- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
This year's show runs from FEB 1-10 at the DC Convention Center.
First, I'll start off with the BIG disappointments:
1. When you walk in through the main entrance, you are greeted by a sign displaying the apology, "We're Sorry but the New C7 Corvette Will Not Be on Display." BIG let down. I talked to one of the floor guys at the Chevy booth and he said that there are only a few pre-production examples and the current display model will be shown at the Chicago Auto Show, starting FEB 7, and then the NY Auto Show.
2. The new Dodge Viper was also a no-show.
3. Tesla and Fisker were not there.
4. Ferrari and Porsche were not there. Porsche never is.
Now for a few personal highlights:
TOP FLOOR (Domestics + Toyota/Scion)
Because of the aforementioned lack of both the C7 and Viper, the upstairs area was pretty dull.
1. Chevy. Surprisingly, I think the new Chevy Impala has pretty nice lines, especially in dark blue. GM has really upped its interior game with this model.
2. Chevy. After having driven both the Cruze and Focus for various rental cars, I have become a fan of the Cruze in this segment. It's a comfortable car. The loaded maroon LTZ model looked quite nice.
3. Scion. More FR-S models on display to sit in. I am not a big guy by any means and I feel cramped in that car. I get a feeling of claustrophobia almost.
4. Ford. I sat in a loaded Fusion and tried to play with SYNC. Because of the slant of the center stack, I felt like I really had to reach for the screen. I also a feel that the touch-sensitivity technology of the screen is somewhat lacking compared to say your smartphone.
If you walk around and behind the massive Ford display area and head towards the back wall towards the bathrooms, there is an elevator you can take down to the lower level (Halls A-C). This is a much easier way!
BOTTOM FLOOR (Foreign Makes)
1. US Army. Strong presence there this year. They were demoing some pretty cool tech as well as doing a little recruiting I imagine.
2. Aston Martin/Rolls Royce. I guess because I was dressed kind of snazzy from work, the Aston rep lifted the ropes and encouraged me to come and take a look at the cars with a few other people. For some reason Astons don't do much for me in the photographs but when I see them in person I drool. The Vantage, DB9, and DBS are all so gorgeous!
I believe the most expensive car at the show is the Rolls Drophead Coupe. $510,000 for that baby!
3. Mazda. It's official. The new Mazda 6 is the best looking sedan in its segment. While the interior is a little sparse and minimalist, it works. The car definitely looks better in a lighter color (white, velocity red) than darker color (black). When the SkyActiv Diesel arrives with a 6-speed MT, sign me up!
4. VW. Hottest booth babe of the show award! She was working towards the back of their booth. Didn't get her name as she had no badge. Blond with amazing eye lashes and lips that would make Angelina Jolie jealous! She accented the latter with the most luscious pink lipstick. I would have liked to have seen more of her but she was behind the counter the entire time.
Too bad the new Golf VII was not there. I am looking forward to it. I've always been a fan of the Golf. especially the TDI version. They let me demo a Fender audio system in one of the cars and it is impressive. Very clear with no distortion at high volumes.
5. BMW. Why did they bury themselves BEHIND the Cadillac stand? Either a brilliant move by Cadillac or a dumb one by BMW. The 750Li in matte white was pretty. The highlight of their booth was the new BMW M5. I sat in it for a good ten minutes. Very decent B&O audio system but not as impressive as the VW fender system. I did get it loud enough, even with the windows closed, that one of the booth babes came over and gave me the eye to turn it down! Otherwise, the interior of the car is damn impressive, especially the lighting package. The best interior lighting package I've seen! iDrive also has come along way. Easily, the best in-car "joystick" system I played with.
The new 650i Grand Coupe also was an attention-getter. Otherwise, the BMW booth was pretty small and boring.
Jaguar. The new F-Type is gorgeous!!! No surprise.
Nissan. One black GT-R was displayed and roped off. Boring.
Lexus. One red LFA. Sweet! I like it from all angles except for the front. The side and rear profiles are awesome!
Audi. Too many white cars. All of them were white! They are all lined up too, so you can see the progression of white from A4 to A8 and S4 to S8. The silver R8 was only splash of color. People use to refer to BMW as offering the same sausage in three (3,5,7) different sizes. This is where Audi is today. I sat in an S8 and came away disappointed at the quality of interior materials, especially having sat in the M5. Heck, it kills me to say this, but the interior feel of the parts in the S8 seemed comparable to the first Chevy Imapa I sat in. Yikes!
Those are my highlights and impressions. If I don't mention a brand it's because I walked passed or through their booth without stopping. There was nothing to stop/interest me. I would say that Infiniti, Lincoln and Acura are among the fastest dying "luxury" brands if a show like that is any indicator.
