was just at the Philly car show

[Bubba1]

The Philly Car show just opened today is running thru next weekend. I was able to scam....er acquire a ticket from the Audi folks. Not a bad show, it's not as big as it used to be. In fact it fits mostly on 1 floor, with Lexus and MB off by itself.
Sat in a ton of cars. No I did not bring a camera but a few observations.

The Nissan Mallfind...er Pathfinder has a really nice interior, but since Nissan deballed it, it was hard to get excited about it.

I'm still getting used to Infiniti's new Q lettering. still think its dumb

Sat in a new Honduh Civic. I was surprised how large they've gotten and how many idiot lights are on their dash, I counted 15 of them. WTF.

Sat in a new C7 Corvette. Nicer looking in person than in pics. Seats are a little better than the C6, but still needs work. Still want one.

Sat in a Camaro ZL1 convertible. Still can't see out of it. and the gauges at the bottom of the console are retro looking but pretty much useless.

Sat in a Mazda 6. Nice car, but I noticed there were like 12 separate buttons spread around the steering wheel. I can understand cruise control and perhaps a volume control for the radio, but 12 seems a bit much. The Caddy ATS had a couple fewer steering wheel buttons, but at least they were illuminated, which I liked.

I can confirm the new redesigned Cherokee is uglier in person than in pictures, but I gotta admit, the inside was pretty nice. Jeep once again had their indoor off road course, which was kinda cool, despite your being held captive during a sales pitch, and signing up for spam.

Caught a glimpse of the Lambo Aventador. Very sexy.

There were 3 Ferrari's. A 458, an FF, and a 599 "Alonzo Edition", which is basically a red 599 with a white roof and oversized prancing horse decal and an bigger window sticker..

Ford had the new F150 and Mustang behind ropes. I kinda like the look of the new 'stang. Seems to sit a little lower. The F150 did not impress me. I suspect folks are gonna be shocked when they try to get repairs done to those aluminum bodies.

Carlisle Events had a section between the main show and Lexus/Mercedes section. They had some interesting vehicles that I guess they wanted you to vote on to entice you onto their website. A few interesting vehicles in their collection like a Saleen S7, and a Ford GT.

Hottest models? This morning, I'd say a tossup between Cadillac and Kerbeck (Lambo/Rolls/Aston Martin/Bentley dealer), though there was a Toyota spokesmodel that wore a dress that looked sprayed on (which is a good thing). And Karen Rogers, the local ABC affiliate weekday morning weather/traffic hottie was there signing autographs this morning. Very cute.

The Simeone Foundation had some nice cars on display again, including one of the original Cobra Daytona coupes (unrestored). They also had a Jag SS100, an Allard J2, and a rare Lamborghini powered Bizzarini race car, and a gorgeous prewar Peugeot.

Admission is $12. It's worth checking out.

[Rogue One]

The Nissan Mallfind...er Pathfinder has a really nice interior, but since Nissan deballed it, it was hard to get excited about it.

Spot on!

Thanks for the review. Woulda' been nice to have pics, but we'll let it slide...This time.

[MinisterofDOOM]

There were 3 Ferrari's. A 458, an FF, and a 599 "Alonzo Edition", which is basically a red 599 with a white roof and oversized prancing horse decal and an bigger window sticker...

Wait a minute. Why are we promoting special editions of deprecated models? The 599 is long out of production. Why is it not an F12 Alonso Edition? Weird...

The F150 did not impress me. I suspect folks are gonna be shocked when they try to get repairs done to those aluminum bodies.

I'm still trying to figure out why the internet is exploding over the aluminum F150 and repair costs. The F150 is not even close to the first car to make heavy use of aluminum. It might be the most "average" car to do it, but not by much.
And, anyway, getting your panties in a wad over repair costs is asinine. Just as unreasonable as all the unnecessary safety s*** on cars these days. If you buy a car based on what'll happen when you crash it, you're doing it wrong. That's like buying a house based on what it'll do when it burns down.
The point is DON'T GET IN A SMEGGING ACCIDENT.

