A Hot Rodder’s Visit to the Chicago Auto Show: Yes, New Cars Everywhere! Photos here!
(Words and photos by Bob Chiluk) Chicago in the winter brings some sure things to town, some cold, another losing season for the Bears and the Chicago New Car Auto Show. There are others, such as “dibs” (you’ll have to look for one!), and having your parked car towed from many streets during the snow season.
The walk downtown of parents taking their kids out of mom’s hair for a few hours at the Auto Show has been a gear head tradition for a long time. Many guys got their first time behind the wheel of a car at shows like this, as most vehicles are fair game for seat time. This is one of the largest in North America and was first held in 1901. McCormick Place on Chicago’s lakefront has a million square feet of concrete for a footprint. So there’s not much more to it in terms of cars, we here put it on our hit list. The freedom to go to the brand of your choice and compare models side by side is what a show like this is all about. A new trend that has gained momentum, especially this year, is indoor test tracks. AWD and 4×4 hill climbing abilities give you a feel for what these suspensions can do. There are some manufacturers that will give you a ride in a short straight line if that’s more your speed. This year there were 7 track experiences by different brands. Is the EV the future? Whether you like them or not, most brands were showing off what they had to prove the popularity of what they were bringing.
Go and have a look. This show runs for over a week until February 20th and is more fun than building a snowman!