Here are a few random pics:
First, I'll start off with the BIG disappointments:
1. When you walk in through the main entrance, you are greeted by a sign displaying the apology, "We're Sorry but the New C7 Corvette Will Not Be on Display." BIG let down. I talked to one of the floor guys at the Chevy booth and he said that there are only a few pre-production examples and the current display model will be shown at the Chicago Auto Show, starting FEB 7, and then the NY Auto Show.
2. The new Dodge Viper was also a no-show.
3. Tesla and Fisker were not there.
4. Ferrari and Porsche were not there. Porsche never is.
Now for a few personal highlights:
TOP FLOOR (Domestics + Toyota/Scion)
Because of the aforementioned lack of both the C7 and Viper, the upstairs area was pretty dull.
1. Chevy. Surprisingly, I think the new Chevy Impala has pretty nice lines, especially in dark blue. GM has really upped its interior game with this model.
2. Chevy. After having driven both the Cruze and Focus for various rental cars, I have become a fan of the Cruze in this segment. It's a comfortable car. The loaded maroon LTZ model looked quite nice.
3. Scion. More FR-S models on display to sit in. I am not a big guy by any means and I feel cramped in that car. I get a feeling of claustrophobia almost.
4. Ford. I sat in a loaded Fusion and tried to play with SYNC. Because of the slant of the center stack, I felt like I really had to reach for the screen. I also a feel that the touch-sensitivity technology of the screen is somewhat lacking compared to say your smartphone.
If you walk around and behind the massive Ford display area and head towards the back wall towards the bathrooms, there is an elevator you can take down to the lower level (Halls A-C). This is a much easier way!
BOTTOM FLOOR (Foreign Makes)
1. US Army. Strong presence there this year. They were demoing some pretty cool tech as well as doing a little recruiting I imagine.
2. Aston Martin/Rolls Royce. I guess because I was dressed kind of snazzy from work, the Aston rep lifted the ropes and encouraged me to come and take a look at the cars with a few other people. For some reason Astons don't do much for me in the photographs but when I see them in person I drool. The Vantage, DB9, and DBS are all so gorgeous!
I believe the most expensive car at the show is the Rolls Drophead Coupe. $510,000 for that baby!
3. Mazda. It's official. The new Mazda 6 is the best looking sedan in its segment. While the interior is a little sparse and minimalist, it works. The car definitely looks better in a lighter color (white, velocity red) than darker color (black). When the SkyActiv Diesel arrives with a 6-speed MT, sign me up!
4. VW. Hottest booth babe of the show award! She was working towards the back of their booth. Didn't get her name as she had no badge. Blond with amazing eye lashes and lips that would make Angelina Jolie jealous! She accented the latter with the most luscious pink lipstick. I would have liked to have seen more of her but she was behind the counter the entire time.
Too bad the new Golf VII was not there. I am looking forward to it. I've always been a fan of the Golf. especially the TDI version. They let me demo a Fender audio system in one of the cars and it is impressive. Very clear with no distortion at high volumes.
5. BMW. Why did they bury themselves BEHIND the Cadillac stand? Either a brilliant move by Cadillac or a dumb one by BMW. The 750Li in matte white was pretty. The highlight of their booth was the new BMW M5. I sat in it for a good ten minutes. Very decent B&O audio system but not as impressive as the VW fender system. I did get it loud enough, even with the windows closed, that one of the booth babes came over and gave me the eye to turn it down! Otherwise, the interior of the car is damn impressive, especially the lighting package. The best interior lighting package I've seen! iDrive also has come along way. Easily, the best in-car "joystick" system I played with.
The new 650i Grand Coupe also was an attention-getter. Otherwise, the BMW booth was pretty small and boring.
Jaguar. The new F-Type is gorgeous!!! No surprise.
Nissan. One black GT-R was displayed and roped off. Boring.
Lexus. One red LFA. Sweet! I like it from all angles except for the front. The side and rear profiles are awesome!
Audi. Too many white cars. All of them were white! They are all lined up too, so you can see the progression of white from A4 to A8 and S4 to S8. The silver R8 was only splash of color. People use to refer to BMW as offering the same sausage in three (3,5,7) different sizes. This is where Audi is today. I sat in an S8 and came away disappointed at the quality of interior materials, especially having sat in the M5. Heck, it kills me to say this, but the interior feel of the parts in the S8 seemed comparable to the first Chevy Imapa I sat in. Yikes!
Those are my highlights and impressions. If I don't mention a brand it's because I walked passed or through their booth without stopping. There was nothing to stop/interest me. I would say that Infiniti, Lincoln and Acura are among the fastest dying "luxury" brands if a show like that is any indicator.
Here are a few random pics:
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