This whole "repair and insurance costs will go up" drivel is stupid. It's extra stupid because it's completely distracting everyone from the important point:
It is ABOUT DAMN TIME AUTOMAKERS STARTED USING MORE ALUMINUM.
Aluminum is A GOOD THING. Lighter, stronger materials are EXACTLY what the modern fatass auto industry needs. Yes, it's harder to form. Yes, it's much more difficult (or impossible) to repair compared to steel. Yes, it tends to crack rather than dent. It also weighs a LOT less. And side from rare exceptions its weaknesses will never present themselves. Once the industry starts picking it up, common aluminum-forming techniques will spread and become cheaper and more practical, and even that disadvantage will be gone.
Where was this outcry for all the plastic and fiberglass cars that have been made? ?????? This is ONE SINGLE MODEL and the whole internet and every auto magazine ever is on the verge of sh@#ing themselves over something that SHOULD be hailed as a very welcome and long-awaited step forward.
Stop bitching about the F150's aluminum. IT IS A GOOD THING. EVERYONE ELSE NEEDS TO DO IT TOO.

Oh, and by the way:
I don't think ANY of the people I've heard whining about the effects of aluminum bodywork on insurance premiums has actually INSURED AN ALUMINUM CAR.
Interestingly, the car I'm paying for comprehensive coverage on at the moment just happens to have a lot of aluminum bodywork AND structure. I can't say I've noticed my premiums being any more expensive than they'd be for some imaginary not-aluminum version of my car.

Stop whining and embrace the future. It's about time. If you need emperical proof just compare the curb weight of any Jaguar to the comparable German model of your choice. If that doesn't convince you, you're in the wrong hobby.

[Bubba1]

I'm guessing you don't know any Jaaaag or Audi A8L owners who have had to pay for aluminum body repairs on their cars and learned the hard way the about the higher cost to repair aluminum vs steel. I do.

Aluminum has been around for a looong time, so I don't really see it being the future of mass produced vehicle body panels. Upscale vehicles, where there's already an expectation for high repair costs? Sure. I think it will be interesting to see how long Ford sticks with aluminum body panels for the F150. I know if I were in the market for a full sized pickup, living in one of the most congested areas in the country, and having witnessed the utter lack of driving skill of the drivers around me, I'd think twice about owning any aluminum bodied DD, even with the weight savings over steel.

There are also other things you may not have considered. Fox example, as good as a driver as you may be, your car can easily get damaged while you not even in it. (My wife's Altima was hit 5 times in 2 years - each time while it sat still. There's also mother nature, branches falling down, hail, etc. Another factor is the extent of damage to an aluminum bodied car that will trigger an insurance company to total it is much less than other type bodied cars. That's simply because of the cost. And you don't typically make money when an insurance company totals your car. Plus you'll also find that depreciation rates of aluminum bodied cars are no better than their competition. In fact, many are worse.

[OriginalWheelman]

Sat in a new C7 Corvette. Nicer looking in person than in pics. Seats are a little better than the C6, but still needs work. Still want one.

THIS. I've not driven one, but based on looks, I want it! lol The first time I saw one in person my first thought was "Is that a new Ferrari?" Then I drove by it and realized "No, that's the new Vette!"

Sat in a Mazda 6. Nice car, but I noticed there were like 12 separate buttons spread around the steering wheel. I can understand cruise control and perhaps a volume control for the radio, but 12 seems a bit much. The Caddy ATS had a couple fewer steering wheel buttons, but at least they were illuminated, which I liked.

Our Mazda2 has the same deal with the steering wheel buttons. The thing is, they are all cruise control and radio controls. The right side is On, Off, Coast, Resume, and the +/- rocker for the speed changes. The left side is ^ and v for changing presets/tracks Volume controls, a mute button which is handy more often than you would think, Mode (still don't knwo what this one does. I assume it has something to do with a flame thrower.) and Info, which is used to toggle the dash display. It's weird to get used to, but nice to have all that on the wheel once you do.

Ford had the new F150 and Mustang behind ropes. I kinda like the look of the new 'stang. Seems to sit a little lower.

I like it from all angles except the back. It looks weird and raked funny.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I love the new Mustang. So much lower and leaner looking. The original 2005 "Retro" redesign always looked tall, fat, and droopy to me. The facelift helped significantly (lots of nip and tuck at the nose and waist). But this new one is a significant improvement. I was worried that the new 'Stang would have the comically and disproportionately low-curving roofline of the Giugiaro concept from a couple years back. Glad that's not the case.

My big complaint about the new 'Stang's styling is the quarter windows. They remind me of an Accord Coupe, which is about the worst insult I can think of short of "it looks like a Tempo." The cut of the glass and the floating pillar are incredibly mundane and do absolutely nothing to support that unsporty curving rear roofline. There's so much emptiness behind the glass on those heavily-trailing pillars, which from the back builds a great micro-deck fastback look but from the sides just looks strange. I realize the Mustang is a 4-seater and needs headroom in the back, but bringing that roofline forward and down about 2 inches and sharpening the lines in the rear side glass (eliminating the imitation wannabe HofKink) would make a huge difference.

