The 2015 Washington Auto Show: What You Missed

Living roughly an hour away from the nation's capital, it is surprising that I hadn't ever made a trip to the Washington Auto Show held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. A friend of mine had stumbled upon some extra tickets and asked if I was interested, so I took it as the perfect opportunity to make my inaugural visit.

Of course following the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I was very curious to see which new cars would be making appearances. Knowing that this is not an international auto show I had rather low expectations, but I almost decided to cancel after checking the show's website. With most cars in the roster being rather disappointing, I found that the C7 Z06, new Camaro Z28, Jaguar F-Type, and the Mustang GT350 would be there, and the new GT350 itself was enough to get me out of the house for the afternoon. Little did I know how much more would actually be there.

*Please note that if you go to the website now, there are additional vehicles that I don't remember being on there previously, including a whole sub-section, "Exotic Cars". My parents are likely shaking their heads as they always say I can never find anything.*

My eyes lit up with excitement as I handed over my ticket in exchange for a stamp on my hand, immediately picking out the bright orange Lexus RCF and shiny silver Audi R8 V10 on the showroom floor below. Both cars had not been listed on their website to my knowledge, which became the trend throughout the night. I veered left to find the 2015 Mercedes AMG GT sporting a vivid yellow, which had only made it's world premiere just in the Fall of 2014. I still can't find that one of the website.

Pictures don't do the AMG GT the justice it deserves, the car is absolutely gorgeous. It goes on sale in April of 2015 with a starting price of $129,900, in hopes to steal some potential buyers from the new Porsche 911 GT3 that starts at $130,400. Powered by a twin turbo 4.0L V8, the AMG GT will make 456hp and 443lb/ft of torque. Numbers are comparable to the GT3, which makes 475hp, but only makes 325lb/ft of torque from its 3.8L Flat-6. Both come with 7-speed dual clutch transmissions, so no manuals for the purists. Porsche did not make an appearance at the show unfortunately, but it will be interesting to see whether Mercedes can put up a fight to the mighty 911.

Roaming through Mercedes I came across the Mercedes GLA45 AMG which I found rather aggressive and cool compared to its ugly and disproportionate base model. Moving over to Lexus and the RCF, there was a lovely lady going over the design cues on the spinning platform, but unfortunately it seemed as if my cat may have been able to describe the car with the same terminology. I stuck to the tablet displays for all the specs that I was looking for.

BMW showcased the M235i and M4 Convertible, as well what I consider the ugliest cars in their current lineup, the X6M and the 3 series/5 series "GT". A pair of i8s made it to DC, despite it not being there on the website (as well). 

The i8 is the polar opposite of the AMG GT, with its futuristic sharp edges and lines that make for a far less conservative super car. Revolutionary for BMW as a brand, the i8 runs under hybrid power. Its turbocharged 1.5L Inline-3 is paired with an electric motor to make a total output of 357hp and 420lb/ft of torque. With a sticker price of $136,625, the i8 is another competitor for the 911. Despite being less powerful than the AMG, With a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds, the i8 just edges out the Mercedes (3.9 seconds) but couldn't catch the Porsche (3.2 seconds).

Other exotics were brought out including the Ferrari FF and California T, Lamboghini Huracan and Aventador, Mclaren 650S, and Aston Martin DB9 and Vantage, but those all sat behind the red velvet rope. All of these super cars left the doors locked, unfortunately.

While we all like to fantasize a little, there was a decent showing of reasonably priced cars including the newest MINI Cooper S JCW. I am still trying to warm up to the latest exterior design changes, however I did appreciate that the interior has kept the same circular, quirky style for yet another generation. The new JCW sees a significant bump in performance, with an additional 20hp and 44 lb/ft of torque added to the already peppy hatch. But with a starting price of just over $30k come Spring of 2015, it may have some trouble selling, especially with the cheaper 2015 Subaru WRX sitting next door. 

This is where the 2016 MX-5 is should have been sitting

I was disappointed to see Mazda did not bring one of the redesigned, 2016 MX-5s to the show, instead the still handsome 2015 MX-5 Club sat in it's place. *sigh*

The domestics had their own floor (with the exception of Toyota for some reason), which featured some of the best America has to offer. Stopping at Chevrolet first, the new Chevrolet SS sport sedan caught my eye first in it's ugly pea-green metallic color. After seeing it featured in Jalopnik's recent "The 10 Best Cars No One is Buying", I wanted to see it in person since on paper it sounds fantastic. On top of the unflattering color, the SS has a rather unappealing interior, not uncommon with most GM models. The bottom line is, it accelerates just as quickly as the 2015 Subaru WRX STi, lacks in interior design, and the buy-in is $10,000 higher to start. The advantages are the SS is extremely spacious, runs on brawny V8 American muscle for those not accepting of the "boost buggies", and definitely has a classier look to it. And as of 2015 they say a 6-speed manual is offered, so maybe that'll turn sales around a little.

The Camaro Z28 and C7 Z06 Convertible contained most of the crowds over at Chevrolet, but of course you're unable to sit in either of them and you don't need me telling you how fast they are.

Dodge brought one of their Charger Hellcats to DC, and while I am in love with high powered sedans and the aggressive look of the Hellcat, I can't help but grumble at the fact that they are not offered with a manual like it's Challenger sibling. I have learned it is due to the fitment of the transmission paired with the Hellcat drivetrain in the Charger, and the fabrication needed for it to fit would make it uneconomical. There is no mention of the Hellcat on the show's website.

The real crowds formed in the back corner by the blue oval, where Ford showcased the stunning 2016 Shelby GT350 prototype that was unveiled at the LA Auto show in November. I would've loved to hear the hum of the flat-crank 5.2L V8 stuffed under the hood, but something about starting cars in crowded buildings, I don't know. 

Ford also showed the world's cheesiest talking Fiesta ST named "Boost", which would definitely be first in line to star in a new "Knight Rider" series if it was ever recreated by the Disney Channel.

The new aluminum Ford F-150s were plentiful, yet slightly less appealing after learning that Edmunds ran up a $4,000 tab with the dealer after taking two good smacks to the aluminum bed with a sledgehammer. You can see that story HERE.

The coolest thing that I got to sit in was the Spongebob Squarepants Toyota Sienna of course, and it only felt proper to look like a tool while sitting in it. Toyota is sponsoring the premiere of the next Spongebob movie in the making, and their vibrant wrap did bring an otherwise so-so minivan a lot of attention. This particular Sienna, failed to be mentioned on the website.

I was very impressed with the overall size and quality of the show, if you missed it be sure to make time to see it in 2016! If time allows, I will be reporting from the New York International Auto Show in the Spring.