The 2010 New York International Auto Show is already well underway and, depending on the day you’re reading this, altogether over. The annual convention was a step up from 2009’s dismal affair—even the coffee, which one speaker at the press breakfast last year likened to fossil fuel. Of course, not everything at the show was outstanding because it was outstanding. Check out more pics from the Press‘ coverage of the 2010 NY Auto Show.
Nicest “Look, Don’t Touch” Car – Lexus LF-A
Only 500 examples of the Lexus LF-A will be produced, so stopping by the gray matte-finish model at the NY Auto Show very well may be the only chance to see one in person. Just don’t expect to be posting any pictures of yourself in the driver’s seat on Facebook—the only humans allowed anywhere near the LF-A are the model posing and the guy dusting it off.
Best Reason To Visit a Car Manufacturer’s Space – The Mazda2 Energy Drinks
Pamphlets are great, and where would I put all two of my house keys if I didn’t get a lanyard from half of the companies at the show, but Mazda takes the Taurine-and-Vitamin-B-infused cake with their Mazda2 energy drinks. Their bright green color almost perfectly matches the shade of the 2s on display. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not, but I’ll gladly take some watered-down Red Bull over pretty much anything else being handed out.
Closest Thing to Driving an Actual Car – Porsche’s Video Game Set-Up
It’s ironic that the only action the vehicles at the NY Auto Show see is the brief drive to a podium or endless spinning on a display carousel. Porsche’s booth offers a little reprieve in the form of a two-player head-to-head racing simulator, where each driver sits in a mock racecar seat and uses a steering wheel and shifter to play.
Worst Job – The Model at the Chrysler Delta Concept
Some people would argue car models have a great job. I beg to differ, and I’d offer the girl modeling with the Chrysler Delta concept as Exhibit A. I first noticed her because of her outfit—a bizarre, half-Matrix-half-recycled solar panels number that covered part of her body and one arm. As I was trying to make out where I’d seen the Delta before (it’s a rebadged Lancia from overseas), I noticed this girl did not move. She was like a guard at Buckingham Palace. It took a floor cleaner begging to wipe down the area under her feet for her to budge.
Loudest Press Conference – Scion
Each press conference was held on the main gallery floor at each auto maker’s respective area. Except Scion—theirs was in a special wing of the Javits Center, by itself. As the lights dimmed I noticed a pair of DJs flanking the center stage and before I could even drop my pencil and camera to cover my ears it was too late. Louder-than-Mulcahy’s music with a bass so deep I felt my heart developing an arrhythmia.
Best in Show – 2010 Jaguar XJ
I won’t even attempt to cover up my bias here—I wrote a dedicated post on the Press site just for this car. My parents have driven the previous two generations of XJs and I’ve taken them for a spin as well. The XJ is absolutely one of my favorite cars. When Jag unveiled the totally new XJ last summer, I had to make do with pictures on a computer screen. But seeing the car in person at the Javits Center and even sitting in it was pure joy. My face hurt from smiling so much.
