How Many Bitches Can Ya Fit In a Rogue? The 2017 New York International Auto Show Press Preview

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Okay, I know this headline reads like a vulgar come-on, but who could resist?  The picture below gotta make you go, “Aww.”

Canine trainer starts with, “One,” as pup wants to come out and invite “Two” to join her. Nissan Rogue

The New York International Automobile Show

There is no end of ingenuity in marketing, especially at the last (and best) car show of the season – at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in midtown Manhattan (well vertically midtown at least!).  Tica and I had a thoroughly intoxicating time attending the press events and each had a special thrill that the general public will note and enjoy when the show opens this weekend, Saturday April 15 at 10:00 AM.

Nissan:  Featured Model: Rogue Crossover

Two dog trainers, one with rad color tattoos (yay!), demonstrated the new Crossover dog friendly features which include a removable divider to keep dogs on the passenger side, leash anchors, special heating vents, a doggie bed, pass-through between hatch area and rear seats, quilted padding, a food and water set that folds out, doo-doo

Nissan Rogue, shown here against an ILM animated background from the Star Wars episode, Rogue One.

bag dispenser, canine first aid kit, heated water supply for washing dirty dogs before getting in the car, a fur-drier hose, and a ramp that extracts from under the cargo floor to make entry and egress easy.

How many dogs of any gender fit in a Rogue?  The canine gals had three, but who cares. They were cute, lovable and very obedient.  Bravo Nissan for picking this simple yet effective way to get a lot of valuable attention.  Tica was hooked and couldn’t stop shooting!  Me?  I wanted a cat scratching post!

The best thing to experience at the Nissan exhibit is the virtual reality booth to the right of the main stage.  It features footage from the Star Wars movie, Rogue One, and you drive through some pretty hairy battle scenes as a TIE fighter and battle tanks come crashing down around you in flames.  Get in line early.  There aren’t too many headsets available.

 

Jeep: Featured Model: Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

This is the one press event that had enough seats for the entire press corps to watch a spectacular show.  Two thirds of the stage was dominated by an 8’ high, 30’ wide high definition video and a stellar sound system capable of parting my new beard.  To the right was a red Trackhawk hidden in darkness.

Jeep Brand CEO, Mike Manley then steppe out and in his cultured British accent announces the 2018 Trackhawk to a slowly mounting marching drum beat.  The lights come up on the Red Trackhawk which is revealed to be mounted on a dyno-type platform, and inside, at the wheel, stone faced blond model, starts it up.  The music starts to build along with the revs as a projected display comes on:

0-60: 3.5 seconds

The blond starts to smile. Jeep Grand Cheroke Trackhawk accelerating to top speed on the stage at the Jacob Javitz Center as Mike Manley stands helplessly by.

Fire effects across the screen.  The car continues to accelerate!

¼ Mile: 11.6 seconds at 116 MPH

More fire.  Louder sound effects.  Then a telemetric readout is projected as the speed continues to increase and a well-tuned exhaust starts to really growl.  The gears change ever higher.  Slowly the blond starts to grin ear-to-ear.

Top Speed: 180 MPH

Just a half dozen or so nylon straps restrain the 707 horsepower, 180 MPH rage of this heaving behemoth of a Jeep! God help the blond if these belts snap!

 

Now she really smiles as the last statistic flickers on and our ear drums just about rupture.

708 HP!

Still smiling, the blond eases off the gas, and starts tapping out a growling rip on the accelerator as…

Mike Manley narrating features of Trackhawk, one of which is wifi telemetry of all onboard systems.

A shiny, brushed silver version drives up on stage and Manley spends another five minutes or so telling us about the new model.

All through the speech, the blond model keeps smiling. CLICK TO SEE VIDEO.

Hyundai: Featured Model: Sonata

Now that the Genesis has been split off as a separately branded marque, Hyundai’s focus settles on the newly designed Sonata.  The press show creators brought forth two of Hyundai’s designer-engineers for a special treat.  The side screen video featured various beauty shots of the new Sonata while Eddie Lee and Chris Chapman stood center stage with Sharpie pens, a drawing table and a video camera that displayed their sketching on the screen beside the photos.

The hand of automotive designer, Chris Chapman, is seen illustrating the concepts behind the new Hyundai Sonata front end. Chapman and automotive exterior designer, Eddie Lee are seen together, foreground, behind white drawing cube.

Rather than employ a CEO on a teleprompter or a supermodel with an ear-prompter, these two guys pretty much winged it with inspiration and pure talent.  They began with the classic side profile of the Sonata and discussed the challenges of designing the car to look fluid, fast and desirable.  While artists of any sort will greatly appreciate this approach, non-artists were fascinated to see how the viewer’s eye is directed by subtle cues in design.  Among the design highlights that stood out were:

  • Chris Chapman (left), and Eddie Lee simultaneously applying their skills before a live audience of automotive reporters and photographers.

