- 26,911
- Houston, Texas, USA
- JMarine25
Hello, GTPlanet.
Allow me to try something different. I am John M. of Houston, Texas, USA. This is an unofficial report of the Houston Auto Show running April 2nd to the 11th. Join me in my adventures (and misadventures). Don't expect any pictures, though.
Okay, here goes. This is going to be a big introduction. Try to keep up.
CHEVROLET
Entering at the GMC center, I quickly grabbed a bag (I needed one, especially one that could carry a lot of stuff). I moved on to Chevrolet and began my own personal tour of the Houston Auto Show at Chevrolet. The only car I seemed to like at the show from Chevy was the Corvette. And I'm talking about the C5. For a guy who doesn't have a license, almost any Corvette would be too much for me. The Aveo was told to be "surprisingly roomy." Well, I was sadly fooled. I was slightly comfortable in it. I don't know what audience it was looking for, but it certainly wasn't for skinny 6-feet tall dudes like me. Later on in my unofficial report, I'll refer to my height again with a weird story.
PONTIAC
Pontiac would be the one to have the return of the GTO, based on the Holden Monaro. I had a chance to check out the Vibe. I didn't feel any mad vibes in my soul. It's an alright car. Chrome gauges and a look that would be a little too much for me and my personality. When I thought a GTO was available to climb into on the showroom floor, it was a new Bonneville. The good thing is that all the lines have been minimalized wonderfully from the last model.
DODGE
Dodge was about the best American car company I came across at the show. I had a chance to finally climb into the Neon SRT-4. And when I jumped in, I could feel the boy racer charm flow through my body. It's a spitfire of a car. 200+ horses with turbo, an aggressive front, functional hood, and a tall rear spoiler. What youngster wouldn't be turned on by a sporty car? From little and sporty to big and American- Dodge Ram. And yes, it had a Hemi under the hood. If I bought an American truck, I'd go with the Ram or maybe the updated Dakota. The Durango is cool, but it's not me. Earlier, I mentioned my height of 6 feet even. I had a chance to walk inside the big empty space in the Dodge Sprinter utility van. I had my doubts, but surprisingly, I could walk from from the front of the van to the back of it without having to duck my head. Then this 6'2" or 6'4" dude came in and ducked his head. I was like... man. I'm tall, but... damn, man.
LEXUS
Now from pure American car companies to an American luxury division of a Japanese auto manufacturer. The SC430 caught my eyes. It was such a beautiful machine which is the Toyota Soarer in Japan. Thing is, I think the car sells for $67,000+ if you want to have it as a daily driver or a weekend machine. There was the HPS Concept that had nice lines to it for an SUV. I didn't know which Lexus had an aerodynamic undertray as shown in a commercial. I seen the Team Lexus #0 that won the 2002 Grand-Am Cup Team and Driver Champions. I don't know who the racer was, but he gave me a poster of one of the Team Lexus race cars from Grand-Am Cup and autographed it. I, of course, wished for future success for the team.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Now it's on to Benz. I had a chance to sit in some Benz machines and learn to love just why they are so luxurious and capable. I loved the little telephone and navigation packages. The boxy, recently released Mercedes-Benz G55 SUV was basically a Dakar car for the street. When I talked to a Mercedes-Benz of Houston associate, he said that the truck would have been better if it had an air suspension. There was a competition coupe there as well, a C-Class Sport Coupe competition coupe.
VOLVO
I didn't get in one, but I seen the S60 up close. To me, the car was low as a race car. I almost second-guessed Volvo's commitment to safety with the racy machine. After a quick stop, I moved on.
MAZDA
Zoom-zoom. It's time to get your Zoom on with Mazda. The part-owned-by-Ford company Mazda had some nice rotary cars. My favorite was the Mazda 3, especially the 5-door. The 6 was still a nice machine. And the Miatas and RX-8s were out in full force. There were also the Mazda trucks, the B-Series and Tribute.
JAGUAR
I was in love. Jaguar S-type, Jaguar X-Type, and even the Jaguar XKR were for "come on in" pleasure. Surely, I got my fix. The X-Type seemed to be pretty plain with the dash, but the Jaguar charm was still there. The S-Type has elegant charm, and its dashboard does not disappoint. The XKR is the closest you'll come to an Aston Martin, but for much less. The XKR is raced in Trans-Am and can be driven in Gran Turismos 2 and 3. If I pictured myself driving in it, I'd feel younger than I ever felt. On exhibit was the S-Type R. And as I told someone. How do you make a Jaguar better? My answer: "add an 'R.'"
