Adventures in Detroit: North American International Auto Show 2012

Every January, the North American International Auto Show descends on downtown Detroit, Michigan. It had been thirteen years since we'd been there, so we decided to check out the fun this year, even though the weather had turned iffy--temperatures in the low twenties with a light snow falling.

Yep, that's me in a Jeep Rubicon! Photo courtesy of ChryslerGroup

The drive in was uneventful, until we tried to find parking near the Cobo Center. My husband and I played a round of, "Oh, there's a parking garage--whoops, you just missed it," and proceeded to perform a series of legal U-turns until we landed in a garage. Then we repeated the parking space number until we were fairly certain we would indeed find the spot upon our return.

Our garage offered a free shuttle bus (an old schoolbus painted red) to the event, so we hopped on and enjoyed a quick trip to the entrance.

Inside, swarms--and I mean swarms--of people merged onto the escalator leading to the main floor. We purchased our tickets, waited in a hefty line for the restrooms, and entered the show.

The first thing you notice, besides the overwhelming amount of people in attendance, is the sheer size of the auto show. We entered into the Mercedes Benz exhibit, and after oohing and ahhing over the luxury vehicles, decided to move toward the back to avoid the bulk of the crowds.

The show is all in one room but each automaker has its own unique space. They go all out on their displays--some with carpeting, others with laminate flooring, and still others with glass-like tiles--to highlight their vehicles. They also used different levels of lighting--some fairly blinded, while others provided ambience--and some featured frenetic, loud dance music, while others employed silence.

Our favorite areas were Ford, Lincoln, Porsche, Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagon, and BMW. Ford and Lincoln in particular exceeded my expectations in giving show-goers the wow factor. Ford offered simulated rides, roped off an area for attendees to watch workers build an engine, and hoisted the new Raptor truck's frame off its body. Ford provided plastic cards (like a credit card) to register and save information on any vehicle you were interested in.

Lincoln screamed luxury. The space relaxed and soothed, and the materials used in the display reminded me of an expensive showroom. They also built rooms to display the benefits of owning one of their vehicles. In one room, you could get inside one of their cars to witness the noise-reducing effects of their design.

We liked Dodge for their innovative trucks, Jeep, because, well, it's Jeep!, Volkswagon because of the disco ball and dance club atmosphere, and BMW because they had a really cool concept car.

Of the concept cars, our family also enjoyed GM's Camaro--the matchbox version--in a flourescent green. It looked cool! For regular vehicles, I loved the Dodge Ram Longhorn truck. The leather seats had embroidered stitching reminiscent of a saddle, and the entire truck was so decadent and big, I couldn't help but want it. Made me want to go out and buy a pair of cowboy boots, too!

Hours later, with aching feet, we said goodbye to the visual feast and made our way to the entrance where we'd originally arrived. Shuttle busses for hotels lined the front, but gone were the busses leading to the parking garages. The temperature had dropped considerably, night darkened the sky, and more snow had fallen, leaving the streets icy.

We asked a security guard about a shuttle, and while friendly, he couldn't give us clear direction on if or when a bus would be able to take us to our garage. A group of college kids started walking in that general direction and we decided to join them, knowing our garage was less than four blocks away. There's safety in numbers. However, we'd forgotten about the long tunnel on the way. So we hiked under a creepy, creepy tunnel with one foot of sidewalk--I felt like I was in a horror movie--and prayed we'd survive. The lack of sidewalks on the street (under construction) didn't help. Finally, we emerged and saw the garage. None too soon, I might add.

Minutes later, back on the highway leading out of town, we watched an accident unfold several cars ahead of us. Like I said, the roads had turned icy, and another mile down the road was an even worse accident with fire trucks, police, and such.

Downtown Detroit has such a different feel from the rest of Detroit city. Minutes away from the glitzy casinos, pretty skyscrapers, and upscale hotels, you're confronted with reality. Much of the city is rundown and dangerous. In the street-lit dimness, we passed a gasoline refinery. The electrical lines looked like dusty cobwebs strung over a forgotten neighborhood. As the miles sped away, I was glad we spent the afternoon viewing the automobiles of today and tomorrow, and I couldn't help but hope the innovation we'd witnessed spread to the rest of the once vibrant streets we passed.

Have you ever been to an auto show? Do you, like me, think you want a ginormous truck even though you're slightly frightened of backing up a big vehicle, and you know you'd never find a good parking spot?

By the way, we learned from the radio that over 92,000 people attended on Saturday. No wonder we felt crowded!

Have a fantastic Monday!

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