Pittsburgh Auto Show

Stopped by the autoshow this weekend. Was interested to show the wife a Golf GTI, but VW didn't have a single Golf on display. Is that not the best selling car on the planet? How do you not have a Golf in the booth? (The CC R was bitchin though)

OK, so let's check out the BMW X1. Uhhhh, nope. They didn't bring one. WTF? It's new right? (although the M235 was awesome!)

SOOOO, let's go look at the GT4 Stinger and show the wife how cool a Kia can be. Nope. No concept cars anywhere in Pittsburgh. Just regular, off the showroom floor stuff. (although the new Soul is a HUGE step up from hers)

Grrrrrr, let's at least go and look at the new Pathfinder as a possible new family truckster. Do you have one that is NOT loaded to the gills and a hybrid with leather? Something that people with kids could actually afford? Nope. Move along you white trash. (although the wife liked the XTerra. Great)

Hey, there's the new Volvo wagon! Let's show the wife how roomy and cool a T5 wagon would be! Wait a minute. This back seat is tiny. I mean, no room in here at all. (luckily, the older Cross Country wagon is still roomy)

So the only thing I was impressed with as minivan alternative was the Mazda CX-9. And the only thing I saw that I was blown away by and am actively trying to figure out how to afford was this:

Sea Do Spark

All-plastic, interchangeable body panels, brake, 2 or 3 up, $4999.

Still a fun show. I enjoyed the lfa in the flesh, dissapointed no Alfa.

The 235m impressed me at price point only, not quite as flashy as the 1m was, nor as flashy as the "real" m cars. Did cause me to build one on their site and consider a lease...

I find the Philly show has more representation, I'm sure ny and chicago shows are fully represented. Pitt just isn't that big.

In reply to iadr:
CX-9 has no turbo but Mazda's CX-7 does and is known to be problematic.

Last I was there was early 90-ish. Tire kickin' n all that stuff. Hung around after closing in the upper floor. After it cleared out, got in the seat of a Nissan GTP ZX-T, Viper and Pontiac Aztec show cars (just empty models). The Aztec was dune buggy lookin' btw, not as we came to know it today.

But wait... out front at the entrance was the Mercedes Group C world championship winning car. I had the GF distract the guard while I climbed over the velvet rope that cordoned it off and into the cockpit...

'THE real mother berkeleying deal' w/ genuine race smells including all the marbles. I was in race car heaven, rowing through the gearbox and all... until the guard heard the ruckus and... kindly asked me to vacate this very fine race car. Cussed me up and down... I was grinning' all night.