Detroit sushi - Chinese Fish come to Motor City

Few media attendees seemed to venture downstairs at the Detroit auto show. No surprise, as all the major automakers' press conferences were on the second floor and the escalator down is rather hidden. Those that didn't follow Alice down the rabbit hole, however, may have missed all the fun.

Smack in the middle of the basement floor were three tiny Chinese electric cars that looked like they walked right off the screen of a Pixar animated film, or were maybe inspired by a classic Flintstones cartoon. The three little yellow bubbles, each perched on four miniature-looking aluminum wheels were made by the Beijing Li Shi Guang Ming Automobile Design Company, Ltd., a firm whose name would make a for a rather long trunk badge. (BLSGMADC Ltd.  seeks business partners, rather than immediate consumer sales.)

My favorite was the Detroit Fish, an amphibious four-seater that looked like a cross between the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and a Disney World parking lot tram. The electric-powered  Detroit Fish has a claimed top speed of 27 mph on land and "not so fast in the water," according to a spokeswoman on the stand. The company claims a range of 93 miles (on land) using the car's lead-acid batteries. In China it costs $5,800 U.S., or you can get lithium-ion batteries for an extra $3,400.

Despite their airy names, the other models are not amphibious. The "A Piece of Cloud," looks almost like a two-seat version of the Detroit Fish for $3,800.

The "Book of Songs" costs $5,200, and it includes side doors that almost close. Plus a hood. Despite the cartoony appearance, we're told the name "Book of Songs" is a revered designation in Chinese culture.

I looked for a hole in the floor of the car to put my feet through to run the car up to speed, Flintstones style. But all I found was a big lump in the rubber floor mat. What the cars lack in quality and performance, they'd make up for in creativity and attention getting pizzazz. If only they hadn't been hidden downstairs.

—Eric Evarts

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