Chrysler, Ford show off concept vehicles

DETROIT -- Steel or silicon? Those were the two flavors of concept vehicles unveiled Sunday by Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler AG.

Ford's trio of boxy concept vehicles -- called 24-7, as in 24 hours, 7 days a week, and inspired by Apple Computer's popular iMacs -- aim to merge experimental technologies. Chrysler's four concepts were much closer to today's cars and trucks, sporting bulging sheetmetal and powerful prototype engines.

The 24-7 wagon, coupe and pickup look like smooth, brightly painted pods, more like the exterior of the egg-shaped, fruity-colored iMac than a car. All feature a wide video projection screen in the dash where the gauges and other controls should be. The dash can be configured just like the desktop of a computer, with different backgrounds and gauges.

Voice controls operate everything from the radio to Internet access and videophone. A hatchback on the coup lifts to reveal a projection screen for showing movies to a tailgating audience.

Ford design chief J Mays said the cars were meant to show how technology could make the time wasted in commuting more useful. He also said the 24-7 stayed away from traditional car design because computers, not cars, had become the symbol of the age.

''We're operating in a world where you measure power in gigabytes and pipeline bursts, not horsepower,'' Mays said.

Chrysler's concept vehicles tend to get closely examined because the automaker, more than its competitors, has made past auto show toys into production models with few changes. The Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler and the Chrysler PT Cruiser going on sale this spring are three examples.

Tom Gale, Chrysler's chief of design, said this year's class was less outlandish and more realistic than years past

''It's a very pragmatic look at what we would do to blur the edges between our concepts and production,'' he said.

The best candidate for production appears to be the Chrysler Hemi 300 C convertible, which resurrects the Hemi named used on the company's high-output engines in the 1950s and '60s. The power-top, 4-seat convertible based on the company's 300M sedan has a 5.7 V8 with 353 horsepower driving the rear wheels.

Company officials have been considering a more expensive model for Chrysler, especially because the end of the Plymouth brand has freed up resources.

The 300 C ''begins to provide the kind of icon for Chrysler that we've been searching for,'' Gale said.

Chrysler also showed off a reworked Dodge Viper with a 500-horsepower engine; the Jeep Varsity, a futuristic sport utility vehicle; and the Dodge Maxxcab concept truck, which applies Chrysler's ''cab-forward'' look to a four-door pickup.