Went to the auto show last night in my penguin suit. Was pretty good, but still fairly sedate to years prior.
Best cars:
Ford Focus
If you feel like investing in a car company, go to an auto show and look at the 2012 Focus. They will sell a monstrous number of these cars globally. The Fusion was Motor Trend car of the year, but in person, the Focus absolutely crushes it. I wasn't crazy about the press pictures, but make no mistake, this car will be a worldwide hit. It's a very, very good looking car in person. A different level than the previous car outside and underneath. If gas prices stay at current levels or rise even minimally, they will have issues producing them fast enough.
Jaguar XJ
That car really is just flat out awesome to me. The last XJ I had was a really nice car, but this new one is an entirely different level. Inside and out, after looking at a car like an S65 with a sticker price over twice as much, it's hard to look at a $100k supercharged XJL and not think this is the ride to have. It has big presence in person and the best interior Jag has had in a looooong time. In a sea of very German large sedans, this is a different breed.
Audi in general
Not that they really had anything new, but the interiors on the Audis were really looking good. The A8 in particular had a really well executed interior that seemed lux, sporty, and not so dull as it's German brethren. There's no question Mercedes makes a nice car, but looking at the interiors of the Audis and the Mercs next to each other, the Audis looked very fresh. It was also the most cohesive lineup at the show in my opinion. The R8 V10 and the convertible looked nice next to each other, though I'm not sure why they picked metallic poop brown for the show.
Disappointments
Lexus LFA
I asked two people what they thought the car cost. One answered $55k and the other $135k. That just about says it all. :lol I can appreciate the killer tech, especially the wondrous engine, but if ever a car were priced wildly different than it's exterior indicates, this is it. I'm sure if they let me loose in one, I'd never want to get out, but I like great looking cars and this does not qualify. Realistically, you're paying over $400k for one of these LFAs. Hmm...one of these cars?
or....this?
I guess it's not bad looking but it's just eye-watering expensive for what it looks like on the outside.
Mercedes SLS
I know we've discussed this car on the site and it's been popular, but I just don't see it. The interior did look pretty bitchin, and with the doors up I thought it looked pretty cool (and actually quite a good modern representation of the original 300SL, which was surprising to me), but it really just didn't do anything for me. The back end in particular seemed out of place on the car and a little bland. I could definitely see it being an awesome grand tourer or weekend getaway car, but I think once the SL gets the schnoz redone in the SLS style, they will look pretty similar.
Other than that, I thought all the hybrid/electric stuff was pretty much a non-event and nobody really cared about it. I went downstairs to the green car experience where they had all the electric cars and hybrids doing laps to show off, and it was basically empty. People just really don't care that much about buying expensive transportation that will likely never pay itself off in the form of fuel savings or save the environment when someone finally asks "Hey, where do we throw out all these 500 lb toxic battery packs?" Good luck with all that.
I missed the event last year, and I heard it was a different story then, but I can't help but roll my eyes at the GM area. The lineup looked quite good, especially the new Buick Regal GS and the Cadillac XTS (which my wife's "BFF's" husband designed), but I just get annoyed at the ingrained corporate arrogance of that company. You can see it, hear it, and feel it when you're around a big corporate to-do they have. It's like "We're back and we're number 1 and we're so awesome and the fact we've been on life support with $80 billion dollars is so not a big deal." It feels like they've learned nothing by the way they talk and act. And I swear I'm not making this up, but at the Charity Preview, every year, the closer you get to the GM stand, the more people there are wasted on $6 champagne. I saw Whitacre a few times with only one other person, which was ironic, given that I can only imagine the 20 deep crush of people Mulally must have had at the show.
My final impression leaving the floor is that the auto industry is just an absolutely brutal business to be in. There's an awful lot of good stuff to choose from for the everyday buyer, and when minutiae separates the product, going from first to worst doesn't take much.
Saw illustrious forum member Cobrar at the after party at the Westin, which was nice. I was staring at him as he walked towards me and I think the tuxedo threw him off. :lol Talked to Bill Ford for a sec, who definitely looks considerably less tired/frazzled than he did about 4 years ago. Spent some time with Mulally, who was predictably absolutely shot out of a cannon. We'd spoke on the phone before but that was the first time I'd met him in person and man does that man have some energy. He said he was on the 4AM-11PM schedule still, and he was loving it. At 63, with no signs of slowing down, he must have an extra gear in there. We'll continue our discussion at a later date so I can do some convincing that FMC needs to get back into the supercar business. :biggrin
Best cars:
Ford Focus
If you feel like investing in a car company, go to an auto show and look at the 2012 Focus. They will sell a monstrous number of these cars globally. The Fusion was Motor Trend car of the year, but in person, the Focus absolutely crushes it. I wasn't crazy about the press pictures, but make no mistake, this car will be a worldwide hit. It's a very, very good looking car in person. A different level than the previous car outside and underneath. If gas prices stay at current levels or rise even minimally, they will have issues producing them fast enough.
