2006 Chicago Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show is usually the most talked about auto show in America because Detroit, where it takes place, is considered the home of American muscle and the NAIAS takes place about a month before the Chicago Auto Show. The Chicago Auto Show is actually the biggest auto show in America and where many manufacturers debut new models (for example, this year featured the new Lexus ES350 and the Toyota Tundra).

The 96^th Chicago Auto Show contained everything from exotics to econoboxes. Some go to take a hands-on look of all of the cars they're considering in one place. Others go to just gawk at aluminum and carbon fiber monsters that they could not even imagine purchasing. I enjoy all kinds of cars, but still have a heavy import bias.

The Germans had the most impressive spread at the show, but that's not surprising considering the percentage of German cars sold in the US that would be considered Luxury cars. The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG was just breath-taking. MB was able to shake off the boring looks while giving the car sporty looks that fit the car's twin-turbo V12. What really got me though was the S65's monstrous brakes. They look like they could stop a 18-wheeler! This show was my first opportunity to see the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The car reaches nearly unparalleled levels of luxury and speed, but in person it did not excite me that much. That could be because of the car's six figure price tag that ensures that I won't be owning one any time soon.

The Porsche section was a little disappointing because of the lack of the recently released 997 Turbo along with the abundance of "realistic" lower cost models. The non-turbo 997 is still an impressive car, but I need a turbo or race ready model to get my blood pumping. I hoped to see concept of the M coupe coming from BMW, but at least I got to see the new M roadster. The M roadster has always been a deceiving car because it shared the friendly looks of it's weaker "Z" brothers while hiding a detuned M3 powerplant under the hood. The subtle looks remain, but the V8 M3 that is in the works will probably result in a new pair of BWM two-seaters that no longer need inferior goods out of the fear that they'll outshine the M3. Audi had a Red RS4 on display, but I think I was still turned off because of my bad experience with Audi.

I was sure to check out the cars I was considering in the future. Volkswagen was able to catch my eye with their new GTI. I've been looking into a Subaru Impreza WRX for years, but I check out the STI because I like to think big. I still think Subaru hasn't been able to get the design just right, but it's more than enough to make me proudly sport a pink emblem. Subaru also brought out a rally prepped version of the STI but didn't allow anyone to get too close to the beast. The Lancer Evolutions that Mitsubishi had on display were a bit lonely because Mitsubishi decided to focus on their Eclipse Ralliart. I was able to see a Lancer Evolution MR up close for the first time, but they could have chosen a more exciting color for the car. They also had an Eclipse with a Rockford Fosgate sound system on display. That was surprising to me because I was used to RF doing cars just for Nissan.

The Chicago Auto Show was great, as usual. As far as car I'd most like to own, I'd choose the Ferrari F430 Challenge. The car that I'd most likely own would be the Civic Si and it's 8,000 RPM redline.

Other Notes:

• The Lexus IS350 is hardly an exotic, but this blue model fitted with BBS wheels would turn as many heads as many cars twice it's price.
• Toyota showed off this Camry because of their plans to enter the Nextel Cup in 2007. These NASCAR races won't be the most prestigious ones Toyota has entered, but it's nice to see the series allowing a non-domestic in.
• The Ford GT that was on display had the coolest paint job in the show. I think Ford is going too far with this retro thing though.
• Honda had a Civic Si sedan at the show. This should make the old 3-door vs. 2-door Civic Si discussions even more complicated
• The Nissan URGE Concept featured a futuristic interior that allowed the driver to use the car a remote control for a video game. The car was lacking in the looks department though an has a icecube's change in hell of seeing production.
• There was a limo version of the Scion xB put on display at the Chicago Auto Show. A cool concept, but who would ever pay to ride in it?
• Hyundai brought out this amazing Red Tiburon. It's getting harder to resist these Korean cars.
• The Infiniti Coupe Concept makes it look like a new G35 could hit the streets soon. All this and the current G35 coupe still looks so fresh.
• A Turbo Scion tC sporting stickers from every aftermarket parts maker under the sun was at the Chicago Auto Show's Scion section. The lack of a TRD sticker makes me think that there's little chance of a dealer-option turbo in the future.
• The new Jaguar XK is still the standard for performance and luxury under $100,000. We're so lucky that the engineers chose not to make only a hard-top convertible.
• Dodge seems pretty serious about the Challenger Concept. Let's hope the Germans keep reminding them that it takes more than a "Hemi" badge to make a great car.
• The Dodge Charger that Vin Diesel drove in The Fast and The Furious was at the show. Now I've seen both of his main cars from that movie.
• Acura's model of the RL's drive train helped me learn how their AWD system works. Now if I could only find out how they live with calling something with a transversely mounted engine a luxury car.