Every time I see a new Mustang from the side, I see 8th gen Accord Coupe.


And now, thanks to me, you will, too. It cannot be unseen.

[Loki]

Where was this outcry for all the plastic and fiberglass cars that have been made? ?????? This is ONE SINGLE MODEL and the whole internet and every auto magazine ever is on the verge of sh@#ing themselves over something that SHOULD be hailed as a very welcome and long-awaited step forward.
Stop bitching about the F150's aluminum. IT IS A GOOD THING. EVERYONE ELSE NEEDS TO DO IT TOO.

It seems to me that the internet in general does nothing but b**** and b**** and b**** about Ford and Lincoln (at least that's what seems to happen on Car & Driver pretty extensively). I think the aluminum F150 will do fine. Not to mention a 2.7L TTV6 aluminum F150 might get within spitting distance of 30 mpg highway. Or you could load an aggressive tune into the ECU and push nearly 400 ft-lbs of torque out of it.

Personally, I think the Vette looks terrific, and has some great performance, but there's several ergonomic aspects that were done so poorly I was baffled when I first met a C7 (especially since these elements were done CORRECTLY on the C6).

BTW, anyone that has sat in the new Vette, I have a thought exercise for you: the doors unlatch electronically by pushing the button/pad behind the door panel. So let's say your battery goes dead, how do you open the door in order to pop the hood?

[Jmoore124]

I personally like the new mustang changes. However, from the profile that was earlier posted it looks to me like they are moving away from the uniqueness that the mustang had. The lines of the hood and the relative symmetry between the front and rear make it look very cookie cutter coupe to me. (if that makes any sense to any of you)

I have no problem with the new ford being aluminum. I am kind of intrigued to how well ford is able to pull it off. They have never been very good with their sound deadening, so that is probably one of the biggest concerns for me. I think its a step in the right direction personally.

[MinisterofDOOM]

'Vette doors have been electronic since the C6. XLR doors were the same way. So are ELR doors.
The delay in activation on the XLR's doors is a little weird...kind of interrupts the natural motion of just pulling the door open.

It seems to me that the internet in general does nothing but b**** and b**** and b**** about Ford and Lincoln

Any b@#$%ing about Lincoln is fully and wholeheartedly supported by this Lincoln owner. Modern Lincoln is a lame joke that needs to be put out to pasture. It's 100% rebadges with 10000% too much walrus mustache.

Lincoln board meetings go like this:

Board Member #1: "Hey guys, we need a [insert vehicle segment here] because those are booming right now!"
Board Member #2: "Well let's put a fancy grille on a [insert Ford model here], add some crosshairs, and make a lot of money!"
Board Member #1: "BRILLIANT! We'll save MILLIONS on R&D and we can call it a brand new model. We can even give it one of those "coupe-like" rooflines everyone loves! And we can tack $10,000 onto the price because it's a Lincoln!"
Board Member #2: "That's what I thought! And we can even rename MyFord Touch to MyLincoln Touch! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW IT'S THE SAME THING!"
Board Member #3: "Guys? Hey I don't mean to interrupt, but guys? Isn't this the kind of thinking that ended up killing Mercu-"
Board Members #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10: "SHUT UP DENNIS NOBODY LIKES YOU AND YOU HAVE STUPID HAIR!"

The MK[insert letter here] is a joke.

[Bubba1]

Any b@#$%ing about Lincoln is fully and wholeheartedly supported by this Lincoln owner. Modern Lincoln is a lame joke that needs to be put out to pasture. It's 100% rebadges with 10000% too much walrus mustache.

Lincoln board meetings go like this:

Board Member #1: "Hey guys, we need a [insert vehicle segment here] because those are booming right now!"
Board Member #2: "Well let's put a fancy grille on a [insert Ford model here], add some crosshairs, and make a lot of money!"
Board Member #1: "BRILLIANT! We'll save MILLIONS on R&D and we can call it a brand new model. We can even give it one of those "coupe-like" rooflines everyone loves! And we can tack $10,000 onto the price because it's a Lincoln!"
Board Member #2: "That's what I thought! And we can even rename MyFord Touch to MyLincoln Touch! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW IT'S THE SAME THING!"
Board Member #3: "Guys? Hey I don't mean to interrupt, but guys? Isn't this the kind of thinking that ended up killing Mercu-"
Board Members #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10: "SHUT UP DENNIS NOBODY LIKES YOU AND YOU HAVE STUPID HAIR!"

The MK[insert letter here] is a joke.

Scary that it's probably true.

