American Driver - Show #118
John McElroy, American Driver
Hello and welcome to American Driver,
I’m John McElroy.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
And, I’m Laurel Hess. Coming up in the next half hour…
How would you like to own a car that
you could hose out whenever it got dirty? How about a roadster with a pick-up bed on
the back? We’ll introduce you to a
handful of concept cars by General Motors…and let you know which one’s could be
headed soon to a dealership near you.
John McElroy, American Driver
And, you won’t see this vehicle
driving down the road here in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s not
popular oversees. We’ll take you for a
ride in the Ford Falcon XR8 and let you know why the Aussie’s love this ultra-tough
car!
Laurel Hess, American Driver
And, Americans love big, bulky,
gas-guzzling SUV’s, right? Well, it
seems they also have a love affair with this!…a cute little vehicle that gets over 70
miles to the gallon. We’ll give you an
up-close look at the all-new Honda Insight.
John McElroy, American Driver
And, what do cars have in common with
the hair on Elvis’s head? How many used
toys does it take to make the perfect car? You’ll
want to stay tuned for the answer to those questions…as well as a look at some really
bizarre cars.
John McElroy, American Driver
We’ll have those stories and a
lot more, including some tips on how to properly adjust the seat and steering wheel in
your car…coming up…right after this.
[BREAK #1]
Laurel Hess,
American Driver
WELCOME
BACK. If you’ve ever been to an autoshow, than you
know, you’re bound to see lots of concept cars. And, while they’re very cool to look at, the truth of the
matter is, most of them will never see the light of day. But gm is about to change that trend. In fact, gm has 10 different concept vehicles currently
making the rounds…and executives say, 8 of them could very possibly be
built. Here’s a look at just a few of our favorites.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Take a close
look at the Pontiac Pirhana! Inspired by a
camping tent, many of the surfaces consist of stretched fabric over a wire frame. Pontiac executives say they wanted to build
something high performance, affordable, and fun…something hip to appeal to the young.
John Mack, Pontiac Pirhana
“Some of the unique features I
think are the manual operating sunroof. It’s
inexpensive and waterproof. The instrument
panel zips on and off. You can change colors. The doors panels also zip on and off. You can get to the speaker without taking off the
entire door panel.”
Laurel Hess,
American Driver
“But the best thing about this car
isn’t the fact that the instrument panel can be unzipped if you’d like to
customize the color. It isn’t even the
fact that it’s easy to clean…all you have to do it hose it out. The best thing
about the Pirhana is the price. If ever
produced, expect it to sell for between $15 and $17-thou.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
And for
$17-thou, you get a four-seat, front-wheel-drive coupe that offers a lot of utility. The seats are light-weight and removable to use on
the beach…and in the rear, there’s a cargo tub for ice.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
On the
complete other end of the spectrum, is the Cadillac Imaj. Designed for people who are busy
and need to be connected, it’s a high-end flagship for both Cadillac and GM!
Tom
Kearns, Cadillac Imaj
“Trying to keep in mind catering
to each individual passenger, we wanted to offer a sunroof and ventilation to everyone,
almost like a first class airlines if you will.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Other cool
features include major reclining seats…and a computer screen that slides out of the
glove-box.
Laurel
Hess, American Driver
“But, perhaps my favorite feature
when it comes to the Cadillac Imaj are these…the rearview mirrors…and
that’s because they aren’t rearview mirrors at all. Instead they’re small cameras. The tiny cameras capture the image of whatever is
behind the car and then project that image inside onto a video screen.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
From luxury to
performance, take a look at the Chevy SSR! Is
it a car…or a truck? Well, It’s a
crossover vehicle that consists of an open-air roadster…with a pick-up bed on the
back!
Ed Welburn, Chevrolet SSR
“There are a lot of Roadster
owners who enjoy their vehicles, but after they’ve lived with it for a long time,
there is the frustration of not being able to carry anything with it. What makes this Roadster unique is that it has the
great flexibility in the rear portion of it.”
Laurel Hess,
American Driver
“While this car defiantly looks
cool and it does have a major presence, the SSR isn’t all about image. In fact, under the hood, it sports a 6-liter
V8.”
