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"            Paul Fr\u00E8re, our European Editor for many years, is the smartest, most experienced automotive expert I know. So, it&amp;#039;s no wonder he came into my mind as I stood with other invited guests in the Detroit Opera House for the unveiling of the Cadillac Sixteen show car. There it was, a beautifully designed luxury car of impressive size, with an astounding 1000-bhp V-16 engine. A stunning display on the eve of the North American International Auto Show, and one that was certain to garner huge attention for General Motors. But Paul Fr\u00E8re&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;&amp;quot; column in our November 2002 issue rose to the forefront of my mind.   You may recall that Paul wrote about the power race among manufacturers, with more and more cars boasting engines rated at 400 to 500 bhp. Now, knowing Paul successfully raced in everything from Formula 1 to Le Mans to the Mille Miglia, we can all be assured that power is something he appreciates. But, as he wrote, &amp;quot;What I am talking about is the waste of a non-renewable source of energy and an insult to reasonable ecologists and common sense.&amp;quot;   We used to say around the R&amp;amp;amp;T offices that any car with 250 to 300 bhp would be highly welcome; and if you ever got a chance to drive a 400-bhp car, it would knock your socks off. In the past couple of years I&amp;#039;ve been in a couple of street-legal cars that boasted more than 600 bhp, so I guess the 1000-bhp show engine was to be expected. Fortunately, I think, there is little chance it will make production, at least not in a car or small truck. It might be a honey of a boat engine, however.   A day or so later at the Detroit auto show in Cobo Hall, Chrysler unveiled amid much hoopla the Tomahawk motorcycle concept, fitted with a 500-bhp engine. The claim is this bike will do 400 mph, I guess, but who&amp;#039;s going to prove it? Anyway, it&amp;#039;s a stunning piece of motorized sculpture and it drew a lot of attention, which was its purpose in the first place.   We could argue ideal horsepower figures forever, just like the current difference of opinion about sport-utility vehicles and wasting fuel, or the dangers of talking on the phone while driving. But the great thing about being a car enthusiast in America is we each have the freedom to drive what we want to and can afford. And that&amp;#039;s sure fine with me. But please, hang up the damn cell phone and drive the car.   Wandering around the show in Detroit was really a pleasure this year. A fascinating array of sports cars, exotic cars and concepts were on display, mixed in with all the sport utes and pickup trucks that make up such a large portion of current sales in America. One of my favorites was the Bentley GT Coup\u00E9. energetic and affable public affairs director, John Crawford, gave us an in-depth tour of the car, and promised that we would be driving it soon. I look forward to that opportunity very much, as I long to spend more time inside the Bentley. This is an interior that speaks to my heart, with the richest, smoothest leather, the most sumptuous carpeting beneath your feet, and a beautiful array of gauges and instruments. The English just do this sort of design so well, and none is better than this exciting new Bentley&amp;#039;s interior.   Not far from the Bentley stand was the show area and on the edge of it was the Kubang, a sport-utility-looking vehicle. Our Detroit Editor Matt DeLorenzo and I thought it looked a little too much like a truck, and we were pleased to hear similar comments from Ferrari/Maserati Group President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. He told us that if it goes into production, it would be much more like an executive-style high-performance wagon, closer to the ground, not so tall and much sleeker. Good news, indeed, as far as we&amp;#039;re concerned.   Matt and I also were fortunate to gain a complete rundown on the concept car from chief stylist Henrik Fisker. The car is about the size of a Porsche 911 and has a number of thoroughly modern styling treatments. Yet it clearly carries the heritage of Aston Martin in its design. Unfortunately, it seems we have to wait until 2005 to drive one.   I flew out of Detroit headed for Seattle to resume my winter vacation on Bainbridge Island, with lots of impressions of exciting new cars filling my head. And I also carried memories of good conversations with a wide variety of industry executives. To a person, they all seemed energized and excited about what was on their show stands, what others were doing, and how healthy the future of the automotive industry appeared. The time spent there was as refreshing and invigorating as the Michigan winter weather. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a9480/how-many-horses-are-enough/>