Jimbo (and others, apparently,) go to Chicago (56K? Broadband will lag!)

[Jim Prower]

Well, just got back. I was a little dissappointed...not many big reveals, but got to see some nice hardware.

MAZDA: Mostly interested in race cars here: Formula Mazda and RX-8 G.A.

FISKER

The Karma showed up, but so did this little roadster that I know nothing about. The Sunset. Never seen this one.

CHRYSLER/FIAT

Lots of interesting stuff here. They had the camp jeep driving thing...

The Chrysler Delta was there. I really like the way it looks, and I dont' care what you say.

and she ain't bad lookin, either.

Golfcart.

A challenging lineup.

AYYCEEARR

Sharp car, more lovely ladies. I think Chrysler won the prize for "best booth girls."

Sadly, neither of the Italians were on the floor. Also some Maseratis...eh, I didn't feel the need to take pictures. IN fact, I ignored most of the Exotics...Including the Eurotuners in the back of one of the halls. >>

Take Wrangler. Put biggest tires you can find on it.

Rams can apparently fly inverted.

FORD:

Lots to cover here.

GT500. Not my personal choice in scheme, but damn intimidating.

New Focus. I approved...sadly other side had the door open, and this side had the sign. >

Fiesta. I sat in one...and really, really liked it. a little plastic, but it seemed as good or better than anything else in it's price class I've sat in. Granted, mine was a top-level Sedan...But I'd like to try an "S," I did sign up for a test drive, hope I'll get it this spring when it comes out.

Y'know, screw the accessory alloys. I want these Works!

The Five-Oh. Enough said.

Could someone 'shop a full '80s "Bigfoot" livery onto this truck?

Here's a proper debut, though, the new Edge for '11. Get used to it...I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of this face when it comes out.

Sighon. err. Scion.

See questionable mods thread. Except for the following two pics.

Questionable? yes. But a grill in the back of a hatch is still awesome.

I like these wheels. About the only think I liked about this xB. I imagine them on an old Z or '80s japanese sports car.

Honda:

They had a CR-Z on a pedistal. Great looking little car, I just wish it wasn't a hybrid.

However, yes, I want this Minivan. Oddyssey concept. I hope the fusion of JDM and USDM styling cues makes it to our shores.

Toyota:

Two pics. Sadly, the FT-86 didn't make it to Chicago. Bastards. Thus there was two photos, and only one was of a Toyota product...

Baja 4-runner...

and...a GSX-R.

owo?

Bridgestone/Delta Wing

Yep. It was there. Only a mockup, not a runner.

I still think it'll have a higher tendency to barrel-roll at speed than the current Indycar. and won't those narrow fronts overheat at speed?

Hyundai:

One pic. Millen's Drift Car.

Suzuki:

mainly interested in the Kizashi. So I found a tuned one.

Scooby-doo...err, Subaru

I wasn't roo...err, too interested in what was there. Other than this cool cop car.

Chevrolet.

Aveo RS. Please, get that piece of crap you're producing right now off the road, Chevy. Produce this.

Obligatory Volt Picture

Cruzing USA.

Sadly, nothing on the floor. This was the best impression I could get of the interior.

Cadillac

Finally! My first Hachiroku....oh, wait. It's just a CTS-V Coupe.

Vee-Dub

Dad took me into this one. He's a big VW guy. Had an original Bug and a Golf II...and now we have a Cabrio. Still, I found a couple things interesting...This TDi Cup car, for example.

And the new GTi.

We had a sit in the Golf VI. Dad seemed to like it.

Lexus:

Yes, they had the confusingly expensive LF-A there. I know someone's gonna fawn over the color, though...

Satin. Gray.

Jaguar:

Mom's a jag fan. Got this for her, otherwise, uninterested.

Nissan:

Um...I'm sorry. I had to. Oddly enough, the GT-R was locked behind rails, while the one in Peoria last year was unlocked!

and obligatory Zetto.

Mitsubishi:

absolutely NOTHING new. However, the AMS Evo was there. It looks like the headlights are on, but that's just the Flash...they're actually stickers.

Benz:

Meh. Had to get at least ONE of the Gullwing.

Which means I have seen the original AND the new one.

Kia:

Forte Koup Racer.

Audi:

Oh, Oh my god. They actually sell the R8 in BROWN!?! *snort*...You don't know how funny I find that, considering my opinion of the car...If you can't make the connection, you're not old enough.

Both of them were in this...putrid...color, a coupe and this roadster.

BMW

Wasn't interested in much, but this Alpina B7 was nice.

Acura

Nice LMP. Was about the only thing that held my interest.

Porsche.

Panamera. Dad commented on how BIG it looked. and it is.

MCC Smart

Right across from MINI (I didn't take any pics, though I had a sit in a Cooper S Works Clubman) were these guys. I've never been close, neither had Dad.
We both had sits.

and now you know what my father looks like. When he found out it was rear engined, he asked me "Ya think the engine drops out with four bolts?"

