Upcoming New Car Changes

How do you make Motor Trend's '99 Car of the Year, the Chrysler 300M, even better? How about adding some even slicker interior and exterior design items-and about 50 more horsepower? An interesting premise, you say? So did we when Tom Gale, DaimlerChrysler's executive vice president for Chrysler product development, design, and passenger-car operations, privately unveiled this stunning one-off to a press gathering in conjunction with the recent Monterey Historic Races.

Wearing a gleaming coat of dark-blue paint with argent lower body cladding, fitted with aggressive 18-inch wheels, bolstered by stiffer springs and tauter shocks, and sporting a 300-horsepower version of the firm's all-aluminum 3.5-liter DOHC V-6, this low-slung 300M "Special" concept is a very possible "what if."

"The key to developing the 300M Special was to create additional horsepower using bolt-on components," said Gale. "We found the power using good old hot-rod details with some software changes."

Specific powertrain tweaks include a slight bump in compression, an Extrude Honed intake manifold, freer-flowing exhaust system, aggressive camshaft timing, higher-capacity fuel-delivery system, lower-restriction dual exhausts, recalibrated engine control module, shorter 3.89:1 axle ratio, and an oil cooler for the transaxle.

To slow this super sedan down, the project team installed giant 13.0-inch cross-drilled rotors up front squeezed by four-piston calipers. Massive 12.9-inch rotors do a similar job on the rear wheels. Unfortunately, all this was just a tease, as no one was permitted a drive.

Chief among the numerous tasteful interior improvements are the real wood pieces in place of the current faux walnut onlays and supple suede-like leather applied to the 300M's already cushy seating surfaces.

Just how serious is Chrysler about turning its latest dream machine into reality? "We currently have no production plans to build this car, but then we always tell you guys that," said a smiling Gale. -Jack Keebler

2001 Honda CivicDue for a generational makeover next year, this lightly disguised 2001 Honda Civic was recently captured while hot-weather testing in the California desert. A bit larger inside and out, with slicker sheetmetal and a slightly more aggressive character, even this early prototype clearly shows that the upcoming entry-level Honda will have a stronger visual presence than the car it replaces. Expect to see similar upgrades in the powertrain department, as well, where the 1.6-liter four is to get a bump in displacement to 1.8 liters somewhere early in the model cycle. The transformation should make the firm's perennially popular Civic line an even stronger player in an ever-more competitive arena that now includes Ford's capable new Focus.

2001 Acura ClAlthough a number of details are still being finalized, Acura has released this official factory rendering of its new CL coupe, which goes on sale early next year. Historically tight-lipped about future products, Acura execs recently allowed us limited access to a lightly camouflaged prototype. Despite providing a very limited amount of hard information, we were able to glean a few pertinent facts about this personal luxo two-door.

Based on a "world platform" and to be built at the Ohio plant, the new CL shares its common basic architecture with the Accord Coupe and its powertrain with Acura's TL sedan. Standard engine will be the 3.2-liter/225-horsepower SOHC V-6, but a more potent, VTEC-ized variant of about 250 horses also is in the cards. Both will be mated to one of the firm's five-speed SportShift automatic transmissions.

At each corner, this CL mule wore Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 215/50VR17 tires on split-spoke cast-alloy wheels, behind which lurked large disc brakes. To the rear, dual exhaust tips poked out beyond the lower apron. Suspension is reportedly more aggressively tuned than the TL, offering enhanced handling abilities.