- 1,579
I took the whole day off from work to go. The fact that doing so made for a nice 3-day weekend was really not on my mind. Considering that I must have walked ~8 miles that day, from 10:30AM to 7:30PM, it's not exactly a day of rest. Since I am generally not able to go to other, more interesting shows, I look forward to this one all year. I'm always disappointed, of course. The NYIAS is the forgotten stepchild of international auto shows. I'll explain more below.
When I got home, I realized I took exactly 300 photos, including 2 short videos (see end of post). The list below is not in the order I took them, but it's easier to read it this way, starting from the outdoor, "free" area, moving to the show floor, and then to the "bonus" LeMay Collection. Listed at the end of each photo are other shots taken which I can also post ("wheel" usually includes the badge, like "6.3 AMG").
Outside:
Callaway C16
A super-modified Corvette, but I'd be hard-pressed to say it's an improvement. Exclusive, but not better. <Rear, side, text.>
Checker Taxi, ~1980
For the longest time, no one believed me about the flip-down seats in the back of NY taxis. Naturally, I couldn't resist proof. These are from a small outdoor exhibit of the past & future of taxicabs. There was a much older Checker, same shots taken. Thanks to everyone messing with the cars that clearly state "DO NOT TOUCH", these were later roped off. <rear, price rates>
Fisker Tramonto
I could simply care less. Exclusive, but ugly.
Saleen S7
What? Where's the twin-turbo from last year? (Part of my "NY gets no respect" thing.) <grille>
Scion's Matchbox carrying case
Well, that's what came to mind when I saw it. Very good marketing, I'm just not part of their targeted demographic.
Spyker C8 Laviolette
Neat car. Larger than I expected, but it looked beautiful nonetheless. <side, text>
Spyker C8 Spyder
Looks even better in yellow, and the interior is just so cool. I could be happy with the looks alone, even if the car didn't go fast. <front, text>
Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris
Never thought I'd see this in person. It's presence kind of goes against my "NY is Rodney" bit. <side>
Main Show:
Acura LMP2 2008
Acura's foray into Le Mans racing. I wish them luck, but since they're really Honda, they may not need it...3 years from now. <rear, text>
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
This falls under my gripes. Where's the Prodrive coupe? Where's the Vanquish S Ultimate? Not a single bad car on display, but not what I really hoped for. <rear, interior, wheel>
Audi Auto Union toy car
If I were 3, I'd be kicking & screaming for one. Heck, I almost did it on Friday. I can't imagine how much it is, but I'd get my kid one if I could. <interior, text>
Audi R8
It really is as gorgeous as it looks in photos. And the carbon-ceramic brakes were a surprise. I thought they weren't going to be an option? <rear, engine>
Audi S5
Yes, it, too is as nice as in photos. Very well proportioned, very well detailed. A future success. <rear, wheel>
Audi S8
Total Q-car. Not even the LED lights from the S6 to help give it away. And yet it will lose sales to a regular 745i/750i. <rear, wheel>
BMW 750h
A great idea that has no support, either from marketing or from anyone else on this planet. And yet everyone should be supporting it.
Cadillac CTS
The grille is definitely not an improvement. The rest of the car might be, but the front end looks like a pissed-off hornet. The giveaway would be to show the car in yellow.... <grille, rear, side>
Cadillac STS
On the other side of Cadillac's booth, receiving far less attention, is a car that actually looks better. It's mostly unchanged, but is probably -- er, hopefully improved. <rear, side>
Chevrolet Camaro convertible concept
Tons of attention to no one's surprise. Looks good, but I'll wait for the actual execution. This isn't Chrysler we're talking about. <rear, interior>
Chevrolet Volt concept
Not entirely attractive, but the thought is nice. Too bad no one told the public that you're still burning fossil fuel to get that electricity. The power cord lying on the floor was neat, though. <front, rear, side>
Chrysler Nassau concept
I didn't stay long enough to care. It might work, it might never exist, but no US manufacturer has a great reputation when it comes to genuinely eco-friendly vehicles. <rear, side, interior>
Dodge Demon concept
My pick for Most Likely to be Manufactured. It looks good on paper, it looks good in the metal, and it's priced right. All they have to do is make it perform better than the Solstice/Sky, which really isn't hard to do. (I got there so early, they were still getting the turntable bolted together.) <rear, side>
Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe
I didn't get why they made it look like a track car, but it could hardly have looked better. And 600HP (which they failed to mention) won't hurt either. <rear, wheel>
Ferrari 599 GTB
A better booth than last year, but still kind of stand-offish. <grille>
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
A year old, and a year uglier. It was these two and a 430 Spider (which I didn't bother with). <grille>
Ford Airstream concept
