My personal highlight of Last year’s Dallas Auto Show was watching Sajeev work his magic on GM’s regional marketing director. He’d met her at the Houston Auto Show some weeks earlier, where they’d had a productive conversation. Apparently the Powers That Be within GM didn’t think that was a good idea. She was talking gaily with other scribes when we approached her. When she turned to greet us, her face darkened the moment she recognized the dashing Mr. Mehta. Visibly agitated, she hissed, “I can’t talk to you,” spun on her heels and scurried away. After a moment of stunned silence I asked TTAC’s lonely lothario, “Do you have that effect on all women?”
My, how I do love telling that story. Sadly, work commitments kept my friend, Don Juan Mehta, in Houston this year. So I flew solo at the 2008 DAS.
To put things in perspective, the press preview day at the DAS draws about twenty print journalists and a couple of local TV crews. Meanwhile, the press preview for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit lasts three days and attracts some 6000 media people from around the world. More than one-hundred new products were “revealed” at NAIAS. I counted one at the DAS. Celebrities, industry big wigs, and politicians vie to be seen in Detroit. In Dallas, all I saw was a small group of aging, overweight, balding, vertically challenged, writers wearing sensible shoes.
While less of a spectacle, the intimacy of the DAS provides far greater access to the objects that we’re all there to see: the cars. Aston Martin would never allow thousands of clamoring critics crawl all over their lusty DBS. Yet they are perfectly willing to permit twenty of us to sit behind the wheel and fantasize about violently ordering all 510 horses to the rear wheels, stat!
A few moments of solitude behind the wheel of the DB9 Coupe found me awed by authentic interior materials and old world craftsmanship. The aluminum instruments and bezels are actually aluminum, not plastic (plastichrome). The clock crystal is crystal, not plastic. Wood accents are really wood, not plastic. The headliner is suede, not plastic. The leather upholstery is leather, not plastic (vinyl). The sense of luxury was so powerful that I forgave the car’s narrow foot wells and niggling ergonomic design flaws.
With Aston Martin still fresh in my mind, I wandered to Cadillac and sat my butt in the XLR-V. The home team didn’t fare well in comparison. Despite the marked improvement by GM’s flagship brand, it’s clear how far Caddy still needs to go before it has a truly world class interior.
While both marques employ leather, AM’s cows certainly have a better dermatologist. I suppose it’s unfair to compare an exclusive hand-built car to one rolling off a mass-production assembly line. But GM chose to play in the $100K end of the pool and right now they’re in over their heads.
The only hint of controversy on the day came at the Hummer press conference. I meekly asked how Hummer planned to combat the rising drumbeat of accusations that the planet is being ravaged by enormous gas-guzzling SUVs, of which the H2 is the poster child. “Or is Hummer content to say ‘screw you’ to the rest of the world.” Okay, maybe that part of my question came out a little harsh.
Like a seventh-degree judo black belt, GM’s mouthpiece, a third-tier marketing manager, skillfully parried the question and deftly avoided giving me anything interesting to write about-– some unapologetic diatribe about customer satisfaction and that their customer’s don’t care about being perceived as gluttonous.
My surprise came from the woman who stepped up beside me. To the satisfaction of Mr. Goodwrench, she began a vigorous defense of Hummer, citing its excellent fuel economy relative to others in its class. At first I thought the interloper was another GM hired gun. But the shabbiness of her appearance confirmed that she was, in fact, another journalist. I wouldn’t have minded her input if a group of us were having drinks and sharing war stories. But I was at the press conference to hear what The General has to say, thank you very much.
Perhaps this is further evidence of the enmeshed relationship between automotive news makers and the [supposed] watchdogs in the press corps. Or maybe this was just a run-in with a mad old cow with an irrepressible impulse to rudely butt in and speak for companies with whom she has no affiliation.
And thus ended another DAS press preview day. I left with a bag of swag (including a jar of Super Hot HEMI Powered Barbeque Sauce), a camera full of hi-res pix, and memories of a few new cars for cubicle daydreaming, both mine and yours.
