North American International Auto Show (pics & impressions)

[RallyEX]

A friend of mine and I decided to take a trip up north and hit NAIAS in Detroit over the weekend.

We stayed in a nearby town where he attended college, and then drove about an hour into the show. While this worked out OK, I would recommend staying a second night and not driving home after you leave the show. After 6 hours of fighting crowds, the last thing you want to do is fight your way through traffic and drive 6 hours home in the snow.

Before we even parked the car, this was the first thing was saw just before pulling into the parking garage:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4737.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4739.jpg

We parked about two blocks away in a parking garage. It was pretty packed, but if you get there before noon, you'll either be able to park in the Cobo Center itself or a nearby garage. Do your best to park as close to the river or Cobo center as possible, not going too far north of Michigan Avenue.

Getting into the show is pretty slick. Lots of eTicket stations where you can quickly swipe your debit/credit card and the ticket is in your hands less than 40 feet from the entrance to the show from the lobby. Purchase your ticket at an eTicket station or online ahead of time, the lines for the ticket booths for cash were super long.

Entering the show floor:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4742.jpg

To be continued...

[daveb91]

Since most threads dont even get a reply I am doing this one justice. We need lots of pics!!!!!!

[RallyEX]

Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept. Love the body style of the R8, even better looking in person than in photos.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4743.jpg

New M3. Sorry for the terrible pics, couldn't get a clean photo of it to save my life. This was a very crowded and busy area, as was the entire BMW display. The M cars got a lot of attention.

From sitting in this car, it doesn't feel as solidly built as I'd expect. The gear changes were somewhat notchy, but almost squishy and I would have expected a slightly shorter throw. The center console and i-Drive control knob felt cheap to me, and the dash is very flat (more like Porsche design). The M's are "driver's cars", but the dashboard left me cold. The older M cars had more of a cockpit feel to them.

http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4745.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4746.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4748.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4749.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4750.jpg

M3's carbon fiber roof (coupe only). This drew a lot of attention. People touching it as if they've never felt carbon fiber before.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4752.jpg

Love the hood, really looks good as does the whole front end of this car.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4753.jpg

BMW's wall-o'-engines. The twin-turbo inline six is particularly interesting.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4757.jpg

[RallyEX]

Since most threads dont even get a reply I am doing this one justice. We need lots of pics!!!!!!

Ask and ye shall receive...

MINI's car climing a wall:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4761.jpg

New John Cooper Works MINI S. I've sat in a new S without the kit and they are a huge improvement over the original design of the New MINI. Really cool car, but the hatch wing is ugly.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4763.jpg

Subaru display and the new STI. Subaru's area was kinda bland other than the enormous LCD displays, but pretty much everyone else had those. At least it had some color, VW's display was all white and brushed aluminum and felt like I was standing in a hospital operating room.

The new STI is one of those cars that's somewhat ugly in photos but looks pretty nice in person, as is the entire Impreza line at the moment.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4766.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4770.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4772.jpg

Lots of people looking at the new WRX and STI
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4773.jpg

New STI WRC car... amazing.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4775.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4776.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4777.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4778.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4779.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4781.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4782.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4784.jpg

Subaru had a neat display with a forester body lifted off the drivetrain and cut in half.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4785.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4787.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4788.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4789.jpg

[RallyEX]

Suzuki X-Head concept truck. For some reason I really like this thing, seems very functional. With such a small vehicle and a nice Diesel engine and 4x4 drivetrain, this thing could get good gas mileage and be a really neat truck.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4796.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4798.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4799.jpg

I think I like it because it reminds me of a truck that's been available overseas for years, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog. I've always liked these types of utility trucks and would love to see them made available in the states. Pic of the unimog I found on google:
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11845813/Mecedes_Benz_Unimog_U1300l_Custom_Automobile.jpg

Suzuki WRC car:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4801.jpg

Dodge booth and crazy crowds;
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4803.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4804.jpg

My award for the most beautifully designed yet completely useless show booth goes to the Ferrari 430 Scuderia display.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4808.jpg
More Ferrari... was as close as I could get. :(
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4809.jpg

[RallyEX]

Mazda Taika concept. Very neat. Apparently this word translates to "Atmosphere" in english, and the design is modeled after the flowing silk robes of Japanese maidens. Under the hood is the next generation Renesis Rotary engine which according to rumors will power the next generation of rotary cars in Mazda's lineup.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4811.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4812.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4813.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4814.jpg

Mazda Furai concept. Powered by a 450hp 3-rotor, based on the chassis of Mazda's ALMS car. There are a few nice videos of this thing at the track on YouTube, sounds insane.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4815.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4816.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4817.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4818.jpg

2009 RX8 facelift:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4820.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4821.jpg

Mazda claims that on any given weekend, there are more enthusiasts racing in their cars than any other brand in the United States. How about backing up that fact with some more horsepower for your flagship sports car? New RX8 facelift looks pretty good, but it's a bit long in coming and is probably due for a full redesign with some more power.

