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Notes, quotes and observations from the show floor
An annual event for media at the Chicago Auto Show is the Stars, Cars and Bars party. It’s basically an excuse for middle-aged and older male journalists to drink, eat, and dance badly to loud music, and for the younger journalists to point and laugh at them. The stars were Smashmouth, who showed up playing guitars. There were no cars, but plenty of bars; we drank from glasses, not jelly jars. Despite the packed room, nobody caught SARS, and crowd control was left to a Swedish bouncer named Lars. The House of Blues wasn’t far – it’s not like it’s on Mars – and it was fun to watch our colleagues prance around like czars. All in all, the event was pretty bizarre, but definitely good for some hardee-har-hars.
OK, I’m done now.
--Keith Buglewicz
Just a few weeks back, we were in Detroit for another auto show. There, the police canines were outside, sniffing our laptop bags each time we entered the convention hall. Here in Chicago, man’s best friend got VIP treatment as a co-presenter at the Volvo stand, where the brand announced its partnership with BarkBuckleUP, an organization dedicated to the mission of, you guessed it, buckling up pets just like every other passenger. On hand were K1 Marshall, a four-year-old German Shepherd that sniffs out explosives and firearms for the Kane County Sheriff’s Department, and his handler, Matt Goncher. BarkBuckleUP suggests that a restrained pooch minimizes driver distractions, won’t become a projectile missile in the event of an accident, and allows for quicker and easier access by emergency workers when necessary (no one wants a growling Roscoe between them and life-saving paramedics). So, do your four-legged best bud a favor – click him in. If not, you might make K1 Marshall mad, and that would be a really bad idea.
--Thom Blackett
Suzuki debuted pizza yesterday at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, causing a potentially dangerous stampede of automotive journalists. Overheard in the melee: "If they moved these darn trucks out of the way, they'd have more room for the pizza. Come on Suzuki, get it right."
To their credit, Suzuki staff refused to move the trucks, insisting that the real reason for attending the conference was to cover their attempt at selling a pickup truck called Equator. Calling them a perfect extension of the Suzuki Way of Life (you decide what that means), they debuted three interesting concepts: the Suzuki Equator RMZ-4 Concept, the Suzuki Equator Quad and the Suzuki Equator Quay, each intended to showcase the benefits of the actual pickup, which goes on sale this fall. Pictured here is the RMZ-4 and the backsides of journalists more interested in the feed trough than the trucks. Had they been paying attention, they would have heard this gem about people who buy Suzuki boats and bikes: "They don't want just any truck. They want a Suzuki truck." Being strong believers in the power of the badge, we won't say anything about that truck actually being a Nissan Frontier. Ooops.
OK, the new Eclipse looks good, and so does the Concept RA that was on display. But check this baby out. Not only is it the last unmodified 1G Eclipse in existence, not only is it absolutely pristine, it’s Eclipse number 1. Seriously. This is the first one ever built at the Normal, Ill. plant. So to all you DiamondStar fanatics, bow down just a little bit and worship. And know that I actually got to touch it.
--Keith Buglewicz
There was a time when trucks and vans were all about work, the kind that took place on job sites and farms and was often associated with actual manual labor. Today, these rigs are much more plush, safe, and capable, but needed equally by businesses large and small. For them comes Ford Work Solutions, a selection of features and technologies that will be made available on the 2009 F-150, Super Duty, E-Series, and upcoming Transit Connect cargo van.
Among the offerings is Cable Lock, a retracting and locking cable system developed in conjunction with Master Lock that loops through all of the goods in a pickup’s bed to keep them secure. Cable Lock is sure to be a hit with subcontractors, as is Tool Link, a system developed with DeWalt that uses radio frequency tags to track tools using a computer located in the center dash where the radio traditionally resides. This computer is the heart of Ford Work Solutions and allows users to access the Internet via Sprint Mobile Broadband, print business forms on the job site they found with a built-in Garmin navigation system. Finally, Ford will offer Crew Chief, a fleet management system that should be useful for businesses intent on tracking and maintaining multiple company vehicles.
--Thom Blackett
Next year, the American Le Mans Series celebrates ten years of racing, and to celebrate, one of the original players returns to have it out with fellow GT2-class competitors Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, Dodge, Ford, and Panoz. Rahal Letterman racing will enter two race-prepped M3 coupes under the guise of BMW Motorsports starting in the 2009 season, but until then, the 485-horsepower Bimmer will be tested in preparation for its re-entry into this highly-competitive arena. The BMW M3 Race Version, based on the redesigned 2008 production model, sits lower and wider than the version available from your dealer, and at just over 2,500 pounds, weighs considerably less. Most of the body panels are made of carbon-reinforced plastic, the safety cage is built with rigid precision steel tubing, and the powertrain consists of a V-8 pushing 368 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a six-speed sequential racing transmission.
--Thom Blackett
The typical routine for covering an auto show goes something like this:
As you might've guessed, there are not a lot of opportunities to "see the city," "take in the surroundings," or "taste the local culture." In the midst of auto show season, with hotels and convention centers mirroring the last, it can actually become difficult to remember where exactly you are. Unless, that is, you're attending the Chicago Auto Show, where the wind whips you like a caffeinated jockey, the forecast calls for snow measured in feet, the cold air plays this little game called frostbite, and the show floor is decorated with plow trucks and wreckers. But come on, people -- this is Chicago. Those aren't show cars, they're a contingency plan.
Still, I can't wait for day two…and more free food. Did I hear something about cake?
