2006 Detroit Autoshow

Detroit. A city that really does deserve its reputation for crime and corruption. My fondest memories being my first auto show in which my friends and I lurked around Cobo Hall for hours in awe of all the cars. Upon exiting the Cobo Center we began walking down the street to look for a place to eat. One man stopped us and asked if we were from around the area. When we replied "no" he insisted that we leave before dark. As we strolled down the street we noticed all the restaurants and businesses were closed. All we wanted was a burger and a beer. Several hours of walking and drooling overs cars had left us hungry and rather parched. We finally found a Subway that was open and decided to grab a sandwich and pick up a case of the former St. Louis native Budweiser on the way back to the hotel. As we walked into the Subway we noticed it was packed. Several interesting characters were sitting inside with no subs in front of them. It started to get quiet and eyes were looking at us as if we were from a different planet. Without missing a beat we turned around and headed back towards the Cobo Center.

Before we could get to the end of the block an older gentleman told us to run along as we would not want to be here at night. He proceeded to tell us that this was not Disney World and the gangs would not be kind to us. We heeded the warning and began walking faster. A couple blocks to go and I could feel my heart racing as I was a young suburbanite in what is known as one of the most dangerous cities. A block to go we heard a booming voice call out to us. Just as I was ready to hand over my wallet and take a beating I noticed it was a Detroit police officer. He asked us where we were headed and we promptly told him home. His reply was a simple "good" and he waved down a taxi for us and told us to come back tomorrow during the day to see more cars.

Besides the slightly terrifying endeavor it was a blast. Concept cars were everywhere with the show stoppers being the new Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro. For anyone who has not had the opportunity to attend I would strongly suggest it. It truly is king of North American Auto Shows with LA and Chicago nipping at its heels. Below are some memorable images from the show which was my first venture into the city of Detroit. If you did not get a chance to attend this year make plans for 2011. Just be sure to get out before dark.

Jeep Wrangler attached to rock wall.

Hummer sitting in foe water. They actually cut the wheels in half to make it appear submerged.

Beautiful Ferrari

Mazda Concept

Honda FCX Clarity

Camaro Concept

Ford Super Chief

Dodge Challenger Concept

Ford SVT Raptor F-150: Wow!

Driving down interstate 70 last week I came across something that truly made my head turn. At the surface most would think the Ford SVT Raptor F-150 is nothing more than your average jacked up "pickem-up truck" but it is so much more. This is a four-wheel drive beast created to run across sand dunes at insane speeds. Want to launch it multiple feet off the ground at 60 miles per hour? Go right ahead. How about enter it into the Baja 1000? Go for it! Ford actually did that as part of its "quality control" testing. Sounds like a good excuse for some engineers o have some fun to me.

So what is so impressive about this truck? Certainly their have been trucks built to achieve insane jumps and race over sand dunes at highway speeds. How about building a truck that can achieve this, hold a factory warranty, and be able to pick up some drywall from the Home Depot on a Saturday afternoon. You will not find another anywhere.

This truck is so unique it looks like it was ripped from the SEMA floor. Ford has outfitted it with different fenders, grill, and paint making it impossible to mistake it for your run of the mill F-150. Of course, all the fancy body work in the world won't get you through the Baja 1000 so SVT engineers, the same guys responsible for creating lightning fast street cars, put some of the most advanced suspension bits beneath a chassis that was stretched 7 inches wider than your standard F-150. Shocks are supplied by Fox and allow over 11 inches of wheel travel in front and over 12 in the back. Add some 35 inch BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires and a multitude of other suspension upgrades and you get one serious off road truck.

Currently you can purchase the Raptor for about $39,000 with the base 5.4 liter V8. Soon to come is the new 6.2 liter motor which will bring the price point to $42,000 yet add gobs of horsepower and torque.

Summary: If you want to prove your questioned masculinity you may do well to purchase the orange model and drive it like you stole it.