[RallyEX]

A very popular car in the Volvo booth was the C30. I love the front and don't really care for the rear. Looks like the entrance on one of those fiberglass camper things that people put in truck beds (the more modern ones).

Love the seat and seating position, but the dash and other bits of the interior felt cheap and wobbly to me. Also, I've always felt that Volvo's Nav screen placement was bad.

http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4826.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4828.jpg

Mitsubishi off-road racer:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4834.jpg

Vintage Starion racer:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4836.jpg

New EVO:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4837.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4838.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4839.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4841.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4842.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4843.jpg

[RallyEX]

I think my favorite realistic concept is the Lexus LF-A Roadster.
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4846.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4847.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4848.jpg

New 416hp, 8speed DSG transmission Lexus IS-F:
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4850.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4851.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4852.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4853.jpg
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4854.jpg

[RallyEX]

And, on my way out the show doors to head home, some company apparently has decided to make the car from Saturday Night Live sketch cartoon "The Ambiguously Gay Duo".
http://movfast.com/images/NAIAS/CIMG4858.jpg

As it appears in the cartoon, slightly more offensive:
http://clipswtf.com/ssimages/1613.JPG

[daveb91]

Nice pics The R8 looks awesome. Kurt and I saw the new WRX down at Charleston it was alright there was a Subaru guy down there that wouldnt shut up!!!lol Also We saw that Volvo very weird looking car also had some CF body accents on the side if I do remember. Nice Tim

[kmfdmk]

Nice to see pics of the LF-A and the IS-F both very bad-ass cars. Thanks for the pics Tim. I'd post some if I ever went anywhere cool or did anything useful. (Which is about once a year for me).

[Davis Silver Sti]

AWESOME pics. Thank you very much for posting those up. Count on me to go up there next year.

[Kurt_W]

Lots of nice cars there Tim.

I definitely think the EVO won the looks competition this time. The New STi doesn't look awful, but the EVO looks good.

The Taika concept looks like a squid to me...

I ponder whether Mazda will be able to make the Renesis (or any version of the rotary) efficient enough to make more power and still meet EPA requirements.

[Racerx300zx]

Nice work man, sign me up for one of the suzuki's, looks like the samurai lives on in spirit to me.

[RallyEX]

Nice to see pics of the LF-A and the IS-F both very bad-ass cars. Thanks for the pics Tim. I'd post some if I ever went anywhere coo;_l or did anything useful. (Which is about once a year for me).

I love where Lexus is going with their designs and powertrains these days... The idea of an IS-F is very interesting to me because you get all the power and badassedness of an M3 or Audi RS car but the rock solid reliability of a Toyota product.

I've never been on a road rally before, so I'd say you've still got one that I can't compete with. ;)

I definitely think the EVO won the looks competition this time. The New STi doesn't look awful, but the EVO looks good.

I ponder whether Mazda will be able to make the Renesis (or any version of the rotary) efficient enough to make more power and still meet EPA requirements.

Agreed on the Evo winning competition of looks this time around. In person it just looks great. I almost see hints of Alfa Romeo design, which is never a bad thing to me. In a nice shiny black, the front of the new Evo looks like a four-wheeled Darth Vader helmet (and not in a bad way).

As far as the rotary's viability goes, I had a short conversation standing in the Mazda booth with another guy who was staring at the same exhibit (a cutaway of a Renesis while actually spinning so you could see the rotor moving around in the peanut). He felt that the achilles heel of the rotary is still apex seals, even on the newer renesis. I wasn't aware they were having apex problems on the new engines.

Nice work man, sign me up for one of the suzuki's, looks like the samurai lives on in spirit to me.

I am with ya 100%... for some reason I absolutely love that X-Head concept. The Samurai was one of the most versatile and affordable little off-roaders ever sold in the US. I think for me, it combines the capability of the Samurai, functionality of a Honda (all those cubbies and storage spaces like an Element) and the funky high-cab looks of the Unimog.

[daveb91]

Apex seals have always been great ...........on the NA cars.

[VincentRX7]

Tim, great pics. More action than I've seen in awhile on the forum. Cool to see cars that you normally only see in the magazines.
I can't wait for spring. I think I might get my car out some this Saturday. The rain has hopefully washed some salt off the roads.
Davis, have you decided on a new car yet?????
I think when I sell my SC430, I am going "to get my wife" a BMW 335i. It is kind of a poor mans M3.

[Davis Silver Sti]

Davis, have you decided on a new car yet?????


I really have no idea. I think I'll need to wait till late Spring.