The Fast, the Present, and the Future
Show Report by Marissa P.
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) kicked off in Detroit, Michigan a couple weeks ago and as always the automakers pulled out all the stops trying to outdo one another. Nearly everyone premiered new takes on old classics and even gave us a glimpse of the future.
Dodge certainly didn’t shy away from the competition with its display of the 2018 Dodge Demon. The Demon proudly boasts that it is a drag strip-ready car straight from production. Don’t get your hopes too high though, as-is the car won’t pass an NHRA safety inspection it will need a few a few extras before you can head down one of their tracks.
Ford, however, wasn’t going to let the Demon take all the muscle car spotlight. Front and center they brought out a blast from the past with the original 1968 Mustang Bullitt. The Bullitt was driven by Steve McQueen himself in a film of the same name; it featured a famous seven minute long car chase. What really caught attention at the show was the 2019 rebuild of a Mustang holding the same title, imitating the original’s rich green color. This car is more than just a nice body, it has a 5.0 liter V8 engine, unique embroidered interior matching the paint job and even had modifications to give it that 1960’s muscle car sound we all know and love. It’ll be an immediate collector’s car.
After that look back Ford decided to give us a glimpse of the future, not just any future though – we’re talking about the future of pizza delivery. Ford and Dominos partnered up to create the delivery vehicle of tomorrow, a self-driving delivery car made from a Fusion that was enhanced with the latest and greatest in self-driving vehicle technology. The car was complete with its own external tablet that would allow customers to type in a PIN to give them access to the hot, cheesy goodness awaiting them inside. The real question here is do we tip the car or the genius who thought of this idea?
Chevy didn’t wait for the cars of tomorrow: they had a lineup of their electric vehicles that you can buy today! The Chevy Volt and Bolt were the main attractions of Chevy’s electric line up. (Though there is talk that the Volt will be leaving the lineup in the next few years, making the Bolt its replacement.) Chevy is boasting that the Bolt will get over 200 miles per charge also saying that 30 minutes of charge time will give you around 90 miles of distance. Unfortunately hitting the gas station is still a more convenient fill up, but the future is upon us!
Electric cars aren’t for everyone yet, so if that isn’t your cup of tea but you’re looking for something with better gas mileage and you’re thinking family and environment friendly, the Malibu Hybrid was also holding its own crowd. The Malibu claims to get 49 MPG city. Toyota is keeping its hybrid Prius in the game with a 50 MPG city estimate. Hopefully the automakers will keep up this competition and we’ll see even more efficient vehicles in the future. When these guys go head to head everyone wins, and thankfully these cars keep getting better.
If you couldn’t make it to the auto show this year don’t fret! Just visit NAIAS.com and you can see pictures and videos of the show, and trust us it’s worth the look!
