Photo gallery: 2009 Detroit auto show
Today is my last day in Detroit (assuming my flight this evening doesn't get canceled due to the weather). This was my first time visiting the Detroit auto show, and from all the doom-and-gloom predictions, I figured I'd pretty well missed the golden days. After attending the press preview, all I can say is that if this is the Detroit show in a bad year, I can't imagine how awesome it must be in a good year! I had an absolutely fantastic time. During the press previews, most of the automakers talked about what a lousy year 2008 was and how 2009 wasn't going to get much better -- but despite all the troubles, they premiered some fantastic vehicles. If you have a chance to go to the Detroit show, by all means do it! It's well worth the trip. And whether you go or not, you can peruse the show's newest and most notable cars in my 2009 Detroit auto show photo gallery; be sure to click the thumbnails for more information on each car. There are 50 photos in all, and if you ask me, it's worth going through all of them. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
Comments
Great photos and I love the comments! Here’s my first impressions…
Best concept that should have been built already: Converj (this is what the Volt should have looked like, it would single handedly save GM)
Best chance of making me weep that I don’t own one: Fisker Karma (drool…)
Most likely to suck the life out of it’s drive with it’s hideously bloated exterior lines: Lincoln MKT
Most surprising design likely to never be built and end up only a pinup on Aaron’s wall: Volkswagen BlueSport (what a cool looking concept, sorry Aaron, keep dreaming for a sporty diesel! If the do end up building it my money is on a European market only release.)
Most disappointing: Toyota Prius (Sure it has more power and better EPA numbers but where is the plug-in?! Toyota has capitalized so well on the hybrid market beating most others to the punch and laughing all the way to the bank, but with new comers soon to be offering plug-in versions of their cars Toyota better get on it before they end up behind for a change.)
One more, sorry…
Most likely to resemble a Tonka toy I had in the 70’s: Jeep Patriot (wow what an uninspired, toylike, drag across the carpet to make it go, POS. It may get good EPA numbers for an SUV but does it have to look so plain and boring?)
Oh, and please forgive my typos in my previous post, it’s late and I should really be sleeping right now
Great photo lineup.
Whats up with the (2030)Audi R8 5.2 Do we have to wait till 2030 to buy this awesome car??
How long before you can get your hands on a BMW Z4 hardtop/vert.
to review ???
Dodges concept Circuit EV looks cool but I’m sure if it ever gets built they will somehow make it into a generic piece of rolling junk as always.
Kia Soul’ster looks as if it was designed for South-America rather than us. Does it have a 4×4 version projected ???
VW concept Blue Sport. YES, I would buy it.Im with you I hope they build it but sadly I doubt it for the USA market.
The Bluesport looks great. If they offered it with a gas engine as well I think it would sell.
The new Ford Taurus… Well it is better looking than the old one.
I would love a Fusion Sport with an Ecoboost engine! Maybe a Milan sport with a V6 Echoboost.
All those Chinese cars scare the daylights out of me.
The Bluesport is a nice looking car but it is already on the market. It’s called a Saturn Sky. Come on VW, you could have at least made an attempt at being original.
Jeff,
The Saturn Sky is not a mid-engined car. The BlueSport is. That gives them very different handling dynamics. It’s the same thing that’s seperated Boxsters from Z4s, Aston Martins from Ferraris, and Miatas from MR-Spyders. Inertia drastically changes how you drive a roadster.
I’d say making a mid-engined, diesel-powered roadster is pretty original. Can you name another example? I can’t. I, for one, commend VW on this idea, and hope they proceed with at least a 2.0T or 2.5 model.
Come on now. Obviously I was talking about the styling of the car which was unquestionably copied from the Sky. Sorry, next time I’ll be more specific.
Coupla things… KUDOS to the Buick LaCrosse; contrary to the stodgy Buick image this thing is OOZING with subdued made-ya-look-twice styling and confidence, kinda lke when Sean Connery as 007 enters a dinner party held by the bad guys wearing a classic black tux…. YES to the Orlando, YES to the Cruze (MUCH better than the rental car cues of the Cobalt), OH HELL YES to the Converj (can’t wait for the CTS-V coupe!), and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE YES for the Bluesport V-Wee, even though we all know it’ll never happen here in the states. Lastly, the new Prius actually looks good. And, is it ‘PREE-us’ or ‘PRY-us’???? Please settle the debate.
Never heard of a “Brilliance”? Their website is so slow I gave up on it. And come on, Brilliance? Bad name.
Ford Taurus looks good again.
C
Sean: I believe it’s pree-us in North America, and pry-us in Great Britain. They did the same thing with the Celica (SEH-li-kah and seh-LEE-kah). — Aaron
I’ve been watching some of the videos of these Brilliance cars (as well as other Chinese cars). I’m absolutley horrified. Seems their auto industry is nothing more than another means of population control for the Chinese people. These cars shouldn’t even be allowed on American soil. I know you said they’re going to be all new models, but their crash-safety technology can’t improve that much in just a year. What a joke for them to even show their face in front of us. The NHTSA should publicly embarass this company for all it’s done (or NOT done). I’m almost sick to my stomach that millions of these things are out there right now across the roads of China. Quick, somebody send them a Lexus to show them how its done…
My picks:
M-B Concept Blue and the VW Bluesport.