INFINITI
Nissan's luxury namesake for America. I got into the G35, and I was impressed with the level of comfort and elegance. A car I thought was the Gloria Gran Turismo for America is actually the Nissan Cedric for America. Don't know what the Infiniti name is, but it is interesting to see this car for sale in America. I wanted to see the FX45, but didn't get a chance.
SUBARU
Time to get your rally on, GTPlanet. The Subaru section offered its Mustang Slayer, the WRX STi. I got into the 300hp Impreza WRX STi, and I could imagine myself being Colin McRae (before jumpshifting to Ford) or Richard Burns. I seen myself in a Baja as well. But, I don't think the machine carries my character very well. There was a new-school Legacy sedan there as well. I loved it! It was elegant, and like all street Subarus, they were all-wheel drive.
HYUNDAI
Tiburon in Spanish means "shark." So when I got into the machine, I could see myself going up and down I-45 and Loop 610 here in Houston. The cool factor was there, but not really me. It was the only car I came for at the section.
NISSAN
I am not a serious Nissan fan. I think some of their cars are a little too plain for my tastes. That still doesn't mean that I can check out some of the cars. I have a confession to make. I take back the 350Z. The car is comfortable to sit in, and with all the stuff in front of you and to your right, it is very sporty. I loved it, looking at little kids wanting to get in the passenger seat and this one cutie (around my age) who also liked it. The newer Maxima is 260+ hp and rear-wheel drive. And this car was enticing and sweet. It was like candy, and I was a sweettooth for its appeal. The Altima is a hot car on the outside, but it's a little plain at the wheel. I also strapped into the badass Titan. It was bulky and muscular and was pretty cool.
HONDA
More than 60 years, and Honda continues to innovate in the automobile market, as well as in many other markets it participates in. Normally, when a person thinks of Honda, the first that comes to mind is the Civic. In fact, people who poke fun at Japanese cars like to think all the sporty cars are bascially slow Honda Civics. While I'm not going to start any flaming on the make, let's get to my experience. I got into the Element, and I thought the car was pretty cool for a machine that doesn't have any carpet. I felt my sneakers kind of grip to the floor of the car, like I was on the basketball court or a clay tennis field. An interesting thing about the car is that you can't see the transmission on the floor. The Honda Accord (2-door) had pretty big gauges and easy-to-read lettering. It's charm on the outside carried into the inside pretty well. I sampled the Insight, and the car was plain and only carried two people. The Honda Civic is the number one tuner car of choice in America. I got into the new Civic Si, and I could see why the car is so hot. The Si had a nice rally-style shifter on the dashboard. Such a fun factor. "John, did you get into the S2000?" I saved the best for last. The S2000 at the show was the newer model of it. It is so sporty with 240hp. I can see why the car is so fun even though tuners seem to like using the tail lights for their tuner Hondas.
TOYOTA
Now on to my personal favorite Japanese car company. The Celica was as racy as I thought it was. I liked it pretty much. The second-generation Prius had nice lines and exciting features. Had some fun girls join me with their dad in the car. Then I seen the MR-S. I thought it was more of a Ferrari with the MR2, but this one is more of a Porsche. I think the newer Echo looks better, but still a tad ugly. I think if they brought the hatchback Echo, it would sell better. Also, the new Solara was there. I like the car's styling except for the rear lights.
AUDI
Another German car company now. This one the brainchildren of the Audi R8 (somebody PLEASE beat them at Le Mans or ALMS!). The Audi TT roadster was my favorite car there. It was fun and cool. Then some dude came by and said that I looked good in the yellow roadster I was in. But, I guess I bought his claim.
VOLKSWAGEN
I enjoyed getting into the New Beetle. My only concern was the cramped space in the convertible at the driver seat. I couldn't adjust the seat for my skinny and tall self was having trouble stretching my legs in it. I said to myself about the VW Golf R32 "I wonder if Japanese car faithfuls will accept the name 'R32' on a VW Golf..." This was the weirdest moment for me. Someone said that "I was a lucky man." And then this guy told his girlfriend to take a picture of me, and so I did. I raised up the Peace symbol with my fingers and shown off my dorky impression of feeling very proud to be in the car. Ahh, it's good being dorky sometimes.
Well, this is only 1/2 of my experience. More to come in future posts including BMW, Mini, Acura, Scion, Maybach, Lotus, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, the Mustang 40th Anniversary exhibit, my first Aston Martin I seen upclose, Saleen, and an Italian car in red that WASN'T a Ferrari. More to come, folks!