[Click here for William C. Montgomery's DAS Pixamo photo gallery ]
where they’d had a productive conversation
Is that what they are calling it now?
There’s a Dallas Auto Show? I’da thought the autos pavilion at the State Fair would suffice.
There’s a Dallas Auto Show? I’da thought the autos pavilion at the State Fair would suffice.
The Dallas Auto Show is much larger with many more brands. I especially enjoyed the front rotors on the ZR1 Corvette; 15.5 inch carbon-ceramic!!! That’s a large pizza!
“Don Juan Mehta”…I love it. Sajeev just got himself (yet another) nickname!
Perhaps she or her sig other owns an H2…
Still, it looks bigger than the Cobo show!!
List price for A-M DBS: $265,000
List price for XLR: $99,000
Jeez, I would hope that the $166,000 difference in price would buy a much better interior.
doctorv8, Sajeev has a family reputation to live up to.
Perhaps she or her sig other owns an H2…
Actually, she said that she’d had a long term tester.
List price for A-M DBS: $265,000
List price for XLR: $99,000
Jeez, I would hope that the $166,000 difference in price would buy a much better interior.
I compared the Caddy to the DB9 Coupe, which runs about $171K, so the price gap is about $72K. The more expensive (and performance-oriented) DBS’ interior isn’t as nice as the DB9’s.
But that’s beside the point. There are other automakers that build sumptuous interiors with authentic materials into their cars for $100K or less.
Great Pictures. Thanks for the report.
Come on, William, give Ms. Jennings a break already!
Pimpin’ for Jeep don’t pay like it used to.
Well…
Aren’t you going to tell us if the the barbecue sauce was any good??
After a moment of stunned silence I asked TTAC’s lonely lothario, “Do you have that effect on all women?”
Dammit, I have a girlfriend now and she’s totally gonna read this. Its okay though, Bill knows the only way to do the Big “D” auto show is with DJ Mehta in the house. (And so do the ladies.) :)
Seriously, Bill is right. The cars are truly the stars at regional shows like Dallas. And the ratio of cars to attendees at Press Day is wonderful: this doesn’t happen at the big name events.
William C Montgomery :
April 9th, 2008 at 11:45 am
But that’s beside the point. There are other automakers that build sumptuous interiors with authentic materials into their cars for $100K or less.
I like the way the XLR is styled, and I like the idea of a Cadillac 2-seat convertible, and there’s nothing wrong with stretching the Corvette platform, but there’s no denying it’s poorly executed.
Is the TTAC press badge a modern day Scarlet Letter?
Yes, he does have a girlfriend, and it’s me. :-)
I compared the Caddy to the DB9 Coupe, which runs about $171K, so the price gap is about $72K. The more expensive (and performance-oriented) DBS’ interior isn’t as nice as the DB9’s.
But that’s beside the point. There are other automakers that build sumptuous interiors with authentic materials into their cars for $100K or less.
Are they as good or better performance wise as the Caddy while offering a better interior as well?
Are they as good or better performance wise as the Caddy while offering a better interior as well?
I don’t think the DB9 Coupe will outperform the Caddy. Yet I know which one I’d rather own. If it’s purely about performance, there are many faster cars for a lot less money.
But to your question, yes, I can think of some BMWs, Mercedes (AMG), Lexus’, Porsche’s, and Audi’s that offer similar performance with greater interior luxury for $100K or less.
Aston Martin would never allow thousands of clamoring critics crawl all over their lusty DBS.
Have you ever worked the NAIAS media preview? Rolls and Lambo are a bit choosy about who gets to sit in the cars, R-R particularly so, but Aston pretty much allowed free access to the press. They weren’t at Detroit this year, most likely because they’re out of the Ford orbit, but I expect them to return next year as the show organizers are going to expand the “Gallery”, a private reception during the media preview for rich folks who buy expensive cars.
Sometimes there’s nobody in the A-M booth and the cars are locked, but most of the time they let the journalists check out the view from behind the wheel and will pop the hood or trunk if you ask. I’ve had a harder time getting to sit in a Lotus than an Aston.