2011 Auto Show: All of the lights

Well, maybe not all of the lights, but a handful from the Cincinnati Auto Show 2011. I love going to these things.

This year was a bit boring. Not many preview vehicles or concepts, and though I feel pretty good about the general direction of exterior design in cars of late, it’s the interiors that are becoming irksome. Cheap materials, weird curvy consoles.

Things just aren’t feeling solid.

Back to the outside, fanciful headlamp and taillight designs are blowin’ up with LEDs. I think they’re good for visibility and anything that distracts automakers from making more scallop shapes is dandy with me.

Mercedes SLS AMG
Jaguar XJ taillight
Jaguar XJ’s maw

2012 Ford Focus (note the gas cap access door tucked up in front of the taillight).

The Fiat 500. It’ll be nice to see these on the road, but darn if I don’t fit at all in ’em.

Ford Fiesta headlamp detail.

Promotional materials called these “Dragon Eye Headlamps.”

Volvo C 30. Another car I wish I could fit in. Only thing more uncomfortable was a Chevy Camaro.
Honda CRZ Instrument cluster.
Chrysler 300.
The hipline of the Dodge Challenger by the rear quarter-panel.


(My favorite muscle car of the new bunch even a few years into it’s reintroduction, blind spots be damned.)

Rope lighting on the Land Rover LR4

Classic Ferrari

An old Corvette, just ’cause.

Lastly, I’m miffed that Nissan wasn’t set up. Really wanted to see what a Juke was like on the inside.