2011 Washington DC Auto Show Outting

The cohorts in crime have had their 1st adventure since the start of this blog.  Ryan and I decided to go to the Washington DC Auto Show.  We went on a week night to avoid the large weekend crowds.  The day started a bit iffy with the weathermen predicting an ice storm, but we forged ahead with REALLY cold rain we ended up getting.  Ryan showed up all chipper in the GTO to pick me up and of to work we went.  On our way we spotted a red GTO with the license plate BIG ONE.  I promptly made a joke that everyone knows GTO owners don't have "Big Ones," which set the tone for the rest of the day.  The rest of the trip was uneventful.  We spent a portion of the day chatting on IM at work reliving some of the most hilarious things we have come up with.  A certain "Real Man of Genius" Budweiser commercial we made up seems to always leave us in stitches.  Work, FINALLY, ended after a long 9.5 hours and we were on our way to the Metro, with Red Bulls in hand, to get into town.  The train time was spent talking about projects we have in mind for our cars and a few past crazy experiences we have had.  Hmmm, I have been kind of boring until later in life.  Most of the time spent at the show was talking about what we liked/didn't like about the cars we were checking out.  While we were checking out some of the cars, we were being checked out by the representatives, both male and female, at the display.  Today was the day for me to be hit on by the gay man, which is fine.  The ladies were checking us out at the Chevy truck display.  I thought it would be funny if we asked the next person for their phone number, if the representatives asked us if we had any questions.  But, alas, I thought of it on our way out.  There were quite a few "that's what she said" remarks when shift knobs were mentioned.  With our feet and butts tired from all the walking and sitting in cars, we called it quits and headed back to the metro to go home.  One epic moment had me hunched over laughing my ass off.  As we were transferring trains, we saw this group of teenagers that were pretending to arrest each other.  The one comment that stuck out was when the one girl said, "You're under arrest for solicitation."  I looked at Ryan asking, "Why the hell would you pick that?!?"  His reply was, "They are just practicing for the rest of their lives."  An instantaneous roar of laughter exited both of us for a good minute or so.  Even as we're sitting there one of us would just start chuckling about it.  In my tired state, I left the door open for Ryan to make a few jokes at my expense.  Not sure exactly what they were, but I think they were about me being older and bigger (body shape and height, of course).  We made it back to the car and Ryan decided to adjust his suspension to the stiffest setting to let me feel how the car felt.  Needless to say, I think we're an inch or two shorter.  Our fine dining experience took us to McDonalds.  Hamburgers, McNuggets and fries were heartily consumed.  After our four star meal we trekked back to my house to get dropped off.  With a mighty growl Ryan and the blue GTO sped off.  Now onto our car picks and pictures.


Michael's Car Picks

Biased Pick:  2011 Cadillac CTS-V line, since I have a V-1.  The design is more in-your-face than the 1st generation car.  It still has the chrome mesh upper and lower grilles, giant brakes and engine (556hp, supercharged V8).  They had the coupe, sedan and wagon on display.  I am actually partial to the wagon.  There is something about the wagon that makes it cool.  Maybe the sloping roof line.  The interior looks fitting for a Cadillac.  GM is trying to grab new buyers with offering an automatic transmission as well as the 6-speed manual.  The only issue, other than the price tag, is the poor rear visibility of the wagon.  There is a huge blind spot.  So, opt for the back up sensors.  I think I just heard my V honk in disapproval over my liking the new car.

Truck Pick:  Ford F150 SVT Raptor.  The only thing longer than the name is the amount of suspension travel you get in this truck.  I was drawn to the blue one with the black graphics.  I have a thing about blue cars/trucks.  I have a bad man crush on Ryan's GTO.  This truck was designed after off-road race trucks.  It's got the lifted suspension, aggressive off-road tires and widened fenders to cover the tires.  It comes with a 411hp V8.  The interior is also a big step up over the previous model.  If I wanted to go off-roading, this is the truck I want.

Sporty Car Pick:  2011 Audi TTS.  This is a departure for me.  I usually don't care for German cars other than Porsche or some Mercedes models, but this one is cool.  It's actually a 4 person car, though the back seat is pretty much non existent if tall people are up front.  The interior is very nice and laid out logically.  There is a good bit of cargo space in the hatch and the rear seats fold flat for more.  It comes with a 265hp turbo 4 cylinder engine and sports suspension.  I dare you to call this a girlie car.

Odd Ball Pick:  2011 Nissan Juke.  The odd balls need their love too.  This is an AWD compact crossover.  I like it because it's just a funky design.  Not funky like the Cube, but a sporty funky.  It doesn't have a lot of power or space, but would make a great commuter car with 24/30 mpg.  The model that was at the show had red interior trim that complimented the exterior.  I think that is available on some of the exterior color choices. 

Ryan's Car Picks

Biased Pick:  2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.   Growing up as a kid, I have always been in love with GM muscle.  Having owned 4 different GM performance vehicles, 2 of which having LSX engines, naturally the Z06 is my top pick.  I have always wanted one, but only after sitting in the car am I sure that this is the car for me.  The seating position is perfect, and the shifter sits in the most convenient position for my arm.  Everything is within reach, and the interior feels like a true cockpit to a very fast car.  505hp backs up that feeling!

Truck Pick:  SVT Raptor F-150.   I am definitely going to have to go with Mike on this one, SVT  wins this by a longshot.  The truck screams “Do not mess with me” and clearly shows that SVT did not cheap out on any aspect of this truck.  The bold colors are catchy, along with the “Ripped/Torn” graphics along the side and on the hood.  The interior is very nice, considering this truck is made to do some serious offroading.  Inside the truck, you’d never suspect this.  Now, if only I could drive one…

Sporty Car Pick:  Hyundai Genesis Coupe.   Surprisingly enough, I have to go with the Genesis Coupe.  I’ve seen a few of these cars on the road, and have thought “Okay, it looks like a new Tiburon” and this never really drew my attention to the car.  However, after sitting in the car, my entire view changed.  The interior is very nicely done, and there is a lot to look at and it feels great to sit in.  Both paint color on the red and blue cars that were on display were really impressive.  Never thought I’d say this, but awesome work Hyundai! 

Odd Ball Pick:  2011 Honda CR-Z.   I’ve never been a Honda fan, as they’ve never really released any vehicles that have grabbed my attention.  I’ve seen a few of the new CR-Z’s on the road and didn’t think much of them, same as the Hyundai.  Once I sat in it, my view changed.  The interior is very neat, colorful, and quite unique.  I’ve never seen another car quite like it.  Probably the best quality interior for any Honda I’ve ever been in.  Starting around 18k, the price is very reasonable…however they are pretty deep into the “slow side” of the car world, I’ll wait to see what the sportier version has to offer.





















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