I told you. VW guy.

more to come

 

[Danny]

Great pics!

But THIS

and THIS

are hideous. You have brought these diseases into my life, I was blissfully unaware until I opened this thread.

Also, you've put the LFA picture where the Jag should be.

Other than that, looks like a lot of fun! 👍

 

[Jim Prower]

Ah, nuts. *goes to fix*

EDIT: Fixed. I'll throw up a few more pics later.

 

[Danny]

I hope it's the Ford and Chevy you're fixing.

 

[Jim Prower]

Jag. I'm afraid the Cruze and Focus's designs are a bit beyond my scope of fixing.

(even though I rather like the Focus. :< )

EDIT:

Eh, what the hell! Let's put the rest up now.

SCCA Chicago:

Spec Miata

Evo on Slicks

A-Sedan Fox-Body

Chicagoland Speedway:

Indy cars

Model "T" Club:

These guys were pretty cool. We talked with them a bit about "T"s, and about our adventures with Grandpa's car.

'26 Fordor

'24 Touring

Speedster

Volo Auto Museum:

These guys have lots of not only old cars (many for sale (!)) but...get this...Movie cars.

A 1917 Hudson

a '32 Ford...with a V16. OwO

Something from "The Great Race." It had six wheels

The TMNT VW Bus squares off against Dom Toretto's Grand National.

"Go Speed Racer, Go!!!"

"Oooooh, Them Dukes, Them Dukes!"

"440 Cubic inch engine, Cop Tires, Cop Shocks, Cop brakes, and it's a model before Catalytic Converters so it runs great on pump gas."
But no working Cigarette lighter.

Bigfoot 4x4, Inc:

Yep. Bigfoot had their 2007 SEMA Chevy out. and yes, Bigfoot, bastion of Fords for years, built a Chevy show truck. and YES. It's huge.

Miscellany

ACR again...wait, who's that in the picture....

That's what I look like not making a face

Here's what I look like when I am. "NYEEEEEH!"

GE P42AC at the head of a short-run train

Wind Farm

Skyline

Going in

Coming out

Um....hitting traffic.

 

[Jondot]

Nice pics 👍 And I'm the same when it comes to ignoring the exotics. Looking back, most of my pics from the London show 2 years ago are of an Insignia...

Also, wouldn't be too worried about snapping the Cruze's interior. We have it already, it's pretty mediocre.

EDIT

Oh and apparently we have something called the Spark too; clearly I just failed to notice.

 

[Joey D]

Thanks for the picture round up 👍!

I'm glad I didn't end up going to Chicago though, it didn't look that much different then the Detroit show.

 

[Keef]

Aw sweet, now I don't have to make the thread! Thanks Jim!

EDIT: Yes, I apologize. Took me all night to realize who you were talking to, lol.

 

[Jim Prower]

Jimmy, you mean? ;3

and yeah, I was disappointed at the fact that it seemed like a Detroit repeat, too. Although...I was looking for Joey's Cooper as we went in... >>

I added more pics, to my third post, too. Fun stuff, mostly.

 

[Keef]

Great pics!

But THIS...

and THIS...

are hideous.:

Get used to it because they're coming to England and they'll be everywhere. Especially the Focus.

I'll be at the show on Wednesday. I'll be showing up at the Sheraton that morning, and apparently they've got a shuttle thing that will take us to the show.

 

[Omnis]

The Cruze looks god-awful. The Focus looks fantastic by comparison. Thanks for the pics, but it was kind of a boring write up. Nothing we haven't seen. Do you have more pictures of all the nuances of some of those new cars you shot? Particularly that new 5.0... Besides the billet grill, I'm loving that front fascia.

 

[Eric.]

You guys are a big fan of wind farms up there aren't you? I saw a ton of them when we went up to Peoria to see the Thunderbirds. And if you looked really closely, from the time one came into view to the time you had driven past it (and was thus unsafe to keep watching it, as the driver) you could see that they do, in fact, turn. About 45 degrees over a minute's time.

 

[Jim Prower]

Yeah...no. No more pics. I was kinda rushed, and didn't really have a itenerary. I guess I should have asked what you guys wanted...but, Hell, it's my first international auto show. I've been to the local dealer show, that's not really like this...

and, yeah, there was nothing really new. It was a repeat of Detroit, basically. I was rather dissappointed by that.

EDIT: Yes, they've been sprouting up like weeds...there's one off 39, one off 155, and one off 55, the latter was the one I photographed. The wind was higher today, and they were turning once every two to three seconds.

 

[Boz Mon]

Cool pics. I plan on going later this week. Maybe I will add some pics to this thread at the end of the week.

 

[JCE]

Can I have these in my garage?

And finally...

 

[eSZee]

The auto show gets more boring every year. Got back a few hours ago and can't honestly remember any car that was even close to exciting. I looked at the SLS for a while and realized it's not that good looking.