kappa architecture, it's curious that GM has chosen to produce more two-seaters rather than the Chevy Nomad or the small sport sedan that were part of the original Kappa plan.

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Ford

Expect Ford to drop the Ranger and replace it with a half-ton unit-body pickup built under the "F-100" name. Insiders say the F-100 may have frame-like box sections welded to the underbody to give the truck the structural strength necessary to carry loads and tow, much like Nissan did with the previous generation Pathfinder (and reportedly may again with the next). The F-100 will be joined by a unit-body replacement for the Explorer and Mountaineer based on the Taurus X architecture. This will give the company a three-row SUV capable of going head-to-head with other automakers' crossovers. Power will come from Ford's new 3.5-liter V6. The new Explorer is slated to appear around 2009. The Mustang is scheduled for an update around then, but Mercury's better-equipped notchback version of the car has been dropped.

Mini

With the new Mini just arriving and scheduled to be followed later this year by the Clubman wagon, you'd think that would be all from this brand. You'd be wrong. In 18 months we will see the newest version of the Mini convertible, followed by a Mini Roadster that uses a coupe-like drop top and cover over the rear seating area to produce a two-seat sports car. It will be followed by a very small SUV built off the wagon's stretched architecture.

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Nissan

Los Angeles Auto Show attendees were the first to see the 2008 Nissan Altima coupe; Detroit show goers were treated to the Rogue, a Sentra-based small crossover due to arrive as a 2009 model. It will be joined a year later by the production version of the Urge concept, an affordable convertible sports car. Had the merger talks with GM borne fruit, the Urge might have become another Kappa captive.

Nissan is still looking for a diesel powerplant for its full-size trucks after being turned down by the domestic OEMs and their suppliers. The new engine, which either could be built by Nissan or brought in from the outside, is scheduled to arrive in time for the 2008 facelift of Nissan's full-size truck line. With the full-size luxury SUV market cooling, Infiniti is considering replacing the QX56 with a like-size vehicle that is more than just a Nissan Armada with a bigger nose and more leather. The FX35/45 will return in updated form, but Infiniti may replace the late Q45 with an all-wheel drive four-door V8-powered coupe.

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Toyota

The Lexus LF-A concept will not only spawn a V10-powered rear-drive supercar for the luxury division, but a V8-powered version for Toyota much like the FT-HS concept. It will go up against Nissan's twin-turbo all-wheel drive 2009 GT-R. Intent on matching the 500-hp Nissan's performance while providing better fuel economy, insiders say the car--which may be called Supra--will use a modified version of the hybrid powertrain found in the Lexus GS450h. The combination of a low-drag body and the hybrid powertrain has some claiming the Supra may be capable of 30 mpg at a steady highway cruise.--CAS

Surprise! It's a Crossover

With the definition of what constitutes a crossover vehicle as clear as mud, it's no surprise that Kia calls its Rondo a crossover utility vehicle (CUV). This despite the fact that the vehicle does not offer all-wheel-drive, and is not something you'd willingly take very far off road. That said, the Rondo--which is based on the D segment Optima sedan platform--is available with three rows of seats (two rows are standard), and has an interior at least as reconfigurable as its direct competitors (Chevy HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Mazda5, etc.).

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"We categorize it this way because of its utility," says Steve Kosowski, manager, Long Range Strategy and Planning, Kia Motors America (Irvine, CA). But the Rondo isn't just a tall station wagon built on a stretched Optima floorpan. "Rondo shares some stampings and several suspension, steering and brake components, but it is unique from the rear floor area back," says Kosowski. That's because, unlike the Optima, the Rondo platform has to make room for a fold-flat third row seat, and boasts a multi-link rear suspension design that places as many of its components as possible within the rear wheel.

Only the damper, spring, and lower control arms are located inboard of this zone. The front suspension, like the Optima's, is highlighted by a pair of MacPherson struts attached to a hydroformed subframe. To keep noise, vibration, and harshness levels low, the Rondo uses thicker-gauge steel in strategic areas, and has a "double-curved" floorpan that deflects sounds away from the passenger compartment.