    Design centers on Hyundai’s new ‘Cascading Grille’ that will be used across models

  • Around the grill is a new sculpted front fascia with vertical LED daytime running lights
  • The low and wide grille makes the new sculpted hood appear longer and sleeker
  • Narrow headlights with optional LED illumination
  • The rear license plate holder was moved into the bumper and a Sonata logo has been added to the center of the trunk lid
  • The Hyundai badge on the trunk cleverly houses the trunk button release
  • Distinctive taillight graphics and illumination

You will never look at a car the same way again.  Hyundai, is as of this writing, trying to figure out how to keep the designers as presenters for the run of  the show.  If Hyundai continues this presentation make sure to see it.  If not, catch it online HERE.

Needless to say, the Sonata is in our taste, symphonically designed and the people behind that design can be justly proud of their creation!  See the presentation HERE.

Porsche: Featured Models: Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo and 911 GT3

The 2017 Porsche presentation attempted to squeeze 100 or so press representatives into a seating area good for about 30 people.  The presentation featured a swell video, but the real show was the 550 HP twin turbo V8 Panamera Sport Turismo, which is a real, four seater family car – well if your family can afford the $90,000 base price, $200,000 turbo full featured versions.  And judging from what I see out on the road, there are enough families out there who can.

The crowded amphitheater presentation of Porsche’s new models for 2017; the Panamara Sport Tourismo and the 911 GT3.

Awhile back, I published a review on Ferrari’s first four wheel drive family car – based on a soccer mom who owned one.  “Soccer Mom in an FF” was my pitched title.  Well, it seems Porsche has seed the wisdom in that demographic.  Like the FF, the Panamera has lots of room for the kids with individual HDTV screens on the backs of Mom and Dad’s seats and a hatchback storage chamber that’s big enough for two mobsters to decompose in style.  I’m sure this is going to be a big seller for Porsche because too many of us boomsters are tired of life-sucking minivans and this beaut can go to the track or the little league with equal poise.

But let’s say enough of kids be they yours or your kids’ kids.  Then you want the other alternative on the dais, the 911 GT3, a straight up sports car that can easily be a daily driver that fits the classic definition which is a car you can drive to the track, race competitively, and drive back home with a stop for eggs and milk.

Porsche certainly does not disappoint in the engineering department and style is not far behind.  The press event, however, did not lift my spirits or set my feet to tapping as other brands did.  It supports the old adage:  There are well engineered products and there are well marketed products, but there are very, very few well engineered and well marketed products.  Point in fact:  Go to the Porsche website and click on Auto Shows.  The latest auto show event shown is for November 2016*.  Come on, guys!                                                  *last checked April 13, 2017

Genesis:  Featured Model: GV80  (Concept)

At the other end of the spectrum (their Youtube video has the audacity to show a real time 3 minute countdown!) from Porsche’s show  is Genesis, who ended the first of two days of press events with a really emotional show stopper.

Introduced by Head of Genesis Brand, Manfred Fitzgerald, was a concept car intended for launch in “about two years.”  It will be based on hydrogen fuel cell technology which was presented in an open frame display at the Genesis booth.  It’s style was described as “athletic elegance,” which I found it incredibly exciting as expressed in the exterior details (the interior was not open for viewing).  The door handles were merely flat rectangles of shiny metal (how did they work?!).  The headlights were composed of four distinct elements which Fitzgerald predicted would become a key feature of the Genesis brand.  Even the decorative panels beneath the front fenders emulated a motion picture animated effect as the surface dissolved from flat metal, to pressed diamond pattern, to cut-out diamond holes, in a diagonal transition that was a breathtaking little discovery.

Also in stark contrast to other brands from other places, Fizgerald dedicated his presentation and in fact all future product introductions to the city of New York.  Bravo, Manfred!

Andra Day, sings, “Amen” theme song as the Professional Performance Art School chorus and live instrumentalists accompany.

With that said, a cellist replaced Manfred on the stage, a pianist began a theme, and a growing ensemble of instrumental performers, playing both live and in simultaneous iconic scenes filmed in New York City, took the stage in ever-growing numbers.  Violins, trumpet, even a cajon! Finally a choir of young New York singers from the Professional  Performance Art School from Hell’s Kitchen, backing up lead vocalist, Andra Day singing “Amen,” hit a crescendo as the video screen rose and the GV80 was revealed with its three principal designers.

 

The three (sadly, unnamed,) designers responsible for the design of the Concept GV80 stand proudly, perhaps a bit awed, by the attention of a hundred cheering reporters, before their creation. Note the outrageous wheels that support the “dissolving” image of diamonds theme as through-cut ventilating holes.

Genesis, it must be added, avoided all the car shows this year to present exclusively in New York; a tribute that will not long be forgotten.  Bravo, Genesis.

 

Photo credits:  Tica Avgerakis

 

 

George started writing professionally at 16 with an interview of Ray Charles. He founded a leading NYC multilingual…

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