Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here. I was looking at some of the newsfeeds and things coming in from the Detroit Auto Show, otherwise known as the North American International Auto Show, and was rather astounded one piece in particular. It just goes to show you that Detroit clearly still just doesn’t “get” it. Hit the jump for more!

The piece I mentioned earlier was actually an article on Road and Track’s website titled “Concepts that Shook Detroit”. While in and of itself a fairly predictable article to write, incredible new concepts unveiled every year; there was an elephant in the room. The concepts all displayed “green” attributes and prowess, utilizing hydrogen, electric, hybrid, and clean diesel engines coupled to futuristic and aerodynamic chassis’. What’s the big deal then? Not a single car was a domestic.

It seems that the concepts that shook Detroit are the same kinds of cars that apparently Detroit is unable, or unwilling, to build. Like the movie groundhog day, the Big Three seem to be stuck in a stubborn time warp, simply refusing to accept that the days of gas guzzling SUV’s are over. The Volt? Glaringly absent. The Converj? Didn’t make the list. All the cars were European. From the Mercedes concept Blue Zero to the VW Bluesport and Volvo S60, all the earth shakers and movers in the Big Three’s backyard were eco friendly European cars, and it has clearly left Detroit looking like they’re incapable of playing with the big boys. Honda has the FCX Clarity, and Toyota has the new Prius. What do the Big Three have? Nothing except empty promises. Even when the Volt hits the streets, it’s going to be laughably more expensive and less practical than a comparable Green Asian or European car– and it wont be nearly as plush. The fact remains- Detroit seems to be almost a decade or more behind other automakers in terms of eco friendly cars, encompassing efficiency, quality, and tooling.

Was the bailout money well spent? I guess it all depends on if Detroit learns anything from this final slap in the face on its own turf. Dr. VW- out.