Allow me to try something different. I am John M. of Houston, Texas, USA. This is an unofficial report of the Houston Auto Show running April 2nd to the 11th. Join me in my adventures (and misadventures). Don't expect any pictures, though.
Okay, here goes. This is going to be a big introduction. Try to keep up.
CHEVROLET
Entering at the GMC center, I quickly grabbed a bag (I needed one, especially one that could carry a lot of stuff). I moved on to Chevrolet and began my own personal tour of the Houston Auto Show at Chevrolet. The only car I seemed to like at the show from Chevy was the Corvette. And I'm talking about the C5. For a guy who doesn't have a license, almost any Corvette would be too much for me. The Aveo was told to be "surprisingly roomy." Well, I was sadly fooled. I was slightly comfortable in it. I don't know what audience it was looking for, but it certainly wasn't for skinny 6-feet tall dudes like me. Later on in my unofficial report, I'll refer to my height again with a weird story.
PONTIAC
Pontiac would be the one to have the return of the GTO, based on the Holden Monaro. I had a chance to check out the Vibe. I didn't feel any mad vibes in my soul. It's an alright car. Chrome gauges and a look that would be a little too much for me and my personality. When I thought a GTO was available to climb into on the showroom floor, it was a new Bonneville. The good thing is that all the lines have been minimalized wonderfully from the last model.
DODGE
Dodge was about the best American car company I came across at the show. I had a chance to finally climb into the Neon SRT-4. And when I jumped in, I could feel the boy racer charm flow through my body. It's a spitfire of a car. 200+ horses with turbo, an aggressive front, functional hood, and a tall rear spoiler. What youngster wouldn't be turned on by a sporty car? From little and sporty to big and American- Dodge Ram. And yes, it had a Hemi under the hood. If I bought an American truck, I'd go with the Ram or maybe the updated Dakota. The Durango is cool, but it's not me. Earlier, I mentioned my height of 6 feet even. I had a chance to walk inside the big empty space in the Dodge Sprinter utility van. I had my doubts, but surprisingly, I could walk from from the front of the van to the back of it without having to duck my head. Then this 6'2" or 6'4" dude came in and ducked his head. I was like... man. I'm tall, but... damn, man.
LEXUS
Now from pure American car companies to an American luxury division of a Japanese auto manufacturer. The SC430 caught my eyes. It was such a beautiful machine which is the Toyota Soarer in Japan. Thing is, I think the car sells for $67,000+ if you want to have it as a daily driver or a weekend machine. There was the HPS Concept that had nice lines to it for an SUV. I didn't know which Lexus had an aerodynamic undertray as shown in a commercial. I seen the Team Lexus #0 that won the 2002 Grand-Am Cup Team and Driver Champions. I don't know who the racer was, but he gave me a poster of one of the Team Lexus race cars from Grand-Am Cup and autographed it. I, of course, wished for future success for the team.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Now it's on to Benz. I had a chance to sit in some Benz machines and learn to love just why they are so luxurious and capable. I loved the little telephone and navigation packages. The boxy, recently released Mercedes-Benz G55 SUV was basically a Dakar car for the street. When I talked to a Mercedes-Benz of Houston associate, he said that the truck would have been better if it had an air suspension. There was a competition coupe there as well, a C-Class Sport Coupe competition coupe.
VOLVO
I didn't get in one, but I seen the S60 up close. To me, the car was low as a race car. I almost second-guessed Volvo's commitment to safety with the racy machine. After a quick stop, I moved on.
MAZDA
Zoom-zoom. It's time to get your Zoom on with Mazda. The part-owned-by-Ford company Mazda had some nice rotary cars. My favorite was the Mazda 3, especially the 5-door. The 6 was still a nice machine. And the Miatas and RX-8s were out in full force. There were also the Mazda trucks, the B-Series and Tribute.
JAGUAR
I was in love. Jaguar S-type, Jaguar X-Type, and even the Jaguar XKR were for "come on in" pleasure. Surely, I got my fix. The X-Type seemed to be pretty plain with the dash, but the Jaguar charm was still there. The S-Type has elegant charm, and its dashboard does not disappoint. The XKR is the closest you'll come to an Aston Martin, but for much less. The XKR is raced in Trans-Am and can be driven in Gran Turismos 2 and 3. If I pictured myself driving in it, I'd feel younger than I ever felt. On exhibit was the S-Type R. And as I told someone. How do you make a Jaguar better? My answer: "add an 'R.'"
