Tuesday, February 11, 2014 | TechNews

Chicago Auto Show trends

K le Stanevich
STAFF WRITER

The McCormick Place is buzzing this
week as the Auto Show circuit takes a stop in
Chicago. There are many cars to check out at
this year’s show, including the latest models,
concept cars, and even some in the one million
dollar range.

Growing in popularity lately are
the smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Most
car companies have their lineup of hybrids
and other electric vehicles. One of the most
prominent is Toyota’s Prius line, expanding
this year to larger and smaller variations to
fit almost everyone’s needs. In addition, the
Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are trying to make
a breakthrough as cheaper alternatives to battery

powered cars such as the Tesla. Many companies
are making their gas engines smaller and fine
tuning them to get fantastic performance and
gas mileage. One example is Mazda’s Skyactiv
technology featuring high compression ratio
engines which will be available in most of their
vehicles, gas and diesel. Two new competitors
for the small car market will be showing off
their latest models, Fiat and Smart. While they
do fill a niche market for ultra-compact cars,
to many they seem unreasonably small without
featuring some incentive that makes them stand
out besides their quirky look. There are plenty
of other options for small fuel-efficient cars that
also provide more space and features.

On the other side of the spectrum
are the sport and muscle cars. Every year,
they continue to get faster and faster while

also becoming more luxurious on the inside.
Chevrolet’s Corvette Stingray 206 will be
something to look out for, featuring over 625
horsepower and still withm a reasonable budget.
Back again are the usual Mustang, Charger,
Challenger and Camaro, featuring new sleek
looks, each competing to be the best muscle car
available.

While these cars are nice, the next
price level brings even faster and more exotic
cars, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti,
but due to their extreme price tag, are not
available for the public to sit in.

Finally, there are many concept cars
that will be interesting to check out. Toyota,
despite being known for their small fuel-
efficient cars, will be jumping into the sports
car industry with the introduction of the FT-l.

Along with that, Toyota will be displaying two
more concept cars, both extremely small, and
defining the future of personal transportation.
Honda will be displaying a hydrogen fuel cell
concept, which will pave the future for zero
emission cars. Finally, Ford will have their
C-MAX Solar Energi, one of the first cars to
feature solar panels on its roof that will charge
the battery while driving. While these cars are
not yet available, they provide a glimpse into the
future of transportation.

The Auto Show is a great activity
in Chicago, featuring every car imaginable,
test drive tracks, indoor off-reading, driving
simulators, and much more. There is something
for everyone there. Ifyou have some free time,
swing on by the Auto Show at the McCormick
Place and have a look around.

Photos by Nick Caldwell