The Rondo comes with a choice of two engines: a 162-hp, 164 lb-ft 2.4-liter inline four or a 182-hp, 187 lb-ft 2.7-liter V6. Both engines have aluminum blocks and heads, dual overhead cams, and variable valve timing, though the four gets a four-speed and the six is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. There are only two trim levels--LX or EX--and a choice of seats for five or seven. The four-cylinder LX with air conditioning starts at $17, 895, while the EX V6 starts at $20,195. Kia expects most buyers to opt for the LX and four cylinder engine.--CAS

Zero Gaps for IPs

Check the quality of the covering on that instrument panel. The vehicle is the Citroen C4. And the IP is trimmed by Visteon (www.visteon.com) with the company's InSkin technology. According to Visteon's Mark Turner, "You no longer talk about gaps because there aren't any." The skin is applied to the substrate with a negative vacuum forming process. This permits high grain quality on the surface of the skin, as well as sharp corners and radii. What's more, decorative trim can be fitted into the tooling during forming, thereby simplifying assembly and providing the means to modify IPs for not only trim levels, but even models when there is a shared platform. Visteon is also working with multi-material stitched skin technology for IPs, such as PVC and leather. As design leader Richard Vaughan noted, "Stitching implies craftsmanship." The plastic material can be used in high sunload and non-touch areas, and the leather can be used to provide that feeling of upscale amenities.--GSV

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GM Quiets Direct Injection

GM's new 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 engine, debuting in the 2008 Cadillac CTS, features a unique patent-pending injection system that is isolated from the cylinder head, resulting in improved noise, vibration and harshness characteristics that reduce overall noise levels to those compared to a port-fuel injected engine. The injectors, which inject fuel at pressures as high as 12 megapascals, are housed in an isolation cuff made of stainless steel which acts like a spring, absorbing energy created by the pulsing of the injectors as they deliver fuel into the cylinders. "The cuff separates the injector from the cylinder head, which results in a less harsh ticking sound that you hear outside the vehicle. It is on all six injectors and it has been one of the biggest hurdles we have been working on since we started the development of the DI system," said Jeff Mantey, design engineer-duel delivery systems at GM's Powertrain division.--KMK

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GM Aims for Safety Leadership

How important are top ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS, www.iihs.org), an insurance industry supported safety organization? According to sources within GM, it is a differentiator that is quickly becoming a requirement in the eyes of the general public. As a result, GM is undertaking a plan that reportedly will update those vehicles that score below the organization's "acceptable" rating, and institute a program whereby all new vehicles are designed so that they will receive the top rating of "good" when tested.

In the short term, this will require some structural changes be made to current vehicles, and the addition of technologies like electronic stability control (ESC). That's because for its 2007 ratings IIHS requires that ESC must be offered for a vehicle to get this rating. Except for the midsize Saab 93, there are no 2007 GM vehicles listed as a "Top Safety Pick" on the IIHS's web site. According to a GM engineer familiar with the program this omission has "really angered our top executives, especially considering how important these ratings have become to buyers as they sift through web sites looking for items that will either keep a vehicle in contention or remove it from their shopping list."

Since GM, like other automakers, is already working to increase frontal impact performance to match the IIHS's 40-mph offset test with its new vehicles, most modifications will have to be made in other areas. These include side impacts and rear crash protection/head restraint performance. Supplier sources indicate GM recently expressed increased interest in active head restraint systems. This is noteworthy given that it's possible to meet the standards with a headrest that sits immediately behind the occupant's head, but forces passengers to tilt their head slightly forward. "It's an option we don't recommend," says the source, "because it can make the driver and passengers very uncomfortable. An active head restraint, on the other hand, allows them to sit normally, and springs forward to meet the back of their head in an accident."

GM sources say the company hopes to complete this update program in time for the 2011 model year, and will use midterm freshenings to accomplish most of the work.--CAS

A Four-Letter Word

You'd have to be a real so-and-so--and you know what we mean by that--to be critical of a book that recommends that you be nice. Nice is, well, nice. The authors write: "we would argue that nice is the toughest four-letter word you'll ever hear." We can think of some others. They continue, "It means moving forward with the clear-eyed confidence that comes from knowing that being very nice and placing other people's needs on the same level as your own will get you everything you want." Quite a claim, that. While it is nicer to be nice than to be, um, not-nice, and while it may get you further with people than you otherwise might, we would suggest that nice is not enough.

