While we should all be thankful that they don’t build cars like they used to from a safety perspective, you have to give N2A Motors credit for channeling old school with their striking 789 custom car. N2A starts with a factory Corvette C6, then radically reworks the exterior to create the vehicle you see here. The front end is inspired by a ’57 Chevy, the middle take cues from a ’58 Chevy, and the rear section (with those lethal tailfins) pays homage to the ’59 Chevy.You can see more photos of the 789 here.

It get’s even better: Given that the crew at N2A Motors doesn’t touch the mechanicals of the Corvette donor vehicle, the official GM powertrain warranty remains in effect. The coupe weighs in at $139,500, while the convertible (shown above) starts at $144,500.

(Photo: N2A Motors)

With the flurry of new product introductions and concept vehicles being unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show this year, standing out from the crowd can take something special. I came across that something special in my first 30 minutes of walking the show floor: the Holden Efijy concept.

Developed by a team of engineers and designers at Holden (a GM subsidiary in Australia), the Efijy rides on a Corvette chassis and is powered by a supercharged 6.0 liter V8. The design screams old school, but I don’t care — this beauty is a sight to behold.

GM and Holden have already said that the Efijy would never see the light of day as a production vehicle, and that the effort was a “passionate side project” by Holden engineers who worked on the vehicle in their spare time. Despite the long list of concept vehicles unveiled in COBO Hall — from the Toyota FT-HS to the Chrysler Nassau and Ford Interceptor — I have to admit that the Efijy was my favorite concept of the show.

Funny thing about having a passion for something: it tends to produce breathtaking vehicles like this one. Here’s hoping that the obvious talent of these Holden designers and engineers is put to good use with the new 2009 Chevy Camaro, which is being developed on a Holden-engineered RWD platform. – [Jeff James]

Kevin Smith (and photographer Marc Urbano) over at Edmunds Inside Line have an excellent write-up on the reaction they received when cruising some SoCal hot rod hangouts in the Dodge Challenger Concept car. The vehicle is still in concept form — note Smith’s remarks about the excessive tire size and other iffy elements — but the public reaction to the car was very favorable.

While we all wait to see if the higher-ups at DaimlerChrysler will finally give the car a public green light for production, be sure to check out Kevin’s article, Marc’s photos and a must-see video clip. (Source: Edmunds Inside Line, Marc Urbano post header photo) – [Jeff James]