The proof that a vehicle will never be made into production is in the interior. This had a tubular video display inside; it's never going to see a paved road. It could have been the future of minivans, though. Shame Ford didn't think about anything inventive to coincide with the interesting exterior. <front, rear, side>
Ford Flex
I thought this was a concept until I read the text. No one else cared much about it, either. I'd bet that it will either be renamed or totally redesigned (like the 500) inside 18 months. <rear, side>
Ford Interceptor concept
Yes. That's what we need. A gigantic 4-door to match last year's SuperChief. It looked good, but was totally irrelevant. And the hood was up the entire day (which showed off a non-working, fantasy engine), killing front shots. <rear, badge>
Ford Mustang GT500KR
Awesome looking car, but I've said my peice on this elsewhere. "Swing and a miss!" <rear, side, badge>
Honda Accord Coupe concept
The profile works, I guess, but someone has to decide on what the front is going to look like. The collage approach doesn't work. At all. <rear>
Honda S2000 CR
A nice send-off for the S2000, but it shouldn't be sent off at all. Honda should take a page from their neighbor Mazda: make the effing thing better every so often; it magically increases sales.
<rear, badge, text>
Jaguar XKR Portfolio
Beautiful, and judging by the long lines of people clamoring to get inside, I'm not the only one who thinks so. The timing couldn't be better for Jaguar, what with Aston Martin being sold off. Jaguar was the most crowded of all the Ford booths. I see good things in their future. <rear, wheel, text>
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
Amazing in orange. It visually explodes like a Lamborghini should. I only hope it performs as well, because this could really improve Lambo's image. <rear, interior, side(s), wheel>
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Coupe & Roadster
Probably the best display in the entire city was these two cars (and the girls between, who gave Audi's girls a run for the money). The pure white with the blazing lights.... It was magic. But the access was set up by a complete moron. A square U-shaped arrangement, only 30" wide on each side, and no rear exit: you had to turn around and fight your way back to the much narrower entrance! This prevented me from getting better shots, but the interiors came out well. <front, rear, interior, engine, wheel>
Lexus IS-F concept
It's okay at best, like all Lexus'. The rear exhaust is forgiveable but still silly, and the 8-speed is a mistake waiting to bite them in the butt. I guarantee that it will be the thing holding back the potential of the 400HP V8. <rear, side, text>
Lexus LF-A
This was a good concept once, back before the organic front lights and odd scoop on the rear shoulder. Lexus should hurry up and make it before it gets too ugly. <rear, side>
Lincoln MK-R
Believe it or not, I like this. It's not perfect, but it's exactly what Lincoln needs: it's own luxury car that's not based on some other Ford product. I hope they do it, and do it well. <rear, side, interior>
Maserati Gran Turismo
My pick for Best in Show. And hardly anyone noticed it. If they brought out the original silver one, it might have stood out better against the dark background, but I suppose that this proves it's already entered production? Beautiful both technically and aesthetically. More, please. <side>
Mazda Hakaze & Nagare concepts
While the chassis and technical aspects may be the Mazda of the future, the body and design kept people away in droves. It's being seen as a fantasy car, and it has no connection to anything outside of Hollywood. Mazda needs a small does of reality for this stuff. I felt the cars were somewhere between confusing and stupid. <rear, side, text>
Mercedes-Benz C350
The new C-Class. Hm. Okay, well, that's that. No one else really cared, but it will sell because so many want a cheap Mercedes. <rear>
Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
The car wasn't nearly as interesting to people as the 612HP. Honestly, I think the car is dull, and the specs are overkill. It looks like an overgrown 2008 C-Class. <rear, wheel>
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Edition
This got me interested. I think Mercedes should go just a few slight steps further down this road and try really hard to create a true sequential with McLaren. That would probably make Gordon & Co. happier, and give BMW something to worry about with that already awesome 6.2L V8. <rear, side, badge, text>
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG
If I'm not mistaken, there are more AMG S-Class models than non-AMG: S550 & S600, against S55, S63, & S65. Not that I'm complaining, I just found it odd. I think the SL has the same lineup. <rear>
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Whadda ya mean, "No 722"? Aw, geez. I tell ya, no respect -- no respect! <rear>
Mini Cooper S JCW
Second verse, same as the first. <rear>
Mitsubishi Lancer
Finally, a show without an Evo concept car. But the standard Lancer looks pretty good. It looks much better than the...uh...well, I'll get to that in a minute.