There's a little something that's not a four-letter word that is also important: competence. At the very least. Being capable and nice is better than just nice. In today's competitive environment, nice guys won't necessarily finish last. Without capability, they may not finish at all, which is a nice way of saying they'll be out of a job.--GSV

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Although The Nice was one of our favorite bands, being The Nice didn't make them particularly successful, niceness notwithstanding: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The Nice

Are You Leaving the Vault Door Open?

"Technical rights management" sounds like something that would be primarily of interest to lawyers, as does "Intellectual property rights." Put those terms aside for a moment and ask yourself this question: If you had piles of cash and jewelry and gems and placed it in a vault, would you leave the vault door open?

Essentially, that's what occurs when many companies send CAD files to prospective suppliers. There may be some boiler plate warnings supplied by the legal team, but that's not unlike those warning tags affixed to pillows and mattresses. According to Michael Staley, director of Marketing for Pinion Software (www.pinionsoftware.com; Austin, TX), there are some other alternatives, like using Microsoft's Rights Management Services or putting the file into a format like one from Adobe. Often, he says, people do nothing. In effect, the valuable data is just out there.

Or there is another alternative that is remarkably simple, which (not surprisingly) Pinion offers. What's interesting about this is that it:

* Operates on a PC; no server required (in tech parlance, it is a "peer-to-peer" system)

* Allows working within native applications and supports native file formats (e.g., Autodesk, PTC, SolidWorks)

The product lineup is called "SecureShare."

Say you have a CAD file of a new product that you want to have manufactured by a vendor, say, in the Far East. You will send it as an email attachment with your Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes application. Essentially, you then activate your SecureShare Desktop, which, in effect, wraps a protective package around the file. It also permits you to set such things as:

* How long a user can work with the file before it self-destructs (as effectively as one of those messages in Mission: Impossible, though less dramatically)

* Whether the recipient can print the content It goes to the user who has downloaded the free SecureShare Receiver, which permits the file to be opened and the image to be manipulated with the native application (e.g., rotated, sliced, measured, etc.). But the thing is, the file cannot be copied. According to Stanley, not only does this mean that someone can't download it or burn it to a disk, but even if there is software that permits screen grabs on the recipients computer, it won't work with the file, either. In addition, the file can't be forwarded to someone else. And when the time is up: Poof! It is gone. (Think if you send a file out for bid. When the clock stops, the file is no longer available.)

Given the concerns in the auto industry with counterfeiting and theft of designs, why this software isn't on every computer used by those who send files out for bid (it is not just limited to CAD files, by the way) is a mystery.--GSV

Super Duty: Ford Designs and Builds 'Em Tough

According to the chief engineer, Pete Reyes, the Ford F-Series Super Duty has had a separate platform from the F-150 since 1999 in order to provide this lineup of vehicles--the F-250, 350, 450, and 550--in the over 8,500-lb. segment with the capabilities required to meet demanding towing, hauling, and associated tasks. Speaking of the F-150, Reyes comments, "We call it our 'little brother.'" Given the fact that the '07 F-150 has a 3,050-lb. payload capacity and a 10,500-lb. towing capacity, that term is somewhat relative. That is, consider the capabilities of the '08 F-450, which is the biggest factory-built pickup (all Super Duty models are built at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant) in the Ford lineup: payload of 6,120 lb. and towing capacity of 24,400 lb. That's the difference between "big" and "little."

According to Al Giombetti, president, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing and Sales, for 29 years the F Series has been the number-one best-selling truck in the U.S. They've sold some 31,569,000. "We will do whatever it takes to remain America's truck leader," he states. The Super Duty is a good example of what they're doing to retain that position.--GSV

One of the most evident changes in the Super Duty is the front end, which features a grille that is more obvious, larger, and in-your-face than that of the previous generation. Note the "Super Duty" embossed in the leading edge. Pat Schiavone, chief designer of the Super Duty, who refers to the design approach as describing "tough luxury" points out that the larger grille isn't just for show, but also for go: the bigger grille allows improved airflow, which means better performance, which is particularly important for activities like towing. There are also functional air vents in the fenders that are color coded: red for diesel powertrains, black for gasoline. The Super Duty has the Ford truck dropped beltline for improved visibility from the cab, another point of designing for function as well as appearance.

