2017 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW PREVIEW Cars Worth Your Time and Futuristic New Features

If there is one thing in this world that men can collectively enjoy, it is cars. They thrill us. They fuel our adventures. They become a part of us. It is hard to forget that newly felt freedom as a sixteen-year-old firing up the engine on your first car and cruising Main Street. Memories like that do not fade. Luckily, we have the Chicago Auto Show, where a man can walk around over a million square feet of car displays and relive some of these nostalgic feelings.

This year, there is a lot to look forward to at the biggest car show in the states. From Star Wars themed SUVs to laser scanners, there is something here for every man to enjoy. Take the day off and experience car heaven in Chicago.

Here is ManScore’s must see cars and displays at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show:


2017 Nissan Rogue One
A 170-horsepower I4 doesn’t impress, but what does impress is a Star Wars themed automobile. The cup holders are Empire and Rebel themed, the kick plates are illuminated with “Star Wars”, the floor mats and the front doors have the Rogue One emblem…Is this not the coolest thing ever? The Rogue One is probably not practical to buy, but if you feel like splurging you can also expect to receive a limited-edition Death Trooper helmet (just like the ones worn in the movie). Only 5,400 of these will be made so do not miss your chance to check out this impeccably designed SUV by Nissan.



2018 Lexus LS 500

Okay, Lexus; now we’re talking. Getting a little bored with your 4-door grocery sedan? Well, Lexus hears you and they hear you loud and clear. The 2018 LS 500 “family” sedan is faultlessly striking and comes equipped with a 415hp, twin-turbo V6. That is some serious power. Oh yeah, and it has the biggest HUD on the market at 24in. I don’t even think my first TV was that big.


Buick Avista Concept
It is not often that “insanely cool” and “Buick” are used in the same sentence, but apparently, there is an exception to everything. Take a twin turbo V6 from Cadillac, cram it into a Camero chassis, wrap it in the sleekest body ever designed by GM and you have the Avista Concept. Hopefully, GM will actually green light this one but go check it out just in case.


Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Cabriolet
When it comes to cars that cost as much as a house (estimated price around $250k), Mercedes does them best. The engineering alone is fascinating and the Cabriolet will surely take your breath away (hey, that’s a good rhyme for an ad…) But for real, can you imagine having the power of a 630hp V12 beneath your right foot? On second thought, who needs a house.


Porsche 911 Turbo
The genius German’s at Porsche don’t seem to change their designs that much, but I don’t think anyone is critiquing them with this year’s 911 turbo. While looking the same as its predecessors, 2017s powerful two-door is just that: powerful. In fact, it will get you to 60mph in only 2.8 seconds. To put that in perspective, it takes the human mind 3 seconds to make any decision. Insanity. 


Ford F-150 Raptor
Every guy remembers playing with trucks as a kid and an auto show experience would not be complete without paying a visit to one of Ford’s pickups. The F-150 Raptor is not your standard truck and might not be for everyone, but it is sure nice to look at. This year, Ford decided to do away with the V8 and instead put a 3.5L twin turbo V6 in the Raptor. It is an interesting move, but one that makes this truck 500lbs lighter than last year’s model. Who’s ready to go play in some mud?


Lexus’ Intuitive Pedestrian Detection
When you go to check out the LS500, make sure to ask about Lexus’ new “advanced safety package.” Apparently, they have designed a system that will make it almost impossible to hit a pedestrian. Lexus claims that “if a pedestrian is detected in the lane ahead and a collision is imminent, the LS is designed to automatically brake and potentially steer around the person while staying in the lane.” If this feature does what they say it will, then hats off to Lexus.


Volkswagen’s Laser Scanners
You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have Vdubs with frickin' laser beams attached to their roofs!” Well, Dr. Evil, your request has been granted. Lasers on a car just sound cool and you won’t want to miss VW’s I.D. Buzz concept at this year’s auto show. The electric microbus looks absolutely hideous, but the new feature VW is working on is incredible. The bus has four laser scanners mounted to the roof that are supposed to aid in making the car fully autonomous by giving it “technological eyes.” Welcome to the future.


Audi’s Dynamic Steering
Gone are the days of manually steering and welcome to the age of “Dynamic” steering. The 2018 Audi SQ5 SUV comes equipped with this sweet new feature that will make turning seem like nothing. From an engineering standpoint, the feature means a variable-ratio steering unit that will decide how much force is needed to turn the wheel. It will be based on your speed as well as data from other systems on the car. The feature is a remarkable innovation that we will probably see expanded on in the coming years.  


Honda’s CabinWatch
Okay, this one is kind of ingenious and it is surprising that it took this long for a car company to come up with this. Simply, CabinWatch allows parents to see a live video feed of the back seat on the Honda Odyssey’s HUD. Accidents can happen in a blink of an eye and now parents don’t have to turn around to see what their kids are up to. Now that is a ManScore worthy innovation.

[source: Thrillist]

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