Nissan 350Z Nismo
It looks okay, but the exhaust looks more like aftermarket tips rather than a real replacement exhaust. I guess it replaces the substance from the S-Tune with image in this one. <rear, side, side>
Nissan Altima Coupe
Another underwhelmer, but slightly better than it looked in spy photos. The entire rear half is utter poop, though, especially the rear window. <rear, side>
Pontiac G8
My pick for second best of show, and it, too, received very little attention. Given Pontiac's recent lackluster showing, I can understand that, but Pontiac has to do a lot more to promote this thing. It's good, and it deserves it. <rear, grille>
Pontiac GXP.R
Um, what? Who cares? <rear, side, text>
Subaru Forester 2.5XT Sports
Actually quite nice. A small but positive step for the Forester. If only they could have brought the STI.... <rear>
Subaru Impreza Wagon
Here's where I start the vitriol: it's ugly, it's gutless, it's a design disaster. I tried to find someone who worked directly for Subaru to start yelling at them about how idiotic this thing looks. I wanted to point across the floor at Mitsubishi and rub their noses in what their missing. But no one claimed to be part of the marketing department. Probably tired of being yelled at already.
Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan
Same as above. It's god-awful, only made worse by the econobox upward-sweeping swage line, making the car look completely under-wheeled and totally front-wheel-drive. The rear looks like a base-level Saturn Ion! I almost punched it's face.
Subaru Tribeca
What kept me from having a stroke is this car. So much improved over last time, but somehow keeping the same overall design. I don't know who did it, but they have their work cut out for them with next year's Impreza. <rear, grille, interior>
Toyota FT-HS
Thankfully, no one else cared much about this. It looks so fat and overbearing in person. It's really a trumped-up Prius, and it's really garbage. Toyota will get a lot of flak about their severely enviromentally unfriendly battery manufacturing before this ever sees daylight. <rear, side, interior>
Volkswagen GTI Fahrenheit
No idea what temperature has to do with anything, but it looked neat. As you can see, the youth-oriented marketing is working a little too well for VW. <rear>
Volkswagen R32
Desperately needs to drop the chrome nose, because it actually makes this look less aggressive than its predecessor. <rear>
Volvo T1100 (?)
If anyone can tell me what this is, I'd love to know. Not sure why it was there, either, but the blue leather exterior was cool. <rear, side>
Volvo XC70
Still looks like a geek with glasses & braces, but it garnered enough attention from prospective Volvo owners. Should do well regardless. <rear>
The Harold LeMay Collection:
Early in the day, you had just about full access to these cars, but you weren't able to touch them, and there were signs all around saying so. This allowed really close access and back-end shots which you couldn't get later on. This was because every idiot and their brother kept putting their hands on the car, opening & closing the doors, playing with the windsheild wipers.... I could not believe it. This is the reason exhibits like this only last one day. This is the reason BMW/MB/etc. lock up their cars before 2:00PM. This is also probably the reason BMW didn't bring their M3, MB didn't bring the SLR 722, and so many others just didn't bother.
Buick GNX
Who doesn't like Grand Nationals? I had totally forgotten that this was built by McLaren. Seriously expensive for 1987: $29,990! <rear, text, window sticker>
Buick Regal NASCAR
A 1989 NASCAR racecar originally driven by Larry Pearson. This was started up around 11:30AM, and I could feel it from across the room. It's short because he caught me off guard, and it ends soon after I started. Video below. <rear, text>
Buick Super Model 59 Estate Wagon 1940
A woodie! Just imagine riding down to the beach with 6 other kids on those bus-like bench seats with no air conditioning. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don't have to imagine it.<rear, text>
Cadillac Series 36-80 V12 1936
From a different era, from a different Cadillac. Simply lovely. <rear, hood, text>
Chevrolet Astro I concept 1967
It's less than 30" high! That scoop on top is not an air vent, but the rear-view mirror. It's mid-engined, with some Corvette V8 I didn't catch the name of. This, too, was started up, but it was cut off too quickly for me to film it. The front end became the 1968 Corvette, and the rest was sadly forgotten. <rear, hood, badge, text>
Chrysler CG Imperial LeBaron 1931
Stunning. It, too, is from a completley different era; an era when US manufacturers could genuinely compete with Mercedes, Bentley, et al.. <rear, hood, taillight, text>
DuPont Domination custom 1988
Neat little roadster. Probably more about the wild paint scheme than anything else. <rear, interior, text>
GM Ultralite concept 1992
Proof that GM has given lip service to fuel economy once or twice before. Up to 81MPG is nothing to sneeze at. The electric car apparently couldn't be saved by LeMay, otherwise I'm sure it would have been here, too. <rear, seats, text>
Honda Indy racecar
I watched today's Champ car race in Las Vegas today having never seen one before, and it wasn't half bad. I would imagine Indy isn't much worse, provided it's not an oval track. <rear, text>
Hudson Hornet 1953
Everyone who came up to this car said "It's the car from 'Cars'". Yes, that's how this car is to be remembered.
