Wednesday, 5 April 2006

So last night Chris Yates and I went to the Pacific International Auto Show, or 'car show', as we call it, and had an excellent time. It's the second year Chris and I have gone together, and it's become a fun little tradition. We flit from car to car lamenting unnecessary plastic cladding (Ford GT) or baffling front fascia choices (Subaru Tribeca), pausing only to eat overpriced stadium 'food'. We have a natural ability to recognise who's turn it is to sit in the driver's seat and who's turn it is to navigate. We agree that the Escalade is as ridiculous a vehicle as ever has been made, and while he stayed strong, I couldn't resist getting in. The Hummer H2, however, surprised us both very much. I smirked as I stepped up into the beast, but it really does feel cool in that cabin. It reminded me of the one time I was in a big rig. For opulence, we rated the Infinity MSomething, or Something35 (they all look very similar to me from the outside) the very highest. I got in and immediately felt like a car thief in my hooded sweater and jean jacket. It's calf leather was buttery in texture and colour, and seemed to be on every surface. The burled wood stretched in all directions. Every knob and dial was discreetly rimmed in chrome. Beautiful. But the all-around winner was the Dodge Magnum. Acres of space on the inside, a HEMI, and it looks like a Hot Rod. Okay, wait, the most beautiful car there was the CLS 55 AMG. We stood in line to sit in it, which was fine, but from the outside? From the back? Talk about your vorsprung durch technik. Considering all of the nice cars we checked out, however, it's funny that my personal highlight would be a Honda. They somehow snuck in some of their two wheeled offerings, and while I passed on trying out the Jazz, I did have a go up on the Goldwing. This motorcycle is unbelievably huge, is equipped with an airbag, costs $30,000 and has a Reverse gear. It has more buttons on it's dash than all of my home entertainment equipment and the keyboard on my computer. What a crazy machine. I probably won't be in Vancouver for next year's show, so thanks for the memories PIAS, or 'cs', and keep on keeping on.

3 comments:

brokenengine said...

I dunno man. I just never got into cars, like, at all. To me, they are merely a means of conveyance, and therefore, I am uninterested in all the bells and whistles.

You know this. You frequented Le Tempo.

Jesse Wallace said...

I hear you, but for me it's the opposite. Now working with my third (about to be expired again) learner's permit, cars have never really been a means of conveyance, and have pretty much always been a fantasy. That's why I like the Car Show....I can pretend. But truthfully, one of my most vivid car memories is of Le Tempo's dashboard vibrating like crazy as you pushed it to (insert relatively high speed here) on the way up to the beach one day. I thought it was going to break up around us.

brokenengine said...

HAHAHA boy I hope my folks don't read this. I have them convinced that car fell apart because Ford makes crap.