There was the usual ocean of non-descript family sedans and SUVs, which we skipped over. The big news was electrics and hybrids; I had a 'conversation' with one vendor wherein I challenged him on electric range in a cold climate, where not only are chemical reactions in batteries slowed way down, but energy requirements are increased substantially due to defrosting, heating, lights and wipers, not to mention nice to have stuff, like heated steering wheels and seats. We agreed to disagree ... when I switch on the electrically heated windscreen (one of the greatest inventions known to mankind, by the way) on my V60, I can hear the alternator start to load up the engine until the engine management system can dial in a bit more fuel. So while battery R&D is moving quickly, I suspect it will be a very long time before these are viable in a typical Canadian winter, especially if, like me, you park on the street and never know if you'll be able to plug it in.
Moving on to the petrol-head stuff, there was little new. Porsche showed a "wagon" version of the Panamera, and Mercedes got brave and showed a C300 wagon. Volvo unveiled the XC40, a new compact SUV looking like a cross between a Range Rover Evoque and a RAV 4. It felt like an appliance store.
At the high end, the Rolls Royce stand was sober, as usual. The Lamborghini stand was colourful, also as usual.
The Ferrari stand had a couple of hotter versions of existing cars; the McLaren stand had an awesome paint job. Wow.
There was little new on the Aston Martin stand, and the only Bentley Continental on show was the convertible -- unfortunate as the coupe is one of my all-time favourite shapes. I include a picture of a coupe from a previous year; what a luscious but understated shape. Still unbeatable. I am assuming it is still in production.
Among the few surprises was a non-rusty, first-generation Honda Civic. A late first-gen version, judging by the Federalised bumpers, this one had the Hondamatic and must have been particularly sluggish. Puny compared to the modern Mini, I remember thinking they were big compared to the original Mini back in the 1970's when I was gainfully employed trying to keep these things on the road before they dissolved in the salt bath we still run on our highways.
Another interesting car was the Mazda Cosmo 110 S, the first rotary Mazda built. Never exported to North America, it was a very clean shape for 1967.
In the hot rod section, there was a lovely Chevy Belair, very tastefully done with a blown V8 of some description hiding neatly under the hood, with no scoops or apertures to mar the pudgy shape. Fat tires, lowered suspension and a 3" exhaust pipe poking out under the rear fender were really well done. Classic! Probably the highlight of the show.
In the wretched excess department, I'll skip over the Bugatti Veyron with a suitcase full of cash on the floor and move on to the monster Lambo with a claimed 3,000 horsepower. True or not, I don't know, but I sure appreciated them leaving the rear bodywork off.
There was also a bunch of 'drift cars' and a few of those ridiculous things on hydraulic struts. You gotta admire the craftsmanship in the paint and trim, but you also gotta ask: why?
Why?
Why?
For the mechanically inclined, the cutaway Ford Ecoboost V6 was interesting. Last year I mentioned the trend to incorporating exhaust manifolds inside cylinder heads, with the turbo bolted directly to a single exhaust port. The Ford takes this to an extreme with the turbo at one end of the head, meaning gas from the third cylinder has a lot longer to go before getting to the turbo than from the first. The ultimate in siamesed heads ... makes you wonder why they are bothering with 4 valve heads. Better breathing? Not likely. I guess the upside is minimising underhood clutter due to complex manifolding, and keeping as much heat and pressure as possible internal to the turbo. Exhaust cam timing is probably aiding and abetting things here. RIP sexy exhaust manifolding ...
So there you have it. My vote for Best in Show was the tastefully hot-rodded 1951 Chevrolet Belair Fleetline Deluxe. My son's pick was the Honda CB650 motorcycle with an inline 4, a throwback to the '60s and the classic Japanese mid-weights.
And in this era of #MeToo, it is worth pointing out that while the ladies in the major manufacturer's stands were both knowledgeable and dressed reasonably soberly, the hot rod section still featured babes shrink-wrapped in small swatches of spandex. Someone didn't get the memo, apparently. Sad.
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