This particular one has seen a lot of racing action, though, outside of NASCAR. One of many badges on the back & side reads "Satan of Marimar". <rear, (4)badge, text>
Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype 2007
Just here to be fair to all the other cars. I don't particularly care for DP cars. LMP on the other hand.... <rear, text>
Lincoln Model L Willoughby Limo 1930
Proof that Ford, too, was once capable of something...more. Hopefully the MK-R will be one step towards recovering that ability. <rear, hood, text>
Plymouth SS-AA Barracuda dragster 1968
Very Beach-Boys 1960's coloring. This, too, was started up, and it, too, blew my ears in. It was at least twice as loud as the Buick NASCAR, but had so much more detail. See if the video picked up the cam chain (or some kind of metallic plinking). When it revved, the entire building shook. This, too is a bit short, but much better than the Buick. <rear, badge, engine, text>
Porsche 911 GT3 racecar
Seen plenty of action at Lime Rock, apparently. :shrug: <rear, text>
Standard Electric Roadster 1912
Someone who was with me asked "what do they do when it rains". I said they get wet, and then they get electrocuted.
True coachbuilding, right from the horse-and-buggy days, and right around when electricity was as hot as the Infernalnet was 5 years ago. <rear, text>
So that was my day at the show. It was better than the previous two years, but still not fantastic. What little I see in the media from Europe's shows and even Detroit's show always makes me feel left out. I could, of course, just get off my duff and go travel a bit....
Let me know if anyone wants anything else posted, and I'll put it up before the end of the week.
When I got home, I realized I took exactly 300 photos, including 2 short videos (see end of post). The list below is not in the order I took them, but it's easier to read it this way, starting from the outdoor, "free" area, moving to the show floor, and then to the "bonus" LeMay Collection. Listed at the end of each photo are other shots taken which I can also post ("wheel" usually includes the badge, like "6.3 AMG").
Outside:
Callaway C16
A super-modified Corvette, but I'd be hard-pressed to say it's an improvement. Exclusive, but not better. <Rear, side, text.>
Checker Taxi, ~1980
For the longest time, no one believed me about the flip-down seats in the back of NY taxis. Naturally, I couldn't resist proof. These are from a small outdoor exhibit of the past & future of taxicabs. There was a much older Checker, same shots taken. Thanks to everyone messing with the cars that clearly state "DO NOT TOUCH", these were later roped off. <rear, price rates>
Fisker Tramonto
I could simply care less. Exclusive, but ugly.
Saleen S7
What? Where's the twin-turbo from last year? (Part of my "NY gets no respect" thing.) <grille>
Scion's Matchbox carrying case
Well, that's what came to mind when I saw it. Very good marketing, I'm just not part of their targeted demographic.
Spyker C8 Laviolette
Neat car. Larger than I expected, but it looked beautiful nonetheless. <side, text>
Spyker C8 Spyder
Looks even better in yellow, and the interior is just so cool. I could be happy with the looks alone, even if the car didn't go fast. <front, text>
Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris
Never thought I'd see this in person. It's presence kind of goes against my "NY is Rodney" bit. <side>
Main Show:
Acura LMP2 2008
Acura's foray into Le Mans racing. I wish them luck, but since they're really Honda, they may not need it...3 years from now. <rear, text>
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
This falls under my gripes. Where's the Prodrive coupe? Where's the Vanquish S Ultimate? Not a single bad car on display, but not what I really hoped for. <rear, interior, wheel>
Audi Auto Union toy car
If I were 3, I'd be kicking & screaming for one. Heck, I almost did it on Friday. I can't imagine how much it is, but I'd get my kid one if I could. <interior, text>
Audi R8
It really is as gorgeous as it looks in photos. And the carbon-ceramic brakes were a surprise. I thought they weren't going to be an option? <rear, engine>
Audi S5
Yes, it, too is as nice as in photos. Very well proportioned, very well detailed. A future success. <rear, wheel>
Audi S8
Total Q-car. Not even the LED lights from the S6 to help give it away. And yet it will lose sales to a regular 745i/750i. <rear, wheel>
BMW 750h
A great idea that has no support, either from marketing or from anyone else on this planet. And yet everyone should be supporting it.
