Concept autos not part of the distant future
By Jim Mateja and Rick Popely
CHICAGO -- People laughed when in-car movies and games, remote-engine start and console beverage coolers popped up in concept cars.
It's the carmakers that are laughing -- to the bank -- now that these "gimmicks" are popular features that are widely available.
Concepts are test beds to gauge consumer reaction to everything from technology to the entire car.
"The new Beetle never would have gotten approved for production if it hadn't gotten rave reviews at the (Detroit) show from the public and the press, which stopped in its tracks when they saw it," said Jim Hossack, vice president of AutoPacific, an automotive research and consulting firm. "That message quickly got back to Volkswagen that people thought it was cool and wanted VW to build it."
This year's sure bets are the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, updated tributes to the muscle car.
But not to be underestimated is the Nissan Urge, which takes mobile video entertainment a step farther.
"If we had a concept on the turntable that was cute, people would look and move on," said Nissan spokesman Tim Gallagher. "But when you add features and layer in some innovation to make it stand out, they might stop and look."
The Urge, you see, converts to an xBox 360 video game system at the flip of a 7-inch screen. The driver uses the steering wheel and gas/brake pedals as joysticks to play games -- when parked, of course.
"Are xBox video games realistic to add to a car? Who's to say," said Gallagher, noting that the electronics are meant to attract youth so Nissan can gauge interest in a more affordable roadster companion to its Z sports car.
Despite the video magic of Urge, automakers insist they seldom play games with the public.
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Source: The Shreveport Times
By Jim Mateja and Rick Popely
Knight Ridder Tribune News
February 17, 2006
