Detroit auto show

Am I the only one who realized how close Detroit was to them on that map and wanted to move farther away? I went there a decade or more ago and was horrified that anywhere in the U.S. was such a E36 M3 hole.

We went to Dearborn a few years ago and enjoyed it. We were hoping to go again last month to see the Christmas display at Greenfield Village but the wife's vacation was canceled. Maybe next year.

Adrian ... any way you can post a link to the auto industry density map you showed on page 1 of this thread? I'd love to explore that in more detail.

einy wrote: Adrian ... any way you can post a link to the auto industry density map you showed on page 1 of this thread? I'd love to explore that in more detail.

Took a bit of finding as It was just a random pic I chose from Google when I was looking. Link

Great pics Adrian! I stole that dirty GT for a desktop image. Race Pr0n. And the silver VLF coupe is HAWT.

Thanks for posting the pics

I'll be going back on the 15th. Surprised that so few have commented on the Elio

I'll be there first thing Sunday morning. Both my sons will be with me.Hopefully, I see some of you guys there.

chaparral wrote: I'll be going back on the 15th. Surprised that so few have commented on the Elio

The Elio is fine as a product but it has to get to market which it seems it isn't and won't so it is hard to be too excited about. It was nice to see one in person and the chassis but I always am more excited about cars I may be able to own one day so price and availability are key.

Ok - who's going? There isn't an automated GRM "Bat Signal" - so how about a plan like "meet at the orange Ford Fiesta ST at 9:15"?

I haven't been to Detroit since the eighties. I still haven't scraped off the rotten feeling of that place. It's not just Detroit though, the whole state of Michigan is repulsive.

(But that's only because I'm from Ohio and that hatred is born into me.)

We don't give a damn about Michigan

The whole state of Michigan

berkeley you Michigan

We don't give a damn about Michigan, We're from Ohio.

I'll sing that song till the day I die

In reply to Nick (Bo) Comstock:

I have a weird image of you dancing around a burning car in a field singing that song.

Good. Stay in Ohio. We don't take kindly to those who don't take kindly 'round here.

Ok - I'll be out a bit later. I have to give my car a tuneup and it's no fun trying to find people at the show without a plan to meet up; difficult even when they're all wearing Magna shirts.

bastomatic wrote: Good. Stay in Ohio. We don't take kindly to those who don't take kindly 'round here.

Plus he lives in Texas. That's a double shot of GTFO.

Appleseed wrote:

bastomatic wrote: Good. Stay in Ohio. We don't take kindly to those who don't take kindly 'round here.

Plus he lives in Texas. That's a double shot of GTFO.

I simply love a good smack talking contest, especially ones that involve neighboring states.

I loved the rivalry between TN and GA.

Unfortunately I'm now in the middle of Texas which is next to exactly nothing. But I can take solace in the fact that the rest of the country has a rivalry against Texas so I say bring it on

All I know is that Texans refuse to acknowledge the existence of Alaska.

The Wisconsin / Ill-annoy rivalry is pretty epic .....

My wife and I went today and checked out the options for family hauling duties. I got a little sidetracked by the Miata retractable hardtop. I sat in it and worked the top, it was very impressive. My wife gave me a surprising firm "maybe."

I was extremely unimpressed with the Chevy Bolt. Wanted to love it and use it to replace the Leaf but the seats are super narrow and uncomfortable even for my small frame. Interior somehow felt even more low rent than my Leaf.

The Pacifica Hybrid seemed like a nice place to spend some time. My wife liked the Transit Connect Wagon but it was a little small on the inside. The Toyota Sienna was nicest of the bunch but also highest MSRP. Hondas new Oddyssee was locked so couldn't really check it out. We loved their Ridgeline but need the extra interior space more than a pickup bed.

Are the new Oddyssey and Ridgeline still platform mates?

In reply to mazdeuce:

Yep. Pilot, Accord, Ridgeline, Oddy, and many Acura models AFAIK.

I've noticed that as I age it gets easier and easier to lap the auto show faster. There are fewer vehicles of interest to me each year, just more SUV/CUV/large trucks. The number of race/rally cars on display was down, the number of concept vehicles seemed lower, very few smaller cars because the market, and the margins are in trucks, CUVs and SUVs. We did sit in a lot of vehicles for sizing purposes and came away convinced that most vehicles aren't intended to carry adults in the second row. I was dismayed at the poor quality of interior plastics in more than one manufacturers offerings.One of my sons is a new father, so we did look at every minivan, but it was kind of like going to a refrigerator show. I need to find somewhere else to indulge my car lust ,I guess.

In reply to DeadSkunk:

The only auto show that I have attended had a Daytona Prototype race car to look at and some of the engineers to talk to. That was pretty cool. I did sit in a Honda S2000 and realized that car was built specifically to fit me like a glove, I mean I couldn't have nailed the driving position better if I had built it myself. But that was lot's of years ago and not in Detroit.

bastomatic wrote: My wife and I went today and checked out the options for family hauling duties. I got a little sidetracked by the Miata retractable hardtop. I sat in it and worked the top, it was very impressive. My wife gave me a surprising firm "maybe."

One advantage to being a subcompact midget, you fit in the damn thing

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

but not in the Chevy Bolt seats.