--Thom Blackett
I like cake. Some would say I like cake quite a bit, as a matter of fact, and they'd be pretty right on the mark. But even I have to draw the line somewhere, and it's on the sane side of cake at 10 am. Judging from what's left of this sheet, however, I think my colleagues disagree rather vehemently on that point. Perhaps they were hungry, or wanted a snack after the annual Chicago Auto Show bacon and sausage fest breakfast.
Mmmmmm. Coffee, cake and cars in the morning is a real treat, but we wonder who ordered it. Was it Toyota, as a reminder that they do still sell cars in the America? Or Ford, asking press members to have some Cake...and Escape? It could have also been Volkswagen, because it doesn't matter how bad you say the name "Routan" when your mouth is full of cake. Nothing beats attending a press conference with a caffeine buzz AND a sugar rush. Yikes! Is that why my hands are so shaky?
--Brian Chee
Okay. There really isn't a Toyota death watch going on, but with the debut of the Traverse - they must be feeling a little peaked, right? If so, Ed Peper is to blame. For those of you who don't know who Ed is, he's the Man with the Plan for Chevrolet, and one of the reasons Toyota executives are yelling at their secretaries and demanding late nights from everyone. Chevy, build a Malibu that might actually be better than the Camry?
Gasp. Shockers!
And now, straight from the snow flurries at the Chicago Auto Show, comes the Traverse. Call it a bridge that Chevrolet will climb toward winning the hearts and minds of families, and we'll give you a dollar, okay, not really. But it's the thought that counts, and with style, a nice interior and a robust V-6/six-speed combination, the Traverse poses the unthinkable thought: Is it possible that a Chevy might be better than a Highlander? It very well could be. The next thing you know, automotive journalists will be saying things like "Don't buy import. Go domestic" and "have you seen those Chevys? Why can't Honda build a car like that?"
Considering the Pilot Prototype, some of us may be saying that sooner than later, but then that's another story. The one here is about the three-row, stylish Traverse and how Chevrolet is doing the right things when it comes to their cars. Time, and a drive, will tell if the Traverse is all that, of course, but it sure beats the hell out of another warmed over mid-cycle refresh or a sport-style body kit and slightly larger wheels.
--Brian Chee
Everyone wants to be green these days. Alternative fuel this, hybrid that, fuel cell the other...it’s all one big Sierra Club lovefest. So we weren’t surprised to see Ford with a huge glowing banner proclaiming its goals of sustainability, harping the Ford trifecta of EcoBoost technology, hybrid powertrains and six-speed automatic transmissions. So considering all the greenie feel-good stuff going on, whose idea was it to park a freakin’ Expedition EL in front of the “Sustainability� sign?
--Keith Buglewicz
Stainless steel looks great, we can all agree on that, right? The cool sheen, the grain, and the gloss of it all make a statement about modernity, class and style. It’s lovely stuff to be sure. Unless, of course, you’re the poor guy who has to clean all the finger, hand, nose and God-knows-what-else prints off the stuff all day long. These all seem like nice, hardworking guys so, if you go to the Chicago show, do them a favor. Don’t touch Nissan’s stainless monoliths, please.
--Keith Buglewicz
Seriously, we're really excited about the launch of the Chevrolet Traverse, another new family hauler from General Motors. But what would you rather look at…this sweet Cadillac CTS-V or another silver crossover? Yawn. that's what we thought, as well. Perhaps General Motors should have put its commercial division on display next to Chevrolet, so that journalists would keep to the hamster wheel and not stray off the path to look at Cadillac's newest dreamboat. What's worse, they parked the CTS Coupe Concept right next to the conference display. Come on, guys, give Chevy a break here. It's hard enough to concentrate on crossovers when there's cake in the press room.
--Brian Chee
February in Chicago isn’t known for balmy weather and our first day in town bore that out. Cloudy, foggy, just above freezing and raining. A warm welcome to the City with Big Shoulders. Having endured about 18 winters in the Windy City, this kind of weather is a lot better than it could be. But I’ve gone soft in my old age and 19 years living in the west. The locals call this “brisk.� Brisk? This is hypothermia weather. Eat raw bacon to keep from freezing to death weather. If we’re stuck outside too long, the hog butcher to the world will have another kind of frozen meat on its hands. And the icy, slashing wind called "The Hawk" has barely spread its wings.
Bob Beamesderfer
MyRide Road Test Editor
So, we've arrived in Chicago. It's cold, it's raining a little bit -- which, when it's just slightly above freezing, sucks doubly -- yet we find a big minivan cab to take us to our hotel. The driver -- a nice, unassuming guy who mostly kept to himself and undoubtedly loves his mother very much -- took our bags while we got seated. Then, it got weird. Look at the picture above. That was the inside of the cab, and only part of it. Fake flowers filled cupholders. The jingling of various medallions filled the cabin. Oddly photochopped pictures of kittens and puppies with slogans like "Please Be Nice," and, "Pug Off!", and most disturbingly, "Cute But Psycho," adorned the passenger compartment. Images of lonely Midwestern farm houses on windswept snowy plains filled our heads as we passed through downtown, and I couldn't get the eerie sound of a wood chipper out of my head until we finally pulled in at our hotel. We were glad to get out, yet our fearless leader, Brian Chee, paid him with a credit card. He knows who you are now, Chee. He knows who you are!
--Keith Buglewicz
See more, read more, watch more...MyRide covers the Chicago Auto Show
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