General Motors presented the Chevrolet SSR, a sporty roadster, at the American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday

January 10, 2000
Web posted at: 2:45 p.m. EST (1945 GMT)

From Detroit Bureau Chief Ed Garsten

DETROIT (CNN) -- Designers for major U.S. automakers are at it again, dreaming up visions of future life behind the wheel.

Ford Motor Company, General Motors and the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler AG were among the companies that unveiled their latest concept cars at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday in Michigan.

The car manufacturers hope that their works of art will translate into market hits. Besides sleek and stunning looks that catch the eye, the cars had plenty of impressive attributes on the inside.

The Chrysler Viper GTS, for example, boasts an engine with more than 500 horsepower. 'What this represents is a street legal race car," said Tom Gale of DaimlerChrysler.

VIDEO Take a look at the cars, with CNN's Ed Garsten. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

Ford's idea of the future is called 24/7, which offers drivers an Internet connection inside the vehicle.

"This is gonna offer you an alternative universe, one where you're always connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," said J. Mays of Ford.

General Motors' stock of concept vehicles includes the Chevrolet SSR, a sporty roadster that can haul cargo. So can another unlikely workhorse, the Buick Lacrosse, which through a single, voice-activated command can slide down a rear panel and convert the back into an oversize cargo carrier.

Whether the auto companies will build the dream mobiles for the consumer market remains to be seen. They like to keep their future production plans secret.

But at least one concept vehicle will definitely reach the showroom floor, a new Hummer. The new model will not look exactly like the one shown Sunday, but a new sleeker version of the Hummer will begin rolling off assembly lines in the next few years.

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