This year, there was no real theme to the show. The only thing that seemed to be in abundance were cutaway cars, where the manufacturers had a cutout model of one of their vehicles, there to highlight some new feature or crash protection.
It's surprising, but some manufacturers go all out and really put on a show. Jeep rents out the North Pavillion, and sets up a really short driving track, and takes attendees on a brief ride. Some of the hill sections are pretty steep, and are a testament to what Jeeps can do. Other manufacturers will have interesting displays, like the Mini in a Box, well above the main floor. Hummer hung an H1 on a hill, slanted down a steep incline. Others, like Ford and Chrysler, chose to let their exotic prototype cars do the talking. Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge had a special contest to win a new car of your choosing. You had to get a special badge, and get your photo taken in their section, either in front of a car, or as a magazine cover. You could pick up the photos at a website later on. Each photo was another chance in the contest. Some, like Subaru and Dodge, had video game setups so you could play with their cars in Cyberspace. Volvo had a driving simulator to show off their safety features. VW's floorspace was packed with people waiting for a model Beetle convertible, which used recycled plastics. Other dealers were satisfied to just have their cars there, with plenty of staff to answer questions.
BMW used the show to fire off its "3 Across America". BMW has recently launched its new e90 3 series model, and is sponsoring a promotoinal tour of the car, as it drives across the US. They invited BMW CCA members to attend the stopovers, starting with a photo shoot along the Hudson River, just outside the Javits Center. After the shoot, they invited us all in to the show to the BMW booth, where they answered some questions about current and upcoming models.
The photos from the show are broken down by region or manufacturer. Please follow the links below to see them all!