Their future is ours
Neeraj Saxena
Even as the crowds weaved their dreams around small cars at the Auto Expo '98, it was the dreams of the car makers that were on display, but had to contend with the minnows of a past generation, the now-cars.So just what do you think the cars of the future would be like? Like the last expo, it took Daewoo, Hyundai and Ford to provide answers in the shape of Matiz, SLV, GT90 and Scia, the four concept cars on display. Cars that are at least one or more generations more advanced than all the cars being manufactured from the present-day assembly lines anywhere in the world. Imagine a car made without the use of metal or glass, a car with global positioning system, back-eye camera, crumple zones, code access key system, and every other conceivable frill -- an audio/visual system, a phone and fax, cold and hot box, a wooden table, the works. Even extra luxurious seats straight out of an aircraft's business class. Now consider the power: 4,500 cc. Cost of development: A cool Rs 2.4 crore or $6 lakh! The
vehicle made of fibre-reinforced plastic body with ceramic wheels is Hyundai's concept of a Super Luxury Vehicle (SLV), which is its first such prototype. The company is not sure if the concept and the platform will eventually be used for evolving vehicles that can be put out in the market for commercial sale. Daewoo has displayed its concept car (codenamed Matiz) whose platform has already been used to develop d'Arts. Its platform and some of the features are likely to be retained in more models to roll out of its factories in the near future. The small car, finished in yellow, is a three-cylinder, 796cc-800 kg vehicle with five speed gears, electric auto clutch and a collapsable steering. Its sporty look and the mix of practical functions and simplified engineering are the main focus. Then, there is Fiat's silver grey concept car, Scia. Unfortunately, no Fiat executive is interested in answering any queries about the car, since it is part of the ongoing Torino Design Exhibition. It's a pity
considering that the car has its fair share of admirers who return disappointed, without any answers. India's very own Mahindra & Mahindra also displayed a concept `shell'. But it has no engine or transmission, just the body design and interiors. Not a very sleek model, it too invites queries. M&M executives say it has been put up to gauge response. But they have no reply to what can be expected of a vehicle minus engine and transmission. But it is Ford's GT90 that invites the gasps, the ultimate show-stealer. A dream in white, Ford may well have named it Passion or Desire, for that's the feeling it evokes. A futuristic, well-contoured body like that of a spaceship, with mind-boggling power of 720 bhp produced by an all-aluminium V-12 quad turbo engine of 6,000 cc, and a 660 lb-feet torque. The GT90 is capable of a speed up to 300 kn an hour and can race zero to 100 miles an hour in 6.2 seconds flat! With a fibre glass transparent top-dome like opening, it looks the ultimate supercar, which is quite
different from Ford's current family of oval look. Actually it is the newer version of Ford's past supercar GT40, which was meant for this decade. Then there is a movable rear spoiler, turn signal side mirrors, projector beam parking, turning and backup lamp, cold fluorescent gauge illumination. For safety, there is a plethora of features: a infra-red blind spot detection system, multi-beam headlamps, hot fluorescent license plate, high mounted stop lamp, ion charge tail lights and stainless steel exhaust system. With the wheel base is the size of a Formula 1 car, the car has the capability to stick to the road like a fly on a flypaper. Developed in 1995-96, the car has already been displayed in most world shows. Its design may well provide a glimpse into the trends of the next millennium, hitherto seen only in sci-fi films. Ford spent $30 million in developing the car. It has Rs 6 crore worth of material alone. Do the companies consider expenditure of such magnitude on a single car a waste especiallysince concept cars rarely go beyond auto shows. Even if they do, the company would probably be able to count its buyers on the fingertips? So what's the big idea? ``The concept cars are any car company's usherers to the future. It incorporates best of ideas from all the departments put into what is a dream car for the company. It also reveals where a company technologically stands,'' says Daewoo Motors India spokerperson Shubhendu Amitabh. Most of the concept's features are later adopted in various successive models, though sometimes they only end up as posters. But in a way, they are an insight to the company's future. Tomorrow's cars are likely to have a car navigation system incorporating GPS, rear recognition system and voice recognition systems as standard features, all in a very aero-dynamic design. Audi too was supposed to display its much-hyped Avus Quatro, but decided against it. Besides concept cars, there are other cars like Alpha Romeo 156 and Ferrari 550 Maranello, BMW's Roadster Z3 and
750iAl, Mercedes' A-Class, which are already commercially available, but which are in a class of its own. Alpha Romeo, at a cost of $150,000, is in a class of its own and not to be missed.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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