Just like every other year, I decided to hit up the Washington DC Auto Show again this year. Being an annual fan of the Auto Show, I always tend to compare the Auto Show with its predecessors. This year…I was disappointed. There really isn’t a major overlying reason to my disappointment, but rather numerous small ones. Although there are numerous issues regarding the Auto Show, I am sure that there are numerous reasons to back it up.

First off, before I decided to leave for the Auto Show, I looked up the floor map for the Show, just so that I could get an idea of where all the good stuff was. This brings us to our first problem. I realized that the Auto Show was divided into two sections: US automakers on one level, everything else on the other. Hate to break it to the US, but Europe and Asia have way more to offer. I didn’t find it fair that the US would get a whole level to itself, while everything else would be pushed into the other level. I feel that the true underlying reason to this is the economy and the weaknesses faced by US automakers. As a result, the US probably wanted more attention at the Auto Show, in an effort to boost sales.

Once I got to the show, I decided to hit the International level first. Here, I also noticed numerous other things. First off, Porsche was no longer represented at the Auto Show. Secondly, the cars were pretty disappointing. The only cars that were truly impressive were the Audi R8 Spyder, and the SLS AMG. I also saw that there was an exotics section on one side of the Auto Show. I decided not to get too hyped up and to save the best for last.

I decided to take a lengthy stop by BMW. I had to admit, they had some pretty rad stuff. Their new 5 series had a new cool device implemented into their doors. Basically, when shutting a door, all you had to do was lay the door on the body of the car, and the door would shut itself, similar to the passenger doors on a minivan. Other than just being plain awesome, this new method was probably added to prevent the doors from slamming shut. They also had an M1 on display, painted an orange that I never real found to fit the body lines of the car. An Alpine White would have set the car off pretty well. Although BMW didn’t have anything too crazy to show us, their new line of BMW looked extremely promising.

Right beside BMW was Audi. Personally, I feel that Audi have been truly on point recently. Their LED lighting on their cars is truly something to die for. The LEDs truly put Audi’s aside from every other automobile manufacturer. Apart from my infatuation for their LEDs, I noticed the Audi R8 Spyder in the middle of their booth and right behind it was something I had never seen before. I decided to focus on the Audi R8 Spyder first. Painted red, the R8 glistened under the spotlight. Although I would love to own an R8, I feel that the convertible version really destroys the car. To me, it seems like something Lauren Conrad would drive up the L.A. strip, not something that would be screaming down a track. As a result, I feel that the R8 Spyder is more of a chick car and isn’t something for me.

Behind the R8 Spyder, was this beauty: the Audi A7. It reminds me of an M5, a mix of great performance, and endless luxury. I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Another booth over, was Mercedes-Benz. I really can’t tell you much about Mercedes, because this was the only thing that caught my eye.

Before I finally headed over to the exotics section, I decided to make a final trip around the whole level. Nothing else really caught my eye here either, including the fact that the Nissan booth didn’t even have a GT-R! I was so annoyed.

I finally arrived at the exotics, and nearly ended up weeping. It was the lamest thing ever. It was sorta funny too, because before I left, my friend and I joked about there not being a Lambo or anything at the Auto Show. We also took a guess that the only Ferrari there would be a stereotypical red 360 Modena, and just like that, the only Ferrari there, was a red 360 Modena.

I finally decided to head over to the US section, and was led to yet another disappointing scene. Greeted by ZR1′s, Mustang’s, and Camaro’s, I headed to the back. Here, nothing really caught my eye except for the Focus ST. The Focus ST looked nice and fast, but at the end of the day, it’s just a Focus.

And just like that, I was done with the US section. It took me a record breaking 5 minutes to get in and out.

All in all, it was extremely disappointing. Where were the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Porsches, hot babes signing autographs, the DJ, and the exclusive cars?

I go to the Auto Show to see things that I don’t normally see in everyday life. I go to see the exclusive things, things that raise my hair on its end. If I wanted to see most of the cars shown at the Auto Show, I would simply take a quick drive down to the local dealership. As a result, for the first time in 8 years or so, I do not plan on attending the Auto Show next year.

:. Ercan Ucak

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