INFINITI
Nissan's luxury namesake for America. I got into the G35, and I was impressed with the level of comfort and elegance. A car I thought was the Gloria Gran Turismo for America is actually the Nissan Cedric for America. Don't know what the Infiniti name is, but it is interesting to see this car for sale in America. I wanted to see the FX45, but didn't get a chance.
SUBARU
Time to get your rally on, GTPlanet. The Subaru section offered its Mustang Slayer, the WRX STi. I got into the 300hp Impreza WRX STi, and I could imagine myself being Colin McRae (before jumpshifting to Ford) or Richard Burns. I seen myself in a Baja as well. But, I don't think the machine carries my character very well. There was a new-school Legacy sedan there as well. I loved it! It was elegant, and like all street Subarus, they were all-wheel drive.
HYUNDAI
Tiburon in Spanish means "shark." So when I got into the machine, I could see myself going up and down I-45 and Loop 610 here in Houston. The cool factor was there, but not really me. It was the only car I came for at the section.
NISSAN
I am not a serious Nissan fan. I think some of their cars are a little too plain for my tastes. That still doesn't mean that I can check out some of the cars. I have a confession to make. I take back the 350Z. The car is comfortable to sit in, and with all the stuff in front of you and to your right, it is very sporty. I loved it, looking at little kids wanting to get in the passenger seat and this one cutie (around my age) who also liked it. The newer Maxima is 260+ hp and rear-wheel drive. And this car was enticing and sweet. It was like candy, and I was a sweettooth for its appeal. The Altima is a hot car on the outside, but it's a little plain at the wheel. I also strapped into the badass Titan. It was bulky and muscular and was pretty cool.
HONDA
More than 60 years, and Honda continues to innovate in the automobile market, as well as in many other markets it participates in. Normally, when a person thinks of Honda, the first that comes to mind is the Civic. In fact, people who poke fun at Japanese cars like to think all the sporty cars are bascially slow Honda Civics. While I'm not going to start any flaming on the make, let's get to my experience. I got into the Element, and I thought the car was pretty cool for a machine that doesn't have any carpet. I felt my sneakers kind of grip to the floor of the car, like I was on the basketball court or a clay tennis field. An interesting thing about the car is that you can't see the transmission on the floor. The Honda Accord (2-door) had pretty big gauges and easy-to-read lettering. It's charm on the outside carried into the inside pretty well. I sampled the Insight, and the car was plain and only carried two people. The Honda Civic is the number one tuner car of choice in America. I got into the new Civic Si, and I could see why the car is so hot. The Si had a nice rally-style shifter on the dashboard. Such a fun factor. "John, did you get into the S2000?" I saved the best for last. The S2000 at the show was the newer model of it. It is so sporty with 240hp. I can see why the car is so fun even though tuners seem to like using the tail lights for their tuner Hondas.
TOYOTA
Now on to my personal favorite Japanese car company. The Celica was as racy as I thought it was. I liked it pretty much. The second-generation Prius had nice lines and exciting features. Had some fun girls join me with their dad in the car. Then I seen the MR-S. I thought it was more of a Ferrari with the MR2, but this one is more of a Porsche. I think the newer Echo looks better, but still a tad ugly. I think if they brought the hatchback Echo, it would sell better. Also, the new Solara was there. I like the car's styling except for the rear lights.
AUDI
Another German car company now. This one the brainchildren of the Audi R8 (somebody PLEASE beat them at Le Mans or ALMS!). The Audi TT roadster was my favorite car there. It was fun and cool. Then some dude came by and said that I looked good in the yellow roadster I was in. But, I guess I bought his claim.
VOLKSWAGEN
I enjoyed getting into the New Beetle. My only concern was the cramped space in the convertible at the driver seat. I couldn't adjust the seat for my skinny and tall self was having trouble stretching my legs in it. I said to myself about the VW Golf R32 "I wonder if Japanese car faithfuls will accept the name 'R32' on a VW Golf..." This was the weirdest moment for me. Someone said that "I was a lucky man." And then this guy told his girlfriend to take a picture of me, and so I did. I raised up the Peace symbol with my fingers and shown off my dorky impression of feeling very proud to be in the car. Ahh, it's good being dorky sometimes.
Well, this is only 1/2 of my experience. More to come in future posts including BMW, Mini, Acura, Scion, Maybach, Lotus, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, the Mustang 40th Anniversary exhibit, my first Aston Martin I seen upclose, Saleen, and an Italian car in red that WASN'T a Ferrari. More to come, folks!
. Pretty cool people. They also have an Aston dealership.
