Raising or dropping the fully lined fabric convertible top is a one-finger affair initiated by pushing a single button on the center console, automatically locking/unlocking the windshield header latches. The concept's suspension is MacPherson struts in front and an aluminum five-link coil-over-shock rear setup; its huge 14-inch ventilated discs (probably too big for actual production, due to cost) are squeezed by powerful four-piston calipers.
Adding more spice to the 300 C production discussion are some top Chrysler insiders who say the company is looking hard at rear drive for its future luxury models. In fact, a high-level Chrysler engineer and an executive designer described to us the "parts-bin engineering" for the Hemi C that taps into sibling Mercedes-Benz for some of the car's rear-drive hardware.
As for our initial observation about a C5 Corvette being one of the styling inspirations for the Hemi C, we won't apologize. Dehner revealed that design chief Gale asked to have the ports in the front fenders scaled back from the original ones to be "more in keeping with the refined, upscale nature of this car." But then again, maybe they just made it look a bit too much like a Vette, particularly when viewed from the rear three-quarter perspective. Whatever, and from wherever it came, it's drop-dead, drop-top gorgeous.
Chrysler officials say the car would be capable of 160 mph and a 0-60-mph sprint of 5.9 seconds. The plan is to let us drive the 300 Hemi C soon. We'll let you know.-Jack Keebler
Toyota CelicaConvertible ConceptAccording to the official word, Toyota has no immediate plans to introduce this drop-top version of its sporty new Celica any time in the immediate future. But that could quickly change with the right public response.
Based on a standard GT-S liftback, this handsome one-off was styled at Toyota's Calty Design Research facility in Newport Beach, California, with co-input from the Toyota Motor Sales USA product-planning department. The job of turning concept to reality was placed in the capable hands of those veteran concept-car craftsmen at Metalcrafters.
Stage one in the transformation process involved a deft slice-and-dice to remove the Celica's roof structure and liftgate. These bits were replaced with a softtop assembly that tucks neatly away beneath a special hard tonneau cover penned to mimic the lines of a Celica Coupe. The changeover also entailed a relocation of the high-mount stoplamp from the trailing edge of the back glass into the decklid proper.
Inside, Team Toyota added a number of distinctive touches meant to endow the car with a more aggressive yet sophisticated character. Front buckets are covered in a tri-color combination of blue and gray ultrasuede accented with gray-blue leather, while the rear bench gets a similarly color-keyed leather and cloth matchup. The center console also carries an inset panel matched to the car's exterior paint.
Toyota plans to closely monitor the Celica Convertible's appearances at car shows with an eye to gauging potential buyer interest. So, let them know what you think.
Because it's still very much a concept, no pricing of a production car is being discussed, but our guess is somewhere in the $25,000-$27,000 range. We say, "build it!"-Bob Nagy
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