Cadillac CTS
The grille is definitely not an improvement. The rest of the car might be, but the front end looks like a pissed-off hornet. The giveaway would be to show the car in yellow.... <grille, rear, side>
Cadillac STS
On the other side of Cadillac's booth, receiving far less attention, is a car that actually looks better. It's mostly unchanged, but is probably -- er, hopefully improved. <rear, side>
Chevrolet Camaro convertible concept
Tons of attention to no one's surprise. Looks good, but I'll wait for the actual execution. This isn't Chrysler we're talking about. <rear, interior>
Chevrolet Volt concept
Not entirely attractive, but the thought is nice. Too bad no one told the public that you're still burning fossil fuel to get that electricity. The power cord lying on the floor was neat, though. <front, rear, side>
Chrysler Nassau concept
I didn't stay long enough to care. It might work, it might never exist, but no US manufacturer has a great reputation when it comes to genuinely eco-friendly vehicles. <rear, side, interior>
Dodge Demon concept
My pick for Most Likely to be Manufactured. It looks good on paper, it looks good in the metal, and it's priced right. All they have to do is make it perform better than the Solstice/Sky, which really isn't hard to do. (I got there so early, they were still getting the turntable bolted together.) <rear, side>
Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe
I didn't get why they made it look like a track car, but it could hardly have looked better. And 600HP (which they failed to mention) won't hurt either. <rear, wheel>
Ferrari 599 GTB
A better booth than last year, but still kind of stand-offish. <grille>
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
A year old, and a year uglier. It was these two and a 430 Spider (which I didn't bother with). <grille>
Ford Airstream concept
The proof that a vehicle will never be made into production is in the interior. This had a tubular video display inside; it's never going to see a paved road. It could have been the future of minivans, though. Shame Ford didn't think about anything inventive to coincide with the interesting exterior. <front, rear, side>
Ford Flex
I thought this was a concept until I read the text. No one else cared much about it, either. I'd bet that it will either be renamed or totally redesigned (like the 500) inside 18 months. <rear, side>
Ford Interceptor concept
Yes. That's what we need. A gigantic 4-door to match last year's SuperChief. It looked good, but was totally irrelevant. And the hood was up the entire day (which showed off a non-working, fantasy engine), killing front shots. <rear, badge>
Ford Mustang GT500KR
Awesome looking car, but I've said my peice on this elsewhere. "Swing and a miss!" <rear, side, badge>
Honda Accord Coupe concept
The profile works, I guess, but someone has to decide on what the front is going to look like. The collage approach doesn't work. At all. <rear>
Honda S2000 CR
A nice send-off for the S2000, but it shouldn't be sent off at all. Honda should take a page from their neighbor Mazda: make the effing thing better every so often; it magically increases sales.
