Since 1999, I’ve only missed one Chicago Auto Show, and that was for the birth of my daughter. This is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s an opportunity to see all of the newest tech, concept and prototype cars, and generally the direction that the industry is heading. It takes place on a million-plus square feet of show space and features almost every major US marque (although Mercedes and BMW were notably missing this year). And let’s face it, this is February in the Midwest, so we’ll take any opportunity we can to stay indoors and still get a chance to shoot some cars.
One of the main themes this year was the electric car. Porsche and Ford obviously brought out their new battery-powered brawlers, and each one takes a drastically different approach to performance. Ford has gone for the family-hauler segment with a crossover bafflingly named the Mustang Mach E. Porsche, meanwhile, obviously have their sights set on the Tesla Model S with their new Taycan sedan. The model seen here is the Turbo S, and if anyone can explain to me exactly how one turbocharges an electric motor, I’d love to hear it.
We’d obviously be derelict in our duty as a car site if we didn’t bring you some photos of the new C8 Corvette. Powered by the LT2 V8, now mounted amidships, this is one of the most important new Corvettes ever. I will admit to some (ok quite a bit of) skepticism when the rumors about this car began to leak out of GM, but I’m man enough admit when I’m wrong. Despite the new proportions, this is obviously a Corvette and yet it manages to look far more expensive than its roughly $60,000 base price. It looks even better without a roof, as you’ll see below.
The Chicago Auto show opens to the public on Saturday, February 8 and runs through Sunday, February 16th at McCormick Place. Make sure to let us know what you thought of this year’s show.
You can find Jon Salmi on Instagram at @jsalmiphoto and as always, search The Midwest Automotive on Facebook and IG to connect with us.
– Jon
