NAIAS Preliminary Plans, Current Happenings

Hey everyone, I'm sorry to have been away for so long. It seems that everything piled up right after vacation finished...teachers try to finish everything for the second quarter, tests are ubiquitous, and midterms studying starts to eat away at time. This is all pretty normal, though, so hopefully I'll soon be able to grasp how I can balance my time properly. One thing I've managed to do in the past week or so is paint my room. White was just a little too bland for my taste. I'm the kind of guy whose favorite car is sleek, loud, and pricey. As it happens, that car (the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo) is related to something I received at Christmas. My incredibly thoughtful grandparents send me a framed artist's work of that very car. That's what inspired me to paint my room a different color; I had to do the art justice. As it is now, my room is a deep red color with a hint of orange, and the S7 is yellow with a black frame. Short of vehicular descriptions, I can't accurately describe how certain things look, so I'll be sure to post a a photo here once the picture is on the wall. I'm also going for some different lighting over the picture, so the finished product should be an amazing improvement on the feel of my room.

Now, down to business. I've been watching carefully as the two press days at NAIAS 2010 have passed. Yesterday and today, media giants such as Car and Driver, and Motor Trend have been reviewing cars, soaking in press kits, and watching new models as they are unveiled. As I still have to finish this semester, I can't get to Detroit until the 22nd, but this also gives me time to plan. I already have a great list of vehicles I'd like to cover, including the new Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, the Hyundai Genesis, the Ferrari California, the Honda CR-Z, and everything in between these different models. Of course, I'll include the exciting coverage of Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and other high-end brands, but I'm quite interested in some of the really new updates.


For instance, the 2011 Mustang GT has received a larger V8, now at 5.0 liters, with 412 horsepower! That puts it in a league of its own when it comes to power-to-weight ratio...it already matches the Chevy Camaro, a close competitor, in acceleration. This power addition will simply allow the Mustang GT to obliterate the ego of most other drivers. Of course, accompanied by this powerful acceleration will be a dazed grin from the driver. Half of that grin will be from the performance value that the Mustang GT has stood and will continue to stand for. The other half, and I can attest to this, will be from the amazing surge of power. Even the '05 model, which had a 300 horsepower V8 as opposed to the current 315 horsepower, was phenomenal. Short of riding in or driving a true sports car, one is unlikely to experience such a relentless surge of power. Maybe if you're an astronaut, you've felt something similar to the acceleration of a muscle car...but other than that, it's something you have to experience to fully believe. The 2011 Mustang has a new, 6-speed transmission, and a brilliant new V6 for the base model. This new V6 comically trumps the base Chevrolet Camaro's V6 by one horsepower. The really amazing fact is that they manage to squeeze 305 horsepower from a relatively small, non-turbo charged engine, and then get 30mpg highway from it. That's right, the high horsepower Mustang will get great highway fuel economy. The city isn't as great, but you honestly cannot have everything at the appealing price at which the Mustang will start.

The more exciting features such as performance models, concepts, cutting-edge technology, and "green" vehicles might get a more detailed look, but I'll cover all that I can in 15 hours, or however long the show is open in one day. As I said, I'm making the list, but it will be mostly done by the end of this week, as I'll be memorizing the floor plan so that I can move efficiently around, maximizing my coverage. If you have any requests, I'll try to fit them in, but try to tell me sooner rather than later. On another note, I may be in a position to test a vehicle or two while I'm in Detroit. I'm not yet sure if I can get these, but I think most of you would enjoy seeing something along the lines of a Camaro SS versus Mustang GT versus Dodge Challenger R/T comparison, so I'll be on the lookout for opportunities. I hope you've all had a nice, easy transition back into school -I know, I'd rather still be relaxing as well- and I'll be writing more frequently, and more on specific models, quite soon. Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!
-Stephen