Does anybody here in the Great Lakes region plan on attending the Detroit auto show? It starts next weekend.

 

I am DEFINITELY going at least once, probably with my wife.

 

I'm going on MLK day with a couple friends!

 

My two best friends and I are taking our "semi annual" pilgrimage to Detroit Saturday morning.

 

Well I didn't get back home from the show until 12:30 this morning, but it was an enjoyable day.
I have to say, I'm more confused now than I was before. As much as I liked the Challenger, the Camaro looked so much better in person than it does in the magazine photos, that if the two cars came out at the same time, I don't know which one I'd choose. And remember, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Mopar guy.
The BMW Z4 coupe was there, and I think it looks alot better than the roadster. But the one car that caught me totally off guard was the Porsche Cayman. Now I've never been much of a Porsche fanatic, as a matter of fact, I've always thought they were always kind of over-rated. But I really fell in love with a dark blue Cayman that I saw at the show. I know that Porsches are ridiculously expensive to own and maintain, but that car looked so good to me.
All in all, I'm glad that I'm so happy with my XF limited, that there really is no reason for me to be shopping for anything. Because if I had to buy something right now, there's just to many really cool cars out there to choose from. It's fun to day dream though.

 

Funny how certain cars can do that to you in person. I was head over heals for the BMW Z4 Coupe when I went to the Tokyo show in the fall (something I was able to squeeze in just before a totally unrelated business trip in Japan). I plan on going to the Detroit show this week. Despite all the magazine photos etc that I have seen, I am totally unsure of what will tug on my heart strings. I promise you, it won't be the Kia Soul!

I agree with you on Porsches being expensive to own and maintain. However, I will venture that they are probably worth it!

 

Did you hear about the girl that broke into the NAIAS and posed naked on the Challenger? I guess she got in past the guards around 2:30 am and several onlookers were taking pictures! Not sure but I heard they were on the internet, but don't know exactly where.
And they say nothing good ever happens in Detroit!

 

...I did hear about the story surrounding the Challenger. Makes for a good story, that will no doubt follow the show car through the decades.

I have to say, the Challenger was a fitting choice. Could you picture this same thing happening on the hood of say, the Kia Soul? Me neither.

 

LOL!
I might be game for the Camaro! Or the $465,000 Mercedes. (JK, honey, don't get excited.) I've seen the Challenger so much, I'm kind of getting tired of it already! Maybe if it wasn't that Orange color. I DO like the Camaro, especially looking at it head-on. It looks BAD-A$$!

I also was surprised that I kind of liked the Chrysler Imperial. With those suicide doors and that ultra plush interior...

 

...did anyone notice the "giant truck" trend? I swear, they just seem to be getting bigger. There was the Dodge Megacab which, incidentally, is aptly named as it not only has the nose of a Semi (but also its length). Then there was the Chevy Kodiak pickup truck, which (I am not making this up) had a set of stairs climbing up to a wooden platform adjacent to the cab, so that people could actually get into it. And, let's not leave out the massive Ford Super Chief, a concept truck so large that it was actually inspired by a train. (In reality, I thought it was inspired by a nearly identically-sized doublewide trailer, until I read that last bit). Do these people (at the big three) not read the papers, or buy their own gasoline? I would say the wave crested on the huge truck trend a year ago (or more).

 

Yes, I saw those. They are crazy! I stepped up on the running board of that Kodiak on the passenger side, I think it was up to my waste, before I saw that they had stairs on the other side to get in. I think you need to carry those in the truck bed so you can get in after you fall out at your destination!
They kind of look like monster trucks. LOL!

 

here is the article...

Woman poses naked on car at auto show

January 18, 2006
Associated Press

DETROIT – City officials are trying to figure out how a woman sneaked into the North American International Auto Show after closing time to pose naked atop the new Dodge Challenger.

AP

A woman made her way into the North American International Auto Show after hours and posed nude atop the new Dodge Challenger, seen above, early Monday morning. Cobo Center guards found the woman at about 2:30 a.m. Monday, surrounded by about a dozen gawkers taking photographs with camera phones.
It happened around 2:30 a.m. Monday when only workers and security guards were supposed to be inside Cobo Center.

Guards found the woman and about a dozen gawkers taking photographs with camera phones, workers told The Detroit News.

"We heard they were all over the Challenger," said Jason Vines, a spokesman for the Chrysler Group, which earlier had tried to give its cars more sex appeal by bringing in fully clothed "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria to pose at its exhibit.

Cobo Director Glenn Blanton said disciplinary action will be taken if employees were involved in the security breach.

©2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

 

Precisely why Detroit is in trouble.

 

I heard the girl that posed on the challenger is getting blood tests, claiming she would never do something like that of her own free will, she says she must have been drugged.

 

Wow, this story just keeps getting better and better. What next?

 

Well...how about Ford getting out of the SUV business. Also, they are going to quit making vans. Quite a change in their future plans.

 

In case anyone hadn't read it, NBC is doing a 2 hour show today, 1/22 1PM EST live from the Detroit Auto show. Thought I'd mention it in case anyone was interested.

 

Yes and 1/23/06 is "Blue Monday" where thousands of Ford workers are getting their pink slips. That really stinks! Jobs are sure at a premium these days.

 

It is a shame what is happening to the American car companies. Of course there are only two major ones left...GM and Ford and they are steadily growing smaller. I do feel for all of those people that are about to become unemployed. The global economy is tough on companies. Either compete or adios.

I saw where the Chinese introduced a car(s) at the Detroit Auto Show. That is where I finally draw the line. No Chinese cars for me...no matter how good or how cheap. It ain't gonna happen.

 

Same here. After all, China is still a communist country. We even saw sheets of plywood at The Home Depot yesterday was stamped with "Made in China". It's not going away.