<rear, badge, text>Jaguar XKR Portfolio
Beautiful, and judging by the long lines of people clamoring to get inside, I'm not the only one who thinks so. The timing couldn't be better for Jaguar, what with Aston Martin being sold off. Jaguar was the most crowded of all the Ford booths. I see good things in their future. <rear, wheel, text>
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
Amazing in orange. It visually explodes like a Lamborghini should. I only hope it performs as well, because this could really improve Lambo's image. <rear, interior, side(s), wheel>
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Coupe & Roadster
Probably the best display in the entire city was these two cars (and the girls between, who gave Audi's girls a run for the money). The pure white with the blazing lights.... It was magic. But the access was set up by a complete moron. A square U-shaped arrangement, only 30" wide on each side, and no rear exit: you had to turn around and fight your way back to the much narrower entrance! This prevented me from getting better shots, but the interiors came out well. <front, rear, interior, engine, wheel>
Lexus IS-F concept
It's okay at best, like all Lexus'. The rear exhaust is forgiveable but still silly, and the 8-speed is a mistake waiting to bite them in the butt. I guarantee that it will be the thing holding back the potential of the 400HP V8. <rear, side, text>
Lexus LF-A
This was a good concept once, back before the organic front lights and odd scoop on the rear shoulder. Lexus should hurry up and make it before it gets too ugly. <rear, side>
Lincoln MK-R
Believe it or not, I like this. It's not perfect, but it's exactly what Lincoln needs: it's own luxury car that's not based on some other Ford product. I hope they do it, and do it well. <rear, side, interior>
Maserati Gran Turismo
My pick for Best in Show. And hardly anyone noticed it. If they brought out the original silver one, it might have stood out better against the dark background, but I suppose that this proves it's already entered production? Beautiful both technically and aesthetically. More, please. <side>
Mazda Hakaze & Nagare concepts
While the chassis and technical aspects may be the Mazda of the future, the body and design kept people away in droves. It's being seen as a fantasy car, and it has no connection to anything outside of Hollywood. Mazda needs a small does of reality for this stuff. I felt the cars were somewhere between confusing and stupid. <rear, side, text>
Mercedes-Benz C350
The new C-Class. Hm. Okay, well, that's that. No one else really cared, but it will sell because so many want a cheap Mercedes. <rear>
Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG
The car wasn't nearly as interesting to people as the 612HP. Honestly, I think the car is dull, and the specs are overkill. It looks like an overgrown 2008 C-Class. <rear, wheel>
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Edition
This got me interested. I think Mercedes should go just a few slight steps further down this road and try really hard to create a true sequential with McLaren. That would probably make Gordon & Co. happier, and give BMW something to worry about with that already awesome 6.2L V8. <rear, side, badge, text>
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG
If I'm not mistaken, there are more AMG S-Class models than non-AMG: S550 & S600, against S55, S63, & S65. Not that I'm complaining, I just found it odd. I think the SL has the same lineup. <rear>
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Whadda ya mean, "No 722"? Aw, geez. I tell ya, no respect -- no respect! <rear>
Mini Cooper S JCW
Second verse, same as the first. <rear>
Mitsubishi Lancer
Finally, a show without an Evo concept car. But the standard Lancer looks pretty good. It looks much better than the...uh...well, I'll get to that in a minute.
Nissan 350Z Nismo
It looks okay, but the exhaust looks more like aftermarket tips rather than a real replacement exhaust. I guess it replaces the substance from the S-Tune with image in this one. <rear, side, side>
Nissan Altima Coupe
Another underwhelmer, but slightly better than it looked in spy photos. The entire rear half is utter poop, though, especially the rear window. <rear, side>
Pontiac G8
My pick for second best of show, and it, too, received very little attention. Given Pontiac's recent lackluster showing, I can understand that, but Pontiac has to do a lot more to promote this thing. It's good, and it deserves it. <rear, grille>
Pontiac GXP.R
Um, what? Who cares? <rear, side, text>
Subaru Forester 2.5XT Sports
Actually quite nice. A small but positive step for the Forester. If only they could have brought the STI.... <rear>
Subaru Impreza Wagon
Here's where I start the vitriol: it's ugly, it's gutless, it's a design disaster. I tried to find someone who worked directly for Subaru to start yelling at them about how idiotic this thing looks. I wanted to point across the floor at Mitsubishi and rub their noses in what their missing. But no one claimed to be part of the marketing department. Probably tired of being yelled at already.
Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan
Same as above. It's god-awful, only made worse by the econobox upward-sweeping swage line, making the car look completely under-wheeled and totally front-wheel-drive. The rear looks like a base-level Saturn Ion! I almost punched it's face.
Subaru Tribeca
What kept me from having a stroke is this car. So much improved over last time, but somehow keeping the same overall design. I don't know who did it, but they have their work cut out for them with next year's Impreza. <rear, grille, interior>
Toyota FT-HS
Thankfully, no one else cared much about this. It looks so fat and overbearing in person. It's really a trumped-up Prius, and it's really garbage. Toyota will get a lot of flak about their severely enviromentally unfriendly battery manufacturing before this ever sees daylight. <rear, side, interior>
Volkswagen GTI Fahrenheit
No idea what temperature has to do with anything, but it looked neat. As you can see, the youth-oriented marketing is working a little too well for VW. <rear>
Volkswagen R32
Desperately needs to drop the chrome nose, because it actually makes this look less aggressive than its predecessor. <rear>
Volvo T1100 (?)