Laurel Hess,
American Driver
Inside, the
SSR has bench seats! And, the shifter is
integrated into the steering wheel for a clean look.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Another
cross-over concept vehicle by Chevy is the Traverse.
It’s a combination of a Sport Utility and a Family Sedan. Inside, the rear seat moves back and forth
nine inches, depending on weather you’re putting people or cargo in the back. The rear-seat and the rear hatch also fold flat to
allow for even more cargo space. Inside, the
world’s smallest laptop slides out of the instrument panel. And, there’s a convenient tray for back-seat
passengers…as if you were traveling on a plane!
Joel Piaskowski, Chevrolet Traverse
“This is a concept vehicle that we’ve put a
lot of time and effort into. So, weather or
not you will see this vehicle exact one, you will see a lot of the great attributes and
styling cues that will be appearing on future Chevrolet’s.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Speaking of
the future, take a look at the Hummer H2! The
design has definite Hummer roots, but it’s been cleaned up and refined to provide
maximum comfort…and still be cool!
Clay Dean, Hummer H2
“You’ve got auxiliary
lighting. You’ve got aggressive hooks
here to tie ropes too. Everything is about function in this vehicle. It’s very authentic. And, then you can move up to the grill and see
hooks in the hood. Now, people don’t
really realize what they’re about, but in the military they are for actually dropping
these things out of transport planes.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
“The biggest difference between
this, the H2 and the original Hummer is all on the inside.
The original Hummer is sparse, but when you drive in the H2, you can drive in the
lap of luxury.”
Laurel Hess,
American Driver
For example, the H2
comes loaded with suede! The instrument panel
is high-tech with push-button start…no need for an ignition key! It’s different…to say the least…and
this concept goes into production in about 2 years!
Laurel Hess, American Driver
It really is amazing,
John, when you take a look at some of those vehicles, that GM says most of them will make
it into production someday. And, actually,
GM has already announced that the SSR will be built!
Look for it to be out in 2002.
John McElroy,
American Driver
Laurel, did you have
a personal favorite?
Laurel Hess, American Driver
My personal favorite
was the Pirhana. Remember the very first car
I talked about, the one with the dash and the seats that zip on and off. Now, I’d probably never actually buy a
Pirhana, it’s a little too funky for me to drive.
But, I think it’s an awesome idea and the designers were really creative. They came up with a great car for a very
affordable price.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Speaking of a great car, the Aussies
have got one…it’s called the Ford Falcon XR8.
This is one vehicle that’s literally built to handle whatever the Outback has
to offer.
John McElroy, American Driver
And, these vehicles are built to
handle…well…absolutely nothing. They’re
actually designed to make people smile. And,
the most bizarre might even make you laugh. A
trip to the Art Car exhibit is coming up…right after this.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Fasten your seat-belts,
it’s time for a little bit of Automotive Trivia and your chance to win this golf
shirt and hat, compliments of The Hella
Company in Germany. But before we get to this
week’s question and give away this prize, we want to give you last week’s
trivia question and let you know who won. The question was…which manufacturer uses
the slogan "Best 4x4 By Far"? Is
it, A., Land Rover, B., Chrysler., C., Toyota, or D., Hummer? And, the answer?…Of course, that manufacturer
is Land Rover! So, if you guessed A., Land
Rover, congratulations, you got it right. And,
our congratulations go out to our winner. We
picked this name at random from all of you who played along and answered right!
And, now let’s turn our attention to this week’s question and your chance
to win this golf shirt and matching hat. Here’s
the question… In the "Seinfeld" TV series, Jerry couldn't eradicate body
odor from his car. Which brand of car was it? Was
it, A., a Mercedes, B., a Lexus, C., a BMW., or D., a Volvo? Now take your time to think about it and
we’ll have the answer on the next American Driver
If you think you know the answer and would like a crack at winning this week’s prize,
all you have to do is E-mail us at amdriver@coast.net.
In addition to the answer, make sure to include your name and address so that, if
you’re the winner, we’ll know exactly where to send your prize.
As long as you’re E-mailing us, let us know what you think about American Driver. We’d love to hear any comments or questions
you may have about our show, or about cars in general.
