Planes, Trains And Automobiles: The 2012 Chicago Auto Show (Feb 10-19)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:26AM 
(click pic to enlarge) The Chevy 'Code 130R' Concept for a small 4-seat muscle car
(27 pix)
The Chicago Auto Show is currently underway (Feb 10-19) at McCormick Place near downtown Chicago. My wife and I drove to Chesterton, Indiana about 1-1/2 hours from home and hopped on the South Shore train. Not only does riding the train eliminate some stressful parking issues, it stops right at McCormick place, which makes this a very nice and easy journey. The train itself is a rather pleasant transportation experience... and for me, my love for aviation is built on a foundation of a love for the machines we humans build to move our bodies around. That's why being able to ride a train to go to a major national auto show makes for a really nice day for me! (btw - what car do I want the most? the answer is all the way at the bottom of the page)
I believe we've seen the automotive and aviation industries crossover quite a bit more in the last 30 years. The auto industry has turned more toward the aviation mindset of using advanced lightweight materials and technologies in an effort to reduce weight and increase efficiency. And clearly they've taken air-management (aerodynamics) very seriously for the same reasons. And with aircraft like the very popular Cirrus SR20 and SR22, we've seen the aviation industry lean over into automotive-thought when it comes to interior design. I think we're also likely to see even more of this in the future, along with the possibility of integrating such cabin comforts as air conditioning that's far simpler and more car-like in the future.
All things considered, I find looking at new production cars and dreamy concepts to be a great inspiration for where I'd like to see the aviation world go. There's a lot of passion on display at an auto show... and for me, aviation is about 80% passion. That's why general aviation aircraft from the 1940's and older are far more interesting to me - I feel a real passion for flight in their design. Ultimately, I believe that designing with passion in mind is going to be the most effective tool in re-invigorating the general aviation industry. When we figure out how to design and build airplanes that people are willing to sacrifice other parts of their life for, then we'll see growth. At least that's my opinion: )
I've pulled 27 of the best pix from my Chicago Auto Show trip for you to check out here and have included some caption info. If you're in the Midwest and able, I hope you can work in a trip to the show - it runs thru Sunday February 19th and adult tickets are just $11 - you can buy online or at the show. Hours are 10am to 10pm except for the last day, Sunday the 19th, which is 10am to 8pm.
There's no better way to shop the current offerings from the manufactures than at a show like this. Being able to hop from car to car making comparisons based on what you believe is important in car design and function is fantastic. And seeing a collection of far-out concept cars sure gives me the kind of day-dreaming experience I'm extremely fond of!
(click any pic to enlarge)
This Code 130R concept car from Chevy has some sweet retro styling but it's meant to be a thoroughly modern small 4-seat muscle car. With rear wheel drive, 150hp turbocharged 4 cylinder and six speed manual, this cutie should be about the most fun you can have with a 40mpg car. No details yet on when something like this might become reality.
The Tru 140S is another Chevy concept car on display in Chicago. Aggressively styled, this small theory is based on the Cruze/Volt platform and would have a 1.4L turbocharged 4 cylinder. The styling on both of these concepts from Chevy are near perfect in my mind. Go Chevy.
The electric (and gas) Chevy Volt display was drawing a lot of interest. I like the car a lot... we even rode in one last year at the show when they had a course set up to take rides. Rides weren't available this year, but the display was extensive. The car is very well built, looks great, and is very real-world usable. Sure, it's expensive, but it's the absolute leading edge of automotive technology. If it had an Apple logo on it the world would freak-out and throw their cash at it as fast as they could (don't get me started as I'm no fan of the supernatural power of Apple) - but instead there are a lot of haters out there.
I even see plenty of hate from my friends in conservative talk radio, and that's where I think they get the Volt wrong. The Volt doesn't exist because the current President demanded it to go with his loony 'green-dream', it exists because Chevy spent a lot of years and a boatload of cash developing the technology of the future. This all happened long before the bailout. and, if gas was $5 or more a gallon right now, the Volt would most likely be a great success.
Ultimately, I'm glad it's here and available. While it's true that we still have to generate the electricity used by electric cars, we can do that without any foreign involvement. I'm far less concerned with going green and much more concerned with tapping domestic energy sources. I believe the Volt deserves our support, as does GM for making it a reality.
The Chevy Camaro ZL1 is the most beasty Camaro ever built. With 580hp produced by its supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V-8 and a base price for the hardtop version of just a tick over $54,000, this is hardcore muscle at a remarkably reasonable price. They had both the hardtop and this convertible on display... but if you have your heart set on the open air version, you'll have to wait til later in the year. I like their tagline for the car: Barley Street Legal. : )
I haven't been keeping up on all the new production cars in the works lately, so this very sharp BIG Cadillac was a surprise to me. It's the 2013 XTS - and I'd call it the lux boat for the future. This was a very hot looking car given that its purpose is luxury and comfort. The styling was impressive... I think it'll be a success.
The Chevy Malibu is redesigned for 2013, and it looked sharp inside and out. I admit I've been a fan of the signs of a GM turn-around since before the economy collapsed. If you looked closely you could see they were making the changes necessary to not just survive into the future, but to thrive. It's for this reason that I feel a bailout was a good idea. I wouldn't have put it into play as it was, but the old management definitely had the future in sight, and the cars they build today are the absolute proof of that. The new 'bu should only strengthen that stance.