[sx moneypit]

Where was this outcry for all the plastic and fiberglass cars that have been made? ?????? This is ONE SINGLE MODEL and the whole internet and every auto magazine ever is on the verge of sh@#ing themselves over something that SHOULD be hailed as a very welcome and long-awaited step forward.
Stop bitching about the F150's aluminum. IT IS A GOOD THING. EVERYONE ELSE NEEDS TO DO IT TOO.

It seems to me that the internet in general does nothing but b**** and b**** and b**** about Ford and Lincoln (at least that's what seems to happen on Car & Driver pretty extensively). I think the aluminum F150 will do fine. Not to mention a 2.7L TTV6 aluminum F150 might get within spitting distance of 30 mpg highway. Or you could load an aggressive tune into the ECU and push nearly 400 ft-lbs of torque out of it.

Personally, I think the Vette looks terrific, and has some great performance, but there's several ergonomic aspects that were done so poorly I was baffled when I first met a C7 (especially since these elements were done CORRECTLY on the C6).

BTW, anyone that has sat in the new Vette, I have a thought exercise for you: the doors unlatch electronically by pushing the button/pad behind the door panel. So let's say your battery goes dead, how do you open the door in order to pop the hood?

Here is how you get into the car when the battery is dead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLDqmGQU6L0

[Rogue One]

Any b@#$%ing about Lincoln is fully and wholeheartedly supported by this Lincoln owner. Modern Lincoln is a lame joke that needs to be put out to pasture. It's 100% rebadges with 10000% too much walrus mustache.

Anyone remember the Cimarron by Cadillac? Essentially they re-badged the Chevy Cavalier, tacked on some chintzy fabrics and accessories, and nearly killed the entire Cadillac line in the process.

[OriginalWheelman]

'Vette doors have been electronic since the C6. XLR doors were the same way. So are ELR doors.
The delay in activation on the XLR's doors is a little weird...kind of interrupts the natural motion of just pulling the door open.

It seems to me that the internet in general does nothing but b**** and b**** and b**** about Ford and Lincoln

Any b@#$%ing about Lincoln is fully and wholeheartedly supported by this Lincoln owner. Modern Lincoln is a lame joke that needs to be put out to pasture. It's 100% rebadges with 10000% too much walrus mustache.

Lincoln board meetings go like this:

Board Member #1: "Hey guys, we need a [insert vehicle segment here] because those are booming right now!"
Board Member #2: "Well let's put a fancy grille on a [insert Ford model here], add some crosshairs, and make a lot of money!"
Board Member #1: "BRILLIANT! We'll save MILLIONS on R&D and we can call it a brand new model. We can even give it one of those "coupe-like" rooflines everyone loves! And we can tack $10,000 onto the price because it's a Lincoln!"
Board Member #2: "That's what I thought! And we can even rename MyFord Touch to MyLincoln Touch! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW IT'S THE SAME THING!"
Board Member #3: "Guys? Hey I don't mean to interrupt, but guys? Isn't this the kind of thinking that ended up killing Mercu-"
Board Members #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10: "SHUT UP DENNIS NOBODY LIKES YOU AND YOU HAVE STUPID HAIR!"

The MK[insert letter here] is a joke.

[skydragoness]

I usually go to the Philly Auto show every year with my friends that live up that way; I'm probably going to miss it this year.

Was the new F56 Mini on display there? I just want to see how ugly it is in person

[Bubba1]

I usually go to the Philly Auto show every year with my friends that live up that way; I'm probably going to miss it this year.

Was the new F56 Mini on display there? I just want to see how ugly it is in person

I think it was there but it flew under my radar, though I did sit in the new Fiat 500L, their new ugly mini mini van. It was interesting with enough headroom for Marge Simpson to sit without disturbing her hair.

[skydragoness]

I really hope the Fiat catches on, they've been showing to be more reliable than the Minis (maybe because they're more simplistic). As far as I can tell, I don't like the new F56 in photos, looks less like a Mini and kind of catfish-like instead of the bulldog image they advertise; not to mention they've added more weight. Hmmm.

[Bubba1]

Anyone remember the Cimarron by Cadillac? Essentially they re-badged the Chevy Cavalier, tacked on some chintzy fabrics and accessories, and nearly killed the entire Cadillac line in the process.

If you want to see Jesda (a Cadillac afficionado) wince, just say "Cimarron" in his presence...

[skydragoness]

What about the Catera? That was a winner :P

[sx moneypit]

What about the Catera? That was a winner :P

Yeah,the Caddy that zigs.(and zags its way to the shop)