America behind the wheel

  Photo courtesy of LA Auto Show Chrysler’s Crossfire
combines American design with German engineering to produce its
2004 sports coupe.

By Sophia Whang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Cars of the future are promising to provide higher performance,
more luxury and superior safety, and all with a little American
class.

These cars are making their debut at the Greater Los Angeles
Auto Show at the L.A. Convention Center through Jan. 13, allowing
car enthusiasts to cruise through halls featuring more than 1,000
of the industry’s newest vehicles.

Over 40 automakers transported more than 5 million pounds of
display materials and vehicles into the Convention Center to debut
their new models and showcase futuristic concept cars, those
designed with potential engineering and alternative design
ideas.

Some vehicles come in the form of a loudly-colored, bright
yellow Hummer H2, displayed conquering rocky terrain well above
viewers’ heads. Others, like Chrysler’s 215 horsepower sports
coupe, sparkle quietly on their rotating pedestal.

But whether it be Toyota, BMW, Lincoln or Mercedes-Benz, each
company shares the common goal of catering to American consumers
and follows the trend of being influenced by the American
culture.

"Our team is totally focused on rebuilding the Lincoln and
Mercury brands into compelling and uniquely American vehicles like
we know they can be," said Brian Kelley, president of Lincoln
Mercury, during a press conference.

  Maserati introduces its 2002 Spyder in an exhibit at the
Greater L.A. Auto Show, being held at the Convention Center. The
designers of Lincoln’s second generation of Navigators reveal that
there is more than the 18-inch wheels, wider running boards and DVD
player, all of which fulfill Lincoln’s slogan, "American
luxury."

Lincoln is joining with THX George Lucas Film to deliver the
same kind of sound breakthrough in vehicles as there was in
American theaters years ago.

Lincoln, through its 2003 LS model, will be the very first
company to offer a sound system certified under THX’s new
ultra-premium car audio program with a combination of high
performance head units, speakers and amplifiers.

Michael Arbaugh, chief designer for the 2003 Lincoln Navigator,
says all of the car’s features are uniquely its own, and that the
design of this American car is influenced and modeled after
concepts of its surrounding culture.

  The BMW 745i makes its North American debut at the
Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, which is being held through Jan.
13.

"American culture is all about convenience. I want to make life
simpler for myself. I want to enjoy a movie while I’m in the back
seat. I want to maximize cargo space," Arbaugh said. "The whole
idea of a full-size luxury SUV really is an American
concept."

America is influencing BMW’s chairman and CEO, Tom Purves, as
well. Purves mentioned the importance of operating BMW offices in
America, calling it a form of cross-fertilization; a manufacturing
operation in South Carolina, an industrial design firm in
California and a technology office in Silicon Valley.

"Operating design works in California provides us with the
newest in design thinking," Purves said. "We pride ourselves on an
innovative state and we’re kept sharp with that innovative
edge."

With this edge, BMW introduces the new 7 series as a start to
its direction toward the future of the luxury/performance sedan.
The flagship 745i and the long wheelbase 745Li will go on sale at
the end of the month, both featuring the world’s first production
six-speed automatic.

Chrysler is moving toward a change in sports coupes with its
2004 Crossfire. After the coupe made a dramatic entrance and
flashed its silver curves, Jim Schroer, executive vice-president of
marketing at Chrysler, said the vehicle is the first American dream
machine to appear in a long time.

"This car is where Route 66 meets the Autobahn, with a
combination of American design with European engineering," Schroer
said. "It is the first example of drawing from resources around the
world."

The Crossfire takes classic European technology and proportions,
using Mercedes-Benz vehicles as models, but the coupe guarantees
that it will ride into 2004 with the power and personality of an
American performance car.

So at this year’s inception, even cars are proud to be American
or proud to be sold in America, with the auto industry making
impressive 2001 sales despite the downturn in the rest of the
economy.

With Japanese cars like Toyota finishing third in total car
sales in the U.S., and with California being the sixth largest
market for BMW motorcycles worldwide, it is no wonder why companies
keep trying to satisfy American consumers.

So even if the Maserati is from Italy and the BMW is from
Germany, each new model is being shaped in some relation to the
wants of American buyers. Designers see this as a trend to success,
all companies agreeing with Volkswagen that drivers are wanted.

CONVENTION: The Greater L.A. Auto Show is open
until Jan. 13, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 10:30
p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Admissions
are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors on weekdays. Parking is $7.
For more information, call (213) 741-1151, ext. 1, or log onto
www.laautoshow.com.