We’ll be happy to listen and try to answer any questions you may have. We’ve
already received numerous comments on the Ford Falcon XR8 from folks who have gotten a
sneak peak of the vehicle on our Website. Joon
Hur wrote, “Please bring the Falcon to the States.
For $25k it would be a very viable option for most people.” Jarrod
Cairncross added, “You have to get this Ute over here!” We agree guys! The Ford Falcon is super cool! Again, if you have any comments or
questions, please send them to either John McElroy or Laurel Hess. They can be reached at amdriver@coast.net. Or, if you’d prefer, you can head to our
web-page at www.theautolink.com. The web-page
has lots of additional automotive information. You
can even view previous editions of American Driver right on the Internet!
The web is also a great place to find out about our companion program Autoline Detroit. Autoline Detroit is a half hour discussion program
that airs Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:00 on Detroit Public Television. Autoline Detroit is hosted by industry observer
and expert John McElroy. John moderates a
panel of reporters as they discuss the weeks automotive news and interview a top industry
insider. Again, to find out more about
Autoline, head to our web-site at www.theautolink.com.
The website is also helpful if you would like to order VHS copies of either American
Driver or Autoline Detroit. You can also do
so by writing us. Just send your written
request to Blue Sky Productions, 39201 Schoolcraft, Ste. B12, Livonia, MI 48150. Or
you can call us at 734-542-7000 to place an order. Please specify the show number or the airdate
when ordering, and allow 3 to 5 weeks for delivery. VHS
copies cost $49.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling.
John McElroy, American Driver
Americans have historically been
attracted to big, rear wheel drive sedans powered by V-8 engines. But guess what?
We’re not the only ones. I was recently in Australia and found they like the same
kinds of cars that American drivers do.
[FORD FALCON -
"BIG POWER DOWN UNDER"]
John McElroy, American Driver
The Ford Falcon XR8 is a car any
enthusiast would love to drive. No, it doesn’t have anything in common with the Ford
Falcon economy car that was sold in the ‘States in the 1960’s. This one looks
fast, is fast, and sounds great! The XR8 is a rear drive, high performance version of the
Falcon developed by Tickford. That’s a company in Australia that races Falcons and
provides Ford with performance parts.
Scott Strong
“The car’s been lowered,
it’s got little bit bigger wheels and so forth. That car has been universally
embraced because it delivers that performance image and that emotional requirement.”
John McElroy, American Driver
Any car made in Australia has to be
built like a tank. Aussies like to know they can take their car into the outback where the
roads are rough, and help may be a long way off. So car companies put their cars through a
terrible pounding to make sure they’re up to the task.
Yet, if they were that worried about
rough roads, they could always buy a truck. What attracts Australians to cars like the
Falcon XR8 is more than just being tough.
Scott Strong,
“The muscle car mentality. The
love of power and performance and the ability to still achieve that and harness that is
still very much alive in Australia.”
John McElroy, American Driver
Inside, the Falcon XR8 has a cockpit
like a race car. But it’s very comfortable, too. It’s trimmed out in leather and
has a killer sound system. And it’s not a temperamental car, it’s very easy to
drive on city streets. But make no mistake about it, under the hood is a 268 hp V-8. And
it gives this car plenty of get up and go!
John McElroy, American Driver
“The Falcon XR8 Tickford is the
top of the line car that Ford sells in Australia. But actually, it has a whole range of
Falcons, one for just about anybody.”
John McElroy, American Driver
They have the Falcon Futura, and the
Falcon Forte, and other versions like the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia. No doubt many of you
will remember those names from the past. Again, these cars have nothing to do with the
ones we used to see here. But there is one thing that’s very familiar about the
Australian car market, the battle between Ford and GM, though in Australia GM is called
Holden.
Bob Hall
“Australians are divided into 2
warring camps. On this side we have Ford, on this side we have Holden. Boom. It’s
just like Ford versus Chevy in the ‘States, only over here it’s maybe more
vehement. If you’re on the Ford side, it’s the greatest. If you’re on the
Holden side, it’s just a piece of junk.”
