BOSTON Despite all the bleak front page news about the auto industry, the New England International Auto Show is offering a wide range of vehicles to check out, even if many consumers are putting off purchases right now.
Certainly, the latest models from mainstream manufacturers are all on show, including those from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler and their range of brands. The Asian auto makers are represented by Toyota, Honda, Nissan and their brands plus Hyundai, Subaru and Kia, and the Europeans by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Saab, Volkswagen and Volvo.
“They are putting on a brave front and I wish them well,” said David Brownell, U.S. editor of British car magazine Octane.
Toyota said it sees the Venza, which has the raked lines of the new designs from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen and is armed with Toyota’s new Automatic High Beam headlight system in which the high beams automatically dip in the face of oncoming traffic, appealing to folks who want to downsize from the SUV and minivan but who still like high sight lines.
Nissan is highlighting its new Cube, a square runabout akin to the Scion xB and Honda Element. A concept version was on show last year, tricked out for the beach and ski slopes.
Another eye catcher in the fast-fast category was the blinding white Audi TTS coupe, which has the presence (in a milder form) of the Audi R8 rocket, which is also on display. And the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a true supercar with 638 horsepower and a $104,000 price tag.
Rock star Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and owner of Red Wing Motorcycle Company is showing a couple of custom motorcycles from his collection. And Claudio Ballard is showing his $600,000 Iconic GTR car at the Newport Concours d’Elegance display, which also has a number of beautiful classic cars on show.
“These cars ran the circuits,” said Mark Hurwitz, president of the Newport Concours. He pointed out the fluted exhaust radiators leading down to the supercharger, which appeared akin to a modernist sculpture by Brancusi.
Other cars that he has on display at the auto show include a 1933 Chrysler Imperial, a 1930 Pierce Arrow Model B, a 1929 Rolls Royce roadster that was replicated up from the original engine and chassis, and a 1931 Packard convertible sedan with a body by Dietrich of Detroit. Hurwitz said the Packard was one of three made and was used for years by King Gustav V of Sweden.
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