Utah Auto Expo: Move along people, nothing to see here
While other well known automotive bloggers were busy reporting actual auto shows, this guy was lurking around a lesser-known, beginner auto show. The Utah Auto Expo comes to Salt Lake City about this time every year to allow the big Auto Manufacturers to showcase their latest-and-greatest stuff available to the general public. Yep, pretty much everything I saw there with the exception of a few vehicles, was probably available for viewing in the parking lot, free-of-charge. There were a couple notable exceptions, and apologies for the less-than-good photos from my Blackberry as I left my actual camera at home this morning.
Ford seemed to be the clear winner just by their sheer presense. I got to spend some intimate quality time with a Raptor and a spankin new GT-500 (which are in-fact documented on my other camera) and they had a rather impressive collection of vintage Mustangs to ogle over. Other notable exceptions included the Bentley display featuring five luxo-barges wearing various shades of performo-cladding, an R8 complete with gratuitous up-bonnett shot, and a pants-tenting Ferrari display. What you will see below really needs no explanation and was worth the $6 entry fee alone. Enjoy!
Should I happen to remember my camera in the morning you can expect a bigger/better part deux tomorrow. Cheers!
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There were no Ford GTs at NAIAS. You win. If it weren't for the Raptor and the booth babes at NAIAS, I would think my whole life had been a waste.
Don’t get me started on our Booth Professionals. They are very good at what they do. And by that I mean they are seasoned professionals. And by that I mean they have probably been booth professing for quite some time. And by that I mean… Hey, they had Ford GT’s!
Damn. There was a Ford GT at the last International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Convention, even.
They do a show down here in Virginia Beach every year. Same deal, just whatever the dealers want to shine up off the lots. There is usually a small car show in the main lobby with a Ferrari Testarossa and a sick replica Grand Sport Corvette and the like.
Last year I saw a GTR, a CTS-V and an M6 at the thing, and that was pretty much all that was worth it.
I would love it if the dealers out here would trot out some beautiful old metal to go along with the bland, boring heavy crap we get tossed at us all day by the traditional motoring press.
Oh well. I suppose that is why I didn't make it this year eh?
Hell, Mr. Schmo, the Ford display would have been worth the six buck entry as far as I'm concerned. However, the minivan said it all. That's Utah, what can I say?
Utah has some pretty wild automotive stuff going on, however. One word, Bonneville.
Since I left, there is the Larry Miller racetrack in Tooele. I understand it's a beautiful thing, road racing with both two and four wheels. Cruising State was a pretty cool thing before a bunch of buttheads ruined it, there were some real nice cars up and down that street every Saturday night before it got ruined by the gang crowd. Summer weekend afternoons in all those lovely canyons were great fun for those who like the twisties, and I have spanked my bikes up and down those those roads many times. The West Desert is loads of fun for the offroad crowd, and everybody into rock climbing knows about Moab. Long lonely desert highways like 6-50 are a great place to wring out a fast car or bike. Wendover is close for losing your money gambling, and as Salt Lake Punk advises, Evanston is a good place for bootleg full strength beer, only an hour away (I can attest to that).
Utah is a great place to be a Hoon. They had a little ski race there back in 2002 if you like that, too. I usually don't miss the place, sometimes I do. Oh, they also have a great rock and roll music scene there. I miss that, bigtime.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/…
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I went to the first motorcycle race at Miller Motorsport Park and was very impressed by the facility. I have been to Laguna Seca 3 times, but the Miller facility is much nicer. Being brand new, I suppose, really helps. At Miller they have a Mustang driving school that looks awesome:
http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/learn/ford/
I would love to go, but its a bit much and a bit far. If I was Schmo and loaded, I would totally do the 3 day.
Indeed, I haven't been there yet but I heard it's first rate. I plan on spending alot of time out there when it warms up.
I am going to make it to Bonneville this summer for sure. Who else wants to go?
Hey, six bucks isn't bad — The Kansas City Auto Show is $10, for basically the same level of sophistication.
Heck no and I got a free bathroom subscription to Motortrend and a buck off for buying my ticket online.
and we just get to go to Bartle Hall…
All those Ford GTs and no Skaycog? That's just wierd.
What? Where? I think you are just being super bad.
I'll be at the DC Show. Can't wait to see the same yawns.