If anyone can tell me what this is, I'd love to know. Not sure why it was there, either, but the blue leather exterior was cool. <rear, side>
Volvo XC70
Still looks like a geek with glasses & braces, but it garnered enough attention from prospective Volvo owners. Should do well regardless. <rear>
The Harold LeMay Collection:
Early in the day, you had just about full access to these cars, but you weren't able to touch them, and there were signs all around saying so. This allowed really close access and back-end shots which you couldn't get later on. This was because every idiot and their brother kept putting their hands on the car, opening & closing the doors, playing with the windsheild wipers.... I could not believe it. This is the reason exhibits like this only last one day. This is the reason BMW/MB/etc. lock up their cars before 2:00PM. This is also probably the reason BMW didn't bring their M3, MB didn't bring the SLR 722, and so many others just didn't bother.
Buick GNX
Who doesn't like Grand Nationals? I had totally forgotten that this was built by McLaren. Seriously expensive for 1987: $29,990! <rear, text, window sticker>
Buick Regal NASCAR
A 1989 NASCAR racecar originally driven by Larry Pearson. This was started up around 11:30AM, and I could feel it from across the room. It's short because he caught me off guard, and it ends soon after I started. Video below. <rear, text>
Buick Super Model 59 Estate Wagon 1940
A woodie! Just imagine riding down to the beach with 6 other kids on those bus-like bench seats with no air conditioning. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don't have to imagine it.<rear, text>
Cadillac Series 36-80 V12 1936
From a different era, from a different Cadillac. Simply lovely. <rear, hood, text>
Chevrolet Astro I concept 1967
It's less than 30" high! That scoop on top is not an air vent, but the rear-view mirror. It's mid-engined, with some Corvette V8 I didn't catch the name of. This, too, was started up, but it was cut off too quickly for me to film it. The front end became the 1968 Corvette, and the rest was sadly forgotten. <rear, hood, badge, text>
Chrysler CG Imperial LeBaron 1931
Stunning. It, too, is from a completley different era; an era when US manufacturers could genuinely compete with Mercedes, Bentley, et al.. <rear, hood, taillight, text>
DuPont Domination custom 1988
Neat little roadster. Probably more about the wild paint scheme than anything else. <rear, interior, text>
GM Ultralite concept 1992
Proof that GM has given lip service to fuel economy once or twice before. Up to 81MPG is nothing to sneeze at. The electric car apparently couldn't be saved by LeMay, otherwise I'm sure it would have been here, too. <rear, seats, text>
Honda Indy racecar
I watched today's Champ car race in Las Vegas today having never seen one before, and it wasn't half bad. I would imagine Indy isn't much worse, provided it's not an oval track. <rear, text>
Hudson Hornet 1953
Everyone who came up to this car said "It's the car from 'Cars'". Yes, that's how this car is to be remembered.
This particular one has seen a lot of racing action, though, outside of NASCAR. One of many badges on the back & side reads "Satan of Marimar". <rear, (4)badge, text>Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype 2007
Just here to be fair to all the other cars. I don't particularly care for DP cars. LMP on the other hand.... <rear, text>
Lincoln Model L Willoughby Limo 1930
Proof that Ford, too, was once capable of something...more. Hopefully the MK-R will be one step towards recovering that ability. <rear, hood, text>
Plymouth SS-AA Barracuda dragster 1968
Very Beach-Boys 1960's coloring. This, too, was started up, and it, too, blew my ears in. It was at least twice as loud as the Buick NASCAR, but had so much more detail. See if the video picked up the cam chain (or some kind of metallic plinking). When it revved, the entire building shook. This, too is a bit short, but much better than the Buick. <rear, badge, engine, text>
Porsche 911 GT3 racecar
Seen plenty of action at Lime Rock, apparently. :shrug: <rear, text>
Standard Electric Roadster 1912
Someone who was with me asked "what do they do when it rains". I said they get wet, and then they get electrocuted.
True coachbuilding, right from the horse-and-buggy days, and right around when electricity was as hot as the Infernalnet was 5 years ago. <rear, text>So that was my day at the show. It was better than the previous two years, but still not fantastic. What little I see in the media from Europe's shows and even Detroit's show always makes me feel left out. I could, of course, just get off my duff and go travel a bit....
Let me know if anyone wants anything else posted, and I'll put it up before the end of the week.