Jaguar XJ
That car really is just flat out awesome to me. The last XJ I had was a really nice car, but this new one is an entirely different level. Inside and out, after looking at a car like an S65 with a sticker price over twice as much, it's hard to look at a $100k supercharged XJL and not think this is the ride to have. It has big presence in person and the best interior Jag has had in a looooong time. In a sea of very German large sedans, this is a different breed.
Audi in general
Not that they really had anything new, but the interiors on the Audis were really looking good. The A8 in particular had a really well executed interior that seemed lux, sporty, and not so dull as it's German brethren. There's no question Mercedes makes a nice car, but looking at the interiors of the Audis and the Mercs next to each other, the Audis looked very fresh. It was also the most cohesive lineup at the show in my opinion. The R8 V10 and the convertible looked nice next to each other, though I'm not sure why they picked metallic poop brown for the show.
Disappointments
Lexus LFA
I asked two people what they thought the car cost. One answered $55k and the other $135k. That just about says it all. :lol I can appreciate the killer tech, especially the wondrous engine, but if ever a car were priced wildly different than it's exterior indicates, this is it. I'm sure if they let me loose in one, I'd never want to get out, but I like great looking cars and this does not qualify. Realistically, you're paying over $400k for one of these LFAs. Hmm...one of these cars?
or....this?
I guess it's not bad looking but it's just eye-watering expensive for what it looks like on the outside.
Mercedes SLS
I know we've discussed this car on the site and it's been popular, but I just don't see it. The interior did look pretty bitchin, and with the doors up I thought it looked pretty cool (and actually quite a good modern representation of the original 300SL, which was surprising to me), but it really just didn't do anything for me. The back end in particular seemed out of place on the car and a little bland. I could definitely see it being an awesome grand tourer or weekend getaway car, but I think once the SL gets the schnoz redone in the SLS style, they will look pretty similar.
Other than that, I thought all the hybrid/electric stuff was pretty much a non-event and nobody really cared about it. I went downstairs to the green car experience where they had all the electric cars and hybrids doing laps to show off, and it was basically empty. People just really don't care that much about buying expensive transportation that will likely never pay itself off in the form of fuel savings or save the environment when someone finally asks "Hey, where do we throw out all these 500 lb toxic battery packs?" Good luck with all that.
I missed the event last year, and I heard it was a different story then, but I can't help but roll my eyes at the GM area. The lineup looked quite good, especially the new Buick Regal GS and the Cadillac XTS (which my wife's "BFF's" husband designed), but I just get annoyed at the ingrained corporate arrogance of that company. You can see it, hear it, and feel it when you're around a big corporate to-do they have. It's like "We're back and we're number 1 and we're so awesome and the fact we've been on life support with $80 billion dollars is so not a big deal." It feels like they've learned nothing by the way they talk and act. And I swear I'm not making this up, but at the Charity Preview, every year, the closer you get to the GM stand, the more people there are wasted on $6 champagne. I saw Whitacre a few times with only one other person, which was ironic, given that I can only imagine the 20 deep crush of people Mulally must have had at the show.
My final impression leaving the floor is that the auto industry is just an absolutely brutal business to be in. There's an awful lot of good stuff to choose from for the everyday buyer, and when minutiae separates the product, going from first to worst doesn't take much.
Saw illustrious forum member Cobrar at the after party at the Westin, which was nice. I was staring at him as he walked towards me and I think the tuxedo threw him off. :lol Talked to Bill Ford for a sec, who definitely looks considerably less tired/frazzled than he did about 4 years ago. Spent some time with Mulally, who was predictably absolutely shot out of a cannon. We'd spoke on the phone before but that was the first time I'd met him in person and man does that man have some energy. He said he was on the 4AM-11PM schedule still, and he was loving it. At 63, with no signs of slowing down, he must have an extra gear in there. We'll continue our discussion at a later date so I can do some convincing that FMC needs to get back into the supercar business. :biggrin
