Autoblog

click above to view more high-res live shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

One bit of news we passed over on the way out the door of COBO Hall on Tuesday was the winners of this year's EyesOn Design Awards at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. There are four awards given away each year, including Best Concept and Production Car and Best Concept and Production Truck. Cadillac sweeped the car side of things with the CTS-V being honored as Best Production Car and the CTS Coupe Concept named as the Best Concept Car. The BMW X6, meanwhile, was named Best Production Truck and the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept nabbed the Best Concept Truck award.

The EyesOn Design awards are sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Opthamology and judged by a panel of automotive designers including ex-VP of Design for GM Wayne Cherry, Chrysler's Senior VP of Design Trevor Creed, the renowned Henrik Fisker, GM's VP of Global Design Ed Welburn and Mazda's Franz von Holzhausen.

More after the jump.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

click above for more high-res images of the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept

One of three Pentastar concepts powered by some combination of cutting-edge technology, the Chrysler ecoVoyager continues the automaker's fascination with art-deco by resurrecting the Stout Scarab. Doing away with a conventional powertrain and installing a 45kW fuel cell allows the 268-horsepower electric motor to spin the wheels for 300 miles before refueling. The Li-Ion batteries give the concept a theoretical range of 40 miles before the fuel cell is called upon, and regenerative braking recovers some energy for the batteries, too.

The skateboard nature of the chassis and power systems allows for a very roomy cabin and low center of gravity, which aids handling. Weighing in at a modest 2,750 pounds, the ecoVoyager doesn't have a problem performing like the cars we know and love, either. 0-60 is dispatched in 8.8 seconds, and Chrysler's claiming a 12.9 second quarter mile, which we find astounding to the point of disbelief. A 13-second quarter mile seems too fleet, even for the eyeball-flattening torque delivery of electric motors. Nuts and bolts aside, Chrysler outfitted the ecoVoyager's interior to keep occupants connected, entertained, fed and watered. There's even dual strips of sunroof that don't look at all like toaster slots. The goal was to create the earth-bound experience that a Gulfstream jet offers in the air. The powertrain of the ecoVoyager certainly outpaces the mere jet-age ideas of a G5.

click above image for more views of the Chrysler evoVoyager Concept

Chrysler has released sketches today of three eco-minded concepts it will be unveiling at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January, and the first we'll tell you about is the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept. The ecoVoyager Concept appears to be a series hybrid, much like the Chevy Volt or Ford Airstream Concept, that uses a lithium-ion battery pack for jaunts of 40 miles or less and a hydrogen fuel-cell range extender to reach distances up to 300 miles away. Power is expected to be in the range of 200 kW total, which Chrysler claims is good for reach 60 mph in around eight seconds. The exterior features an extreme cab forward design creating an arch profile with flowing character lines coming from the front and back that intersect on the sides. The interior design is described as being like a luxury jet, though no images of the concept's innards have been released yet. We'll have to wait until we meet the ecoVoyager Concept in person come January to tell you more, but for now gaze upon Chrysler's first of three concepts that's slated for introduction on the biggest stage of the year.

[Source: Chrysler]