Glimpse of future in
Chrysier’s concepts

Fram page 24

The toy-like. bright yellow
Expresso looks like no other con-
cept car, but its 2.0-litre SOHC
engine, three-speed automatic
transmission and front-wheel-drive
set-up are derived from the 1994
Neon sedan.

The Expresso was designed to
offer maximum interior space with-
out sacrificing ride and handling.
Chrysier calls this bubbly concept
cara “family taxi.”

- “We wanted ta make Expresso
unforgettable,” says Neil Walling.
Director of Advanced and
international Design at Chrysler.

With big, round side-windows.
oval door-handles and a tall
roofline, the Expresso is anything
but a normal-looking sedan.

itis about 60 cm (24 in.) shorter
than the Neon but close to 40 cm
(1S in.) higher than its production
counterpart, giving it an unusually
tall interior cabin. This design
allowed engincers to put high-chair
seatings inside the Expresso, with
an airline-standard underseat stor-
age area.

The vehicle is equipped with
features not found in your average
taxi: entertainment centre with li-
quid crystal display; satellite navi-
gational system: and speciaily
designed “sightseeing windows.”

AVIAT

What do you get when you com-
bine a F-16 jet-fighter aid the sen-
sible Neon compact car?

The Chrysler Aviat, of course.

Unlike the Expresso —- whose
charming looks seem to have some
connection with the Neon — the
Aviat looks entirely different from
the Neon production car on which
the Aviat’s design is actually based.

“The Aviat began by examining

aerodynamic technology and apply-”

ing it to automobiles,” says
Walling.

The result is a somewhat odd-
shaped vehicle that starts with ordi-
nary looks at the front and ends at
the rear with an extremely wide.
aggressive stance.

TF ARNOT Ty
¥ ‘f ae Cin

"YOUR AUTO PARTS SPECIALIST 7
2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER

1425 Main Street
North Vancouver, B.C.
$80-6531 * 980-4508

ae NORTH SHORE PARTS &
SS OX INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES IS NOW...

ud (o Auto Parts Plus

The rear wheels are actually
extended away from the body, with
huge air scoups “bridging” the
wheels to the body. The large
scoops allow air to flow to the rear
of the vehicle, reducing air drag.
From the rear. the Aviat resembles
the back of a jet-turbiae engine.

“When air is spread apart at the
front of the car, the more gently
you bring it back tagether in the
back of the car, the more slippery
the car will be.” explains Walling.

Based on the 3/8th scale model
tested at the Chrysler Technology
Centre, the Aviat measured a very
low drag coefficient of only 0.20 —
a far cry from today’s automobiles
that typically measure in the 0.30
range.

The Aviat is powered by a dual
overhead cam version of today’s
Neon engine.

DODGE VENOM

The Dodge Venom was
designed to bring back memories of
such tegendary muscle cars as the
Dodge Challenger and Plymouth
Barracuda. As a matter of fact, the
Venom's rear end — with round
taillights — is a direct descendant
of the Challenger/Barracuda rear
design.

At the front, the Venom borrows
its handle-bar grille from the old
Coronet car and the aggressive side
scoops are reminiscent of today's
mammoth Dodge Viper.

The muscular Venom is driven
by a powerful 245-horsepower 3.5-
litre V6 engine via rear wheels,
with the shifting managed through
a six-speed manua{ transmission.
The real Neon, in comparison, isa
front-wheel-drive sedan with a
four-cylinder engine and five-speed
manual.

Because of the Venom's rela-
tively tight body. itis capable of
ner forming like the muscle cars of
the "60s despite the lack of a
torquey V8 powerplant.

With a cab-forward style and
efficiently designed interior, the
Venom offers a level of room and
comfort not found in a typical mus-
cle car.

model #M2BS54AA

lease for

DANY SE

oH.

model #UABY74AC

lease for

SACO

Siete
Buys

5

1305 Welch Street
North Vancouver, B.C.
: 985-1113

‘COLLISION SPECIALISTS |

Our

36th Year

1.C.B.C. - B.C.A.A. - A.RA.

APPROVED CENTRE

model #D4DP54AA

lease for

48m0. $1700 down O0.A.C.

‘$4 CRONOS 626

model #F40S4AA

REGENCY

(NORTHSHORE) MAZDA
700 block, Marine Dr. North Vancouver

POS RTa aaa!

987-4458

REE COURTESY CARS

FOR COLLISION REPAIRS

“LUFETIME GUARANTEE”
AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR

ee DON TAYLOR * Estimates,Consultation x
high tech equipped shop 985-7455