John McElroy, American Driver
Much like American drivers, the
Aussies are into cars with expressive styling. And the Falcon XR8 Tickford definitely
delivers the kind of looks that turns heads.
John McElroy, American Driver
But, nothing…and I mean NOTHING
turns heads more than this next group of cars your about to see. These are not fancy restored
cars…they’re not souped up or slammed up…and none of them have custom paint
jobs. These cars belong in a category of
their own…they’re called Art Cars. Take
a look.
[ART CAR PACKAGE - "ART ON WHEELS"]
John McElroy, American Driver
Art cars is the name given to cars
where artists take an old junky car, scrounge whatever materials they have at hand, and
use their imaginations to come up with wild and wacky designs. They have a real passion for the cars they create. But unlike other car enthusiasts, they don’t
have a lot of money invested in their vehicles.
Tim
Burke, Artist
“Some of them I found in the
trash. I go trash picking.”
Andy
Sirotnyak, Artist
“I don’t have tools or the
money to restore a car. I’d like to do that, but it’s not financially
feasible.”
John McElroy, American Driver
To create an art car, all you have to
have is a good imagination and access to cheap materials.
Any kind of car will do, whether it’s an old BMW 2002, a 1975 AMC Matador, or
a 1972 Dodge Charger. The artists who make
them just glue different kinds things to their cars, and they love the kind of reaction
they get from people on the street.
Alan
Bolle, Artist
“People who never even talk to
each other in their common-day walk around the neighborhood will come up and debate the
validity of this car. They’ll look at the car like, “What is this? Is this
art?” “Oh no, it’s a bunch of junk.” And it goes on and on. These
people who never talk to each other will have these interactive discussions.”
Patrick
Kehoe, Artist
“Pull up to a traffic light and
even the sourest individual would look over at you and laugh. Some of them were laughing
at you, some were laughing with you. But whatever the case is, they’re
laughing.” Of course, whenever you take
an art car out on the road, it’s going to create something of a sensation. People are not just going to point and laugh,
they’re going to want to get close. And sometimes that can pose something of a
danger.
Dave
Major, Artist
“And a guy behind me pulled up
right beside me and was looking at this and another car was coming in the other direction
and he ran that car in the ditch.”
John McElroy, American Driver
The
artists use almost any resource at hand to make their art cars. They have springs,
and they use toys, and they use CDs and records,
and tiles, and just about anything else you can think of. In fact, the weirder the better.
Gerriann
Siwek, Artist
“This is real Elvis hair collected
by Lilly Mae Ludlow, Elvis’s housekeeper. She worked for Elvis at the Graceland
mansion for 11 years. And while she worked there she secretly collected Elvis’s hair
from his combs, brushes and sink drain.” You
don’t have to be a Rembrandt or a Remington to make an art car. It almost seems like anyone can be an artist, no
matter what kind of work they do.
Gerriann Siwek, Artist
“I used to do installations,
window installations.” So if you have an
old clunker that’s rusting out in your backyard, and if you think you’ve got
something of an artistic bent, maybe you could be on your way towards creating your own
art car. All you have to do is start
scrounging for some materials, and maybe do a little garbage picking.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
John, where on earth
did you see all those cars?
John McElroy, American Driver
At the Automotive
Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, right next to the Henry Ford Museum. And there’s
a big meet every year in Houston.
John McElroy, American Driver
Well, it
isn’t quite as funky as the cars you just saw, but the all-new Honda Insight is
turning its share of heads. Coming up next,
we’ll introduce you to the vehicle and tell you what fellow consumers think.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
And, have
you ever taken an up-close look at the antenna on your car?
Do you wonder why some are smooth and others appear to be twisted or wrapped? We’ll solve the mystery of the antenna a
little later in the show.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
It’s cute as a button…at least that’s what the consumers we talked to had
to say. In fact, almost everyone we showed
the all-new Honda Insight to, said, they thought it looked great. But, when it comes to this vehicle, it’s not
the looks that should be getting your attention, it’s the fact that it can travel as
many as 70 miles on one gallon of gas!
[Honda Insight - Quite Insightful!]