The 2013 Ford Escape, a completely new design, looked fantastic. I've been following the car for several months now and it was great to see it in person and try it on for size. It's looks right, feels right, and leaves the thoughts of the old Escape far behind. Some complain that it's too much like the Focus hatchback just pushed up taller... ha - that's exactly why I like it and believe it'll be a great success!
The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 was attracting a lot of attention. The sign by the one turned on its side, giving a good view of the belly of the beast, said it's not just a collection of bolt-on parts... instead, it's a specifically designed balance of parts engineered to make a track-ready beast that you can drive back home. There's no doubt it was sure sparking dreams in that little guy checking out the green one : )
The 2012 Ford Focus Electric was available to try on for size. An electric-only vehicle designed to compete with the Nissan Leaf, the Electric Focus is in production and some limited deliveries should begin soon. Real-world details are still hard to find, but there's no doubt that the focus platform that it's built on is definitely very nice. Time will tell if it's got the right stuff.
My wife giving the 2012 Dodge Challenger a try. The Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep display was very energetic and was crawling with loads of people. There were driving tracks for both Dodge Trucks and Jeep products. If you were willing to stand in a long line you could go for a slow but extreme ride with a demo driver. We weren't willing to wait, but it made for some really cool stuff to look at. You can see a Jeep taking a load of pax over the steep hill in the background. I was surprised and pleased to see how much attention the Fiat-controlled divisions were getting.
The Jeep Wrangler Arctic Edition looks really nice. If I had money (for both the purchase and the gas) I'd be all over one of these. Great looking vehicle! Themed 'editions' really get me going, especially when they're done in such an attractive manner. I just wish they'd put a spunky little 4-cylinder in the wrangler so it could get at least 25 mph on the highway.
Here's the indoor Dodge Truck driving course. As you can see, the Chicago Auto Show is a big deal! Attendance looked very strong and the mood overall was very upbeat. In addition to several of these tracks set up to take rides in various companies vehicles, several of the manufactures also had actual test-drive opportunities set up outside for those interested. I didn't have enough time, otherwise I would have definitely looked into it further.
The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo was on display. The quirky-n-cool styling and the great graphics made it look like the fun I'm sure it would be. The Hyundai display was very big and well trafficked... much like their growing share of the US auto market. It would seem to me that Hyundai must be stopped, before they take over the entire world of auto manufacturing! I say that with a bit of a smile, but I do hope that if you're in the market for a new car and are interested in Hyundai, that you look at the US based companies too. And again, going to a show like this makes it pretty easy to really compare different products in a way that really helps you decide what would serve you best.
The re-designed 2012 VW Beetle was good to see. I remember hoping they would've had a prototype on display last year at the show, but they didn't. The squashed top and updated details looked really nice. I saw one on the road the other day, but it's always cool to touch and try the inside of a fresh vehicle like this in person. I like the newer look and expect that it'll be a popular little bug.
It wouldn't be an auto show without plenty of glitzy concept cars and displays that are just as impressive. This Lexus LF-LC sports-coupe-beast certainly looked hot. Some extreme styling and the promise of high performance make the dream complete. The presenter suggested that that if they produced such a car they'd be shooting for the $100K range. I guess that's pretty reasonably all things considered.
As it turned out, the star of the show for both me and my wife was the Countryman from Mini. This is the 115% scale Mini, with 4 doors and room for 4 full size adults. The combination of slick Mini styling, real back seats, a quirky interior (the best of any car I saw at the show), the ALL4 all-wheel drive, and still very good economy from the 1.6L turbocharged 4 cylinder, the Countryman S is everything we've both been wanting in a car.
We've had a Honda Element in the past, and seriously considered the Nissan Cube, and I currently drive a Chevy HHR Panel, so you can see our taste isn't 'normal', but the oversized Mini could easily be considered the most normal of those choices. I guess I've been hooked on Mini ever since I first sat in one at the Chicago Auto Show manyyears ago... and then, when a stranger let me drive his a several years ago, I fell in love. The Countryman isn't quite the go-kart that the smaller Mini's are, but when you balance all the capabilities, this car is fantastic. (I will add tho that my HRR Panel is, ALL things considered, the best car I've owned thus far)
My two big challenges in the way of owning a Countryman are; first coming up with the cash (ha!); and the other is my feeling that Americans should do all they can to support US based manufactures... and the Mini's sure aren't built in America. The more the world becomes globalized tho, this becomes even more difficult and confusing. The one thing I know tho, the Mini Countryman is the car that stirred my emotions more than anything else at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show!
I highly recommend the Chicago Auto Show!
Reader Comments (3)
Tons of great cars there at the auto show. My favorite is the lime green Ford Mustang; hot color. Looks really amazing!
Used Cars Bloomington
Thanks so much for sharing all of these awesome pictures! I am such a big fan of the Dodge Challenger, that I have been scouring out car dealerships in McAllen TX in order to get my hands on one. I have been due for a new car for a while now and I want the Challenger because I am helping my dad fix up his 1970 model, and I think it'd be cool if we had the same car, one representing old school, and one representing new school. And of course the one I get will be orange, because there is no other color that you should get for the Challenger besides orange!
Thank you very much for sharing this amazing article and super image of car. I madly love the cars.