Went to the International Auto Show yesterday. First of all, I don't have any pics. I know this thread may be useless without pics, but considering every car this is completely stock and basically zero mods, all the manufacturers just showing off their stuff, I figured no since taking a bunch of pics of competely stock cars that people could google up anyway.

Some of the cars that made impressions, good or bad:

Camaro: Made a bee line to this first, just inside the door. The model was a V6, decked out with 20" wheels and loaded. The girl said that this V6 would cost $39,000 since it had the leather int, wheels, etc. Sounds like a lot for a loaded V6. First impression when I sat down, hard to get in, very high door sill, this car already had lots of scrapes from people dragging their feet in and out of it. Door was also hard to close, no real handle to wrap your fingers around and grab, just a slot you can get a couple of inches of your fingers in, and the slot is angled, not at 90' so you can get a good 'finger tip hold' but more of an angle where your finger tips keep slipping off trying get the door closed. It didn't even have armor all on it, but if it did, I'm guessing I could not get the door shut without grabbing the top of the door itself. Annoying. Also the windshield seemed very small, and feels like you are in a top chopped '51 Merc. Stock stereo looked like it 'fit' in this car, but not sure how ANY aftermarket stereo is going to look in there. It will need a huge piece of plastic bracket/dash and not sure if it will look right. Good luck on this one, Metra. Oh, and going back to the door, the top of the door rattled when you shut it like there was something loose in there. I thought, no way, but someone else noticed the passenger door doing the same thing, and opened and shut it again looking at it quizically, so it wasn't just me noticing it. Basically, when you get in and shut the door and it rattles, it gives me the first impression that this is a cheap car, and kind of ruins it. Getting out over the high door sill reminds me of a Vette, which is not good either and has always been my biggest complaint with them.

Chevy Traverse: Cool looking Crossover, kind of a cross between a minivan/stationwagon/suv.

Pontiac Soltice: This thing is tiny, and the model on show didn't have power windows, which means the window crank handle dup into your knees, 6'0" and over need not apply, unless you like driving to work with pain and torture.

Nissan Maxima: Looks awesome inside and out. In the car, looking over the bulbous hood and fenders is really cool, looks very sporty. Paddle shifters on wheels is cool, for a midsize 4 door sedan, I liked it.

Nissan 370Z: I loved the interior, this interior is just me. The great looking two tone leather seats, feel great, and really hug you. You just know you could take some mountain roads with those firm, curvacius seats gripping your love handles holding you in place while you carve through the countryside. Makes me think the GT500 seat covers and foam are in my futures, since they have more side padding. Lots of aluminum look throughout, even a little suede (or alcantra) on the doors. Very nice. The three gauge pods staring at you from the center of the dash are also cool. Also comes with nice looking staggered wheels. But, the boomerang headlights will take some getting used to. 325 stock horsepower now as well...

Challenger: They had a black on black with tinted windows SRT8. The put it aside as far as the could get it away from other cars against the wall so you couldn't compare it's massive size with anything else. And it looked COOL! Just totally bad with the smooth sides and modest front and rear spoilers. The nice 20" rims and red brake calipers breaking up the total blackness just enough. Have I said this car looks totally bad? This is the type of car you don't want to meet in a dark alley, ha! Interior was so so, felt a little cheap, but the seats were nice, two tone leather, and the back seat looked actually usefull. The stance of this car is already perfect, great low look with little wheel gap. Running back over and looking at the Camaro for a comparisan made the Chevy look like a jacked up 4x4 ready for snow tires and chains. People were all over the SRT8, talking about great it looked. More people where talking about it than any car at the show, as far as I could tell.

Mustang: Had a nice Candle Apple Red '09 GT sitting next to a 2010 Torch Red V6 Convertible that was up on a pedestal with no touchy signs. Nobody was paying any attention to it, I mean nobody but me. The rear bumper looks worse in person, with this huge piece of black plastic jutting out, I though I was back at the Acura side looking at SUVs. I'm sure there will be tons of aftermarket for that, though. A couple of people where checking out the 45th '09 though, and I like the new fender emblems.

One thing I can say about Ford, they gave the first 600 Military members their money back! Regular cost is $8 to enter the show, Military with ID are only $2, but at the Ford display, a pretty woman was walking around with a huge stack of crisp new ones giving service members their cash back. Pretty cool, nice job Ford! Made me proud to say I had two Fords in my stable.

 

I was there on Saturday night with the family. Sounds like we had similiar thoughts.

I missed the Camaro. I don't think it was there.
Wife set in Soltice...she didn't like sitting that low. Oh well, I thought she would like it.
370Z...meh
Challenger: Favorite car of the show. I love it.
Wife loved the new Mini (4" more room in rear seat and 3rd door for side entry)

Mustangs: Ditto your comments. 2010 Mustang wasn't getting much attention. After seeing it in person I still don't care for it. Rear just doesn't look right. Wife didn't like it either. 2009 looked much better to both of us.

 

 

AFBLUE, we are going to have to get together one of these days. You are one of the biggest posters on this site with one of the nicest S197s, and we've never met! Are you a member of any clubs around here? Or go to any of the shows? Shoot me a line sometime, I'm in the Navy, but get most of my weekends off.

Yes, I liked the Challenger the best too, really sweet.

 

I knew that comment was coming, LOL! Got these from another car in my club:

 

39k for a V-6 unit on the Camaro?? Sheesh! What's that make the SS? About $47k? Once you put the ADMs on there you can buy a Corvette. Score another great one for the General!