I was covering the auto show as a member of the press, so it was especially exciting since I was running from display to display to see the actual unveiling of some of the coolest cars you can imagine.
What happens is this: each car manufacturer has a display on the floor. Get yourself a floor map, or you could easily get lost! For the press, they have a big, bang-up revelation of their next-year's models with a lot of pomp and circumstance, and they also reveal some of their design concepts for cars of the future--some of which will get built, while others may not. This goes on for three days for the press, then there are three days for the industry folks to come in and check out the show while schmoozing; after that, the show is open to the public. This all happens at the beginning of January each year. I believe it starts the first Sunday in January. Some of the cars are very accessible--you can play with the remote-controlled doors, sit in the drivers seat, play with the buttons, etc. Others, like the Ferrari concept car, are under much security, and you're just allowed to ooh and aaah at them.
In my humble opinion, some of the best cars revealed at the Auto Show were the Cadillac Sixteen, the Dodge Tomahawk concept, and the Honda Studio E concept car. The Cadillac Sixteen was revealed at the Opera House in downtown Detroit, and was followed by a big shindig. The Sixteen is the first car with a 16-cylinder engine, which can pull 1,000hp. The Cadillac logo on the grille is decked out in crystal. The Honda Studio E is like a club on wheels; it has lots of musical innovations, and you can plug a PC, an electric guitar, and even a mixing board to mix your own tunes. You can maybe even show videos on the plasma-screen TV. The interior is mostly black, with a red velvet-like trim that definitely makes you feel like you could be in Studio 54 (its namesake.) The Dodge Tomahawk stole the show, however. Usually, the press has a general idea of what each of the manufacturers will show, though we may not know exactly what they'll look like. The Tomahawk was a complete surprise. It's a concept MOTORBIKE! It has four wheels and can go from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. When asked if they'd produce it, Daimler Chrysler said "maybe."
You could easily walk some 15 miles among these amazing cars. Some of the other facts, according to the show producers include:
1. The electricity for all the displays and shows could power a 360-home subdivision for six months.
2. The carpet used at the show could cover 600 homes.
3. The value of the displays and cars at the show? Over $200 million!