Laurel Hess, American Driver
It comes in
a cute little aluminum frame…the rear wheels have darling little covers over
them…and sticking out of the roof? A
teeny-weenie antenna that looks like it belongs on the top of a Teletubbie’s
head…or, at least, in a space age movie…those were some of the comments we got
while driving the Honda Insight!
Wendy Wiegand, Loves Honda Insight
“That it was cute as a
button…very futuristic and kind of space age. And,
I like how the back wheel is half covered. It
already draws your attention to it.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
It’s
true!…you can’t help but pay attention to this all-new hybrid vehicle by Honda. Half gasoline and half electric, the fuel economy
is incredible. In one week of normal driving,
I averaged 52 miles-per-gallon…and Honda engineers say, under perfect conditions, the
car can get 70 miles to the gallon. That’s
enough to turn anyone’s head!
Wendy Wiegand, Loves Honda Insight
“I feel that within a short time,
the amount of money that you are going to save on gas, with it going up and down, you are
going to pay for the car within itself.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
The Insight
actually comes equipped with a 1.0 liter three-cylinder engine…and an electric motor
that assists. Estimated annual fuel cost for
the Insight is low…just $277, with gas prices at an average of $1.40 a gallon. The car itself is not all that expensive. Invoice is close to $16-thousand. The MSRP is closer to $19, which means you can
expect to pay somewhere in between. For that
money, you get a little two-seater hatchback…with a reasonable amount of room. After-all, a fairly large battery takes up a lot
of space. The
Honda Insight competes with the Toyota Prius, the VW Beetle Diesel, and the Honda Civic
HX. It’s available only as a five-speed
manual…which, according to Wendy Wiegand, is the only drawback. She can’t drive a stick.
Wendy Wiegand, Loves Honda Insight
“But, it’s so cute and
it’s so different, I’m willing to learn.”
Laurel Hess
“And not only is the Honda Insight only available
as a stick shift, it’s not even an easy stick shift.
In fact, that was my number one complaint about this car…shifting gears was
actually difficult and jerky…not nice and smooth like you’d expect from a
Honda.”
Laurel Hess, American Driver
But,
otherwise, I too, thought the car was kind-of cute…and it drove pretty good for a
vehicle with such advanced technology. And,
while I won’t be buying one anytime soon, I know someone who will be!
Laurel Hess, American Driver
Whether or
not the Insight is for you, it really is a remarkable car…and while the competition
is scrambling to bring their hybrids to market, I bet Honda will sell every last one that
they can produce.
John McElroy, American Driver
OK…Every day we all pretty much
get in a car and drive it. But do you have your seat properly adjusted, and are your hands
properly positioned on the steering wheel? You probably think it is and they are. But just
in case you’re not sure, here’s what the experts suggest.
[Driving Tips]
John McElroy, American Driver
If you follow those simple steps,
you’re sure to be much more comfortable in your car. Stay with us. We’ll be right back.
[BREAK #4]
[Why'd They Do That? - Car Antennas]
John McElroy, American Driver
And, finally tonight, in a segment we
like to call “Why’d they do that, I’m going to attempt to explain why all
car antennas are not alike. While many
antennas are smooth, have you ever noticed how some others look like they have a wire
wrapped around them, or have a spiral groove in them? You know what that’s for?
It’s to cut down on wind noise and vibration. That spiral shape actually helps the
antenna slice through the wind more easily, so it’s quieter. When an antenna is
mounted on the front fender, as the wind comes off it, that noise is actually directed
right at the driver. These spiral-type antennas direct the noise off to the side of the
car. And you know how automotive engineers test these antennas to see how quiet they are?
They go outside and swish them around like swords!
Laurel Hess, American Driver
That sounds highly scientific! John, what about antennas that are integrated
right into the rear window of cars? That
seems like such a great idea, why aren’t all antennas like that?
John McElroy, American Driver
The simple answer, Laurel, is that
it’s a little more expensive to do that.
Laurel Hess, American Driver
And, my experience has been, you
don’t get quite as good of reception with an integrated antenna. Well, that’s all the time we have for this
edition of American Driver. Thanks for
joining us. We‘ll see you again next
time. |
