Monday, January 15, 2007

Detroit Auto Show

I paid my annual visit to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday in order to see what was exciting for the new year and some of the cool concepts. With the mild winters we have had in Michigan this year at least my nose hairs weren't freezing as I walked to Cobo Hall from the parking ramp. Once inside though my automotive temperature didn't rise much at all though. It seems with every passing year that cars are getting more and more interchangeable. I mean take the badges off and the grills and can you really tell the difference between a Mazda, Nissan, Buick, or Mitsubishi from 10 feet. So many brands seem to have lost their personality, at least aesthetically.

Anyway here are some of my best and worst from the autoshow.
Best Booth - Mini
Best Freebies - Scion. Downstairs at the Scion tuner booth you could get iPod covers and beanie hats.
Best Concept - Saab Aero X Concept
Best Concept that really is coming - Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
I Want It Award - Ford Shelby GT Mustang



and now for the worst:

We are so cheap award - Mercedes Benz - not even a brochure - they just tell you to go to the website.
Must better get award translation - Changfeng Motors. Reading the car specs on the back of their information flyers is an exercise in huh and strangely they list headlights as special features.
You want how much for that ugly thing - Rolls Royce Phantom
You want how much for that uninspired thing - Maserati Quattroporte. For the first year ever Lexus come in second.

And lastly surprise of the show - Coffee was only $1.25 a cup

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Corsica

It's a mess but there is now a Chevy Corsica sat in the driveway awaiting conversion to its' final purpose. We went and liberated it from behind a barn last night and with the aid of another pick up and a quad managed to get it into the trailer. Getting it off was easier but then came the fun of moving it round my driveway. We slapped a big pad of foam between the front of my Avalanche and the back of the Corsica and pushed it into an out of the way spot.