NAIAS 2019 with A Girl’s Guide to Cars
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is a big deal in Detroit. I mean, we’re known as the “Motor City” after all! I used to go with my family all the time when I was younger, but once I became a teenager and was officially “too cool” (so I thought) to do things like that with them, I stopped going. It wasn’t until last year that A Girls Guide to Cars reached out to me and asked me to do some influencer work for the show that I returned to Cobo Hall to ooh and ahh at the luxury cars that I had only seen in music videos and on campus at MSU, lol.
This year, A Girls Guide to Cars reached out again, so back to Cobo I went! This year marks the 30th anniversary of the NAIAS and the last time that the event will be held at Cobo. In 2020, the show will take place in June, sandwiched between the Grand Prix and the Ford Fireworks. Not only will the summer exhibition be more enjoyable for visitors weather-wise, but it will also allow automobile companies to showcase their new models outdoors at Hart Plaza, the Riverwalk, Campus Martius and Grand Circus Park.
Partying with Cadillac
The new Cadillac 2020 XT6 will be available in mid-2019.
I kicked off my NAIAS ‘19 experience by going to Cadillac’s media party at Garden Theater where they revealed the first-ever 2020 XT6. This sleek crossover has three rows of seating and top-notch safety features guaranteed to make any driver feel more relaxed behind the wheel. I absolutely loved the spaciousness of the vehicle; I imagined my future family taking a road trip in it. It would be such a step up from the traditional mini vans you see most families cruising around in.
Some other notable features on the XT6 include Night Vision –– where when driving at night, a black and white video will appear on your center console to give you a better sense of the road –– and a convenient knob to navigate through the vehicle’s multimedia system when you just don’t feel like dealing with the touchscreen.
The Showrooms
Just chillin’ inside of a BMW!
To be honest, the show did seem a little bit smaller to me, but don’t get me wrong –– there’s still a ton of cool cars to look at! I arrived to Cobo around 9 a.m. on Monday (Jan. 14), and the first thing I did was hightail it to the Toyota press conference that took place in their showroom. There, they revealed the new and improved Supra, which hadn’t been in production for over 20 years.
Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda smiled for the cameras as he introduced the new Toyota Supra.
I don’t know too much when it comes to race cars, but I took one look at the new Supra and assumed that it is probably no joke when it comes to speed. I soon learned that it goes from 0 to 60 mph in just four seconds! Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda confirmed during the announcement that this car is meant to “unleash the race car driver in all of us.”
I actually liked the cherry red color of the Supra a lot until I walked out to the showroom floor after the conference was over and saw another one in pearl white. Maybe a sports car would work for me after all! Lol.
Shortly after checking out the Toyotas, I went over to Nissan’s press conference. They revealed their new electric sports sedan concept, the IMs. When I tell you all that this is probably one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen? I’m not exaggerating! I almost felt like I was looking at something that wasn’t real. The lustrous design and the gold accents against the light metal gray color of the body screamed “glamorous,” but almost in a 22nd century kind of way. It looked kind of futuristic. I definitely wouldn’t mind driving –– or riding passenger –– in this one.
I spent the rest of my time browsing around the Honda exhibit, and gushing over the new Volkswagen Beetle and Hyundai Veloster. The color of the Veloster is what caught my eye. I’d never seen a periwinkle blue car until that day! Just like the Beetle, I could totally see myself riding around the city or going to the mall in this. I think the car and I would complement one another quite nicely! Lol.
I absolutely love VW Beetles!
The color of this Hyundai Veloster is perfection.
The Parties Continued
After wrapping things up at Cobo, I went home to change before heading out to the Toyota/Lexus and Hyundai parties in Corktown. Toyota/Lexus held their party at Gold Cash Gold. I’d actually never been in before then! There were tons of people there enjoying the food and drinks. It was for sure shoulder-to-shoulder. I didn’t stay for too long before going a few doors down to Slow’s for the Hyundai party. I ended up bumping into a few other bloggers from the Girls Guide to Cars group and we sat at a table with two super nice gentlemen that worked for Hyundai. We talked to them for a while about blogging and they were intrigued to learn more about how certain partnerships and things work. It was a great conversation!
Why You Should Attend This Year’s Show
As I stated earlier, this is the 30th anniversary of the NAIAS and the very last year that it will be held exclusively at Cobo! I think it’s a great idea to grab your friends and family and bask in the ambiance one more time. Even though the change seems a bit bittersweet, I’m definitely excited for next year. I know it’s going to be bigger, better, and way more interactive! Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now at www.naias.com. The public days begin on Saturday, January 19 and end on Sunday, January 27. I hope you all enjoy the show and feel free to leave a comment about the cars that caught your attention!