Wednesday was day one for the Media Preview portion of the 2002 New York International Auto Show. As you already know, Honda took the wraps off the Element (formerly known as "Model-X") and the production version of the Pilot. I took numerous photos and shot some video clips and we are in the process of sifting through the photos and cleaning them up for general consumption. Any video footage deemed worthy of posting will be posted some time after this weekend.

A few non-Honda vehicles that I thought were noteworthy were the Infiniti G35 (260hp V6, RWD, 6-speed, 4 door, sport tuned suspension, under $35k, useable back seat, need I say more?? The G35 is everything I was hoping for the Altezza/IS300 to be, and a bit more). Mazda appears to have a trio of winners on its hands with the new "6" sedans and wagon. All 3 boast of sporty styling and very well done interiors. Of course the 350Z and RX-8 are also impressive, but they get all the press, and I'm not in need of another sports car at the moment. BMW showed a decent looking convertible concept, but I'm not sure why - they already have the 3-series, the Z3 and Z8. The concept looked similar to the 3-series, with 7-series-esque headlight, but perhaps it's a bit smaller than the 3-.

As with the shows that preceded New York this season, the buzz at the moment seems to be centered around the cross-over/tall-wagon (oft referred to as "segment busters") concept. I thought the Chrysler Pacifica was a pretty neat idea, and pretty well executed until I realized how much real estate one of those suckers occupies (it's every bit as large as a long wheelbase Chrysler minivan(!), and a full 10" longer than the Acura MDX). By that criteria, the space efficiency seems a bit lacking. Everybody seemed to have their take on that concept, and they all looked enough alike that you could swap badges between 5 different makes and never know the difference.

The Pontiac Solstice is a pretty impressive little piece - especially if it hits the road with the same specs, pricing, and styling.

Toyota had a pretty big shindig with their Scion launch and were showing off their bbx and coupe concept studies. The bbx was essentially a rolling test bed for Pioneer mobile AV products. It's a certainty for production. I'm not sure why the coupe concept was shown, because it seems like it's quite unlikely to see production. And the concept itself seemed rather pointless, so I left 2 Red Bulls richer, but not sure about the whole idea of this Scion brand, or whether these 2-box shaggin' wagons will really strike a chord with America's youth, in the manner that all the marketing types think they will.

I have more comments to make but will have to update this news item later.

Tom Elliott Introduces the 2003 Honda Pilot	Much of the Honda Element's exterior is composed of thermoplastics.	The Alpine electronics in the Element show car will not make it to production models
The cockpit of the Element borrows heavily from the 2002 CR-V	Honda Element interior	Honda Element interior
Honda Element interior		Due to tight legroom, the third row seat of the Pilot is not really suitable for adults.
This shot of the door panel tells part of the story of how Honda can sell a Pilot for so much less than an MD-X.	The Pilot's center console provides a holster for your piece. Given your piece is a cell phone or 2-way.	Honda Pilot cargo wall
Multilink rear suspension of Honda Pilot.	BMW's 1-series convertible concept (CS1)	BMW's 1-series convertible concept (CS1), and a dapper fellow in the background.
"Wow, check out the highbeams on that one!"	The 3-series' restyled headlamps	Nissan 350Z sporting Brembos
A Mini wearing the Stars and Bars on its roof	Cien. This ain't your grandma's podiatrist's Caddy	Dodge Razor. Dodge served lunch to the media on Wednesday, but they took the food away while I was still waiting in line to get my first plate. The Razor might be cool for $14k though.
On the 6	Obligatory pic of a Mazda RX-8	Under the hood of an Infiniti G35 Sedan

Last edited by JeffX on July 05, 2002 21:53