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The Super Duty has a patented high-strength steel body structure consisting of two side rails welded to the bulkhead and frame. This is not only to provide rigidity, but to help simplify assembly (as it is a module) and to assure fit of the body panels assembled to it. The frame rails are hydroformed. The front structure is fully boxed. The frame horn design in the front lowers the frame by 7 in. to help meet vehicle compatibility standards without requiring an additional blocker beam. The entire frame is e-coated for corrosion resistance.

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At the back of the truck is what they're calling the "Tailgate Step," which Reyes says was developed by Ford engineers working on the program. This option is integrated into the tailgate. There is a 16.7 x 4.5-in. flip down step pad that is pulled out of the tailgate and then lowered in place. This MIG-welded high-strength steel assembly has been tested to handle 1,000 lb. The grab handle is embedded in a channel in the tailgate inner liner; it is readily flipped up and locked in place. It can support up to 300 lb. The whole assembly facilitates getting into and out of the bed.

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A new 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel engine with an iron block, aluminum heads, and four valves per cylinder is available. It produces 350 hp @ 3,000 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000 rpm. Part of the driver of the low end torque performance is a turbocharger system. There is a small, electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger that is activated at low rpms for additional boost at takeoff. Then as there are increased rpms a second, fixed turbo is activated, as well, to boost power through the middle of the torque curve. Finally, when optimum speed is reached, the larger turbo operates by itself. The diesel also features what's called "Ford Clean Diesel Technology," which includes a high-pressure, common rail fuel system, piezo-electric fuel injectors, and a particulate filter. This is claimed to provide the diesel with emissions numbers "on par with gasoline engines."

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Replacing Petroleum ... With Citrus

It's called "Super Nanopower Rubber," and according to the people at Yokohama Tire (www.yokohamatire.com; Fullerton, CA), the material reduces the use of petroleum products in tires by 80%. To make it, citrus oil is combined with natural rubber. The first tire produced with the material is the Decibel Super E-Spec that will be available in the Japanese market sometime in 2007. No date has been determined for the U.S. market. This tire includes a air permeation suppression film on the inside. Says Jim MacMaster, executive vp, Business Div. of Yokohama Tire in the U.S., "This new polymer inner lining is designed to reduce air from seeping out from the tire, which helps maintain appropriate inflation levels. "He also says, "The E-Spec is also a lot lighter and conserves gasoline by reducing rolling resistance by 18%. Lower rolling resistance tires improve fuel efficiency by minimizing the energy wasted [as heat] as the tire rolls down the road. No word on whether the tires have a fresh, lemony scent.

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Shocking Concept

Lotus Engineering (Hethel, England) has found a buyer for its Variable Vehicle Architecture (http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/020401.html), though it's not who you might expect. ZAP! (Santa Rosa, CA; www.zapworld.com) will use the lightweight aluminum structure to build a high-performance electric all-wheel-drive crossover based on the Lotus APX. ZAP! States it expects the vehicle to deliver a range of up to 350 miles with a recharge time of 10 minutes. Just in case, an auxiliary power unit is planned to support longer journeys. The APX's Lotus-designed V6 will be replaced by batteries and in-hub electric motors capable of delivering 644 hp in AWD mode--and a theoretical top speed of 155 mph. Closer to earth, the flexibility of the APX's architecture eventually will be used to create a portfolio of electric vehicles.

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Corn-based Gas Tanks?

Corn farmers must be getting a real kick out of all of the attention that's being paid to their produce by vehicle manufacturers and researchers nowadays. In addition to being used as a feedstock for ethanol, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU; www.missouri.edu) and the Midwest Research Institute (www.mriresearch.org) are using corn cobs as the basis for a natural gas storage medium that can be used in compact storage tanks for automotive use. Researchers at MU determined that fractal pore spaces--i.e., repeated, similar patterns of spaces at various size scales)--are gl pores. The briquettes are then pood for storing natural gas. So what they've done is to transform corncobs into briquettes that have these fractaut inside a low-pressure tank, and the natural gas is added. They're testing the performance of the tank in a pickup truck owned by the Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality. Among the parameters being checked are range, pressure, temperature, and longevity. It is hoped that this would permit smaller tanks for vehicles than the high-pressure tanks presently being used.

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