#NYIAS: The BEST of the BEST — It Doesn't Get Much HOTTER Than These Pics From The New York Auto Show

I was very disappointed with the NY Auto show this year. THere was little in the way of "new" vehicles that actually looked much different from the ones already in their manufacturers stables. The Bmws looked the same - the Porsches looked the same - The Audis looked the same - the Lexi are still hideous - Toyota is trying to catch Lexus - and that one Hyundai that everyone is clamouring about really looked more like a caricature than a real car - and will not transfer well to the real world.

THere was a time when at least the US companies used Detroit and NY to showcase their newest designs - but the Trucks were ALL leaked long before the show - and we still do not get to see the new Blazer. I miss the days when Bill Mitchell would have NEW designs for cars every other year - plus some prototype for each brand. That was exciting! THe current 2nd gen Camaro styling - being almost exactly like the first - was a BIG mistake - not one Mitchell would have made.

I wonder how those Porsche inspired Hors d'Oeuvres taste like?

Real good, especially liked the chocolate and cheesecake mousse they served. OTOH, the Porsche car display was meh. Looked like some local dealers brought in some their inventory - only "special" car was that Kermit the Frog GT3 RS.

Some of the interiors on these cars are absolutely garish. The Koenisegg and the MB, I believe it is the new GT both look to be designed to attract Kardashians.

I went on Tuesday and agree that the show was mediocre - my biggest takeaways:

(a) MB G63 looks like a $200,000 bread van. It is much more spacious than the outgoing 30 year old model though, so I guess that means the redesign is a success.

(b) The Lincoln Aviator is going to KILL IT! In a mediocre show, the Aviator was the unexpected highlight for me. Lincoln is really doing a great job. Sure Continental sales have tanked, but Ford got a lot of PR buzz from it.

(c) My biggest take-away - even in NYC, where the NYIAS management have put cars "upstairs" and trucks/SUV's "downstairs" - I was shocked at how much traffic there was in the "Truck" section - IN NYC! In prior years, there were crickets in the truck level with all the action upstairs. Clearly everybody wants a truck or SUV.

In the past the Truck floor was populated with Contractor-types, but this year, EVERYBODY was downstairs pouring over the trucks. I have been going to NYIAS for the past 20 years and this dynamic was very noticeable and doesn't bode well for passenger cars - at least until the next oil crisis - which I'm sure is coming.

Actually, the sales of the Continental are fairly consistent between 800-1000 units a month. Not brilliant at all, but not tanking either.