#LAAS Recap: The Automobiles of Tomorrow

*Note in this blog post I focus more on the technology being used at the #LAAS and not necessarily the cars themselves, even though I do mention some that I liked.

One of the things I am passionate about is cars. Ever since I have been a little kid I’ve been involved in cars. My dad owned his own mechanic shop in good ol’ Whittier, CA and since then I began to know its mechanical breakdown. After 10 years or so my dad had to close the shop down and got involved into the selling of automobiles. As a car salesman I saw the automotive industry a bit differently and began to follow how car brands were being managed in an executive point of view. We began going to the LA Auto show in 2000 and I have gone to a couple since then. This year, we obtained complimentary tickets and went this past Sunday after a 3 year absence. I really wanted to share my experience with all of you of what I thought about this year’s Auto Show! Hope you guys enjoy my insight and I encourage to start a conversation too!

So my first thoughts about this year’s LA Auto Show [will abbreviate LAAS from now on] was that it was going to take us a long time to get there since there was the American Music awards being held next door at the Nokia Theater AND there was a Lakers game inside the Staples Center. To my disbelief, we made in less than 45 min and got there just in time to see all of the exhibits.

One thing that stood out to me the most out of this year’s LAAS was all the technology that was being used to show off these new vehicles. One might argue that concepts will always be concepts and that they are supposed to “look” futuristic, but what I love about these shows is that they become a physical reality. One of the concept vehicles that just blew my mind away was Mazda’s “Shinari” concept not because of its stylish design but because it showed what the future of cars will become. The idea that we will NO longer use mirrors to see what is behind us but rather have cameras on our sides and being able to see them through the central console was a concept I had never thought of. It is one of those ideas that you think to yourself as “GENIUS! Why didn’t I think of that before?” I mean we have cameras to see when we back up [on newer models] why not apply the same concept and use it! I really cannot wait until this truly becomes a reality and be able to use this amazing technology!

Another thing that I found really rewarding was the use of Social Media. If you have not gone this year and you are a Social Media enthusiast I really encourage you to go. As soon as I got there I checked in through Foursquare and saw that 104 people had signed in as well. [Tip: It’s a good way to get that Swarm badge if you haven’t already].

Audi I think did a remarkable job at showcasing their Social Media by having physical posters saying to check in to their location via foursquare or Facebook Places and to share your experience as an attendee to them. I think that is really good in their part to really obtain feedback from people that will be potentially buying a car from them.

Another thing I liked that Audi and actually most of the exhibitors did was the reducing of pamphlets and information that people could grab of their brand. Not only does it look that the automotive brands are becoming “green” but using technology to improve their effectiveness. Audi and others used tags in their vehicle information that can be scanned by the iPhone, Android, or any other smartphone to unlock more information about the car or the brand. I think that is a pretty clever move by the automotive industry in these shows to really reduce paper waste [ even though I was one of MANY who would go to each booth and get all the pamphlets and reading material to make a collage in my room] and use technology to their advantage.

I think the number of iPads that were used in this year’s Auto Show was in the hundreds if not a thousand counting the ones that were used by stand-alone locations and by the presenters of the concept vehicles. For the Chevy crossover-convertible concept, for example the presenter used an iPad not only to see his notes but to use it as a clicker for the slideshow presentation behind him. That was pretty cool to watch, but at the same time it can be hurtful to use the iPad because it may seem that presenters are being too reliable and can lose their credibility. I remember in past Auto Shows they would just know their facts by heart and that was cool about it.

Chevrolet went all out in their exhibit and truly had people’s attention by holding several activities in their exhibit. Not only did they have their full line up of vehicles showcased, but they also have this AMAZING photo opportunity with the new Chevy Camaro with a piece of Hot Wheels track! You can share this still video through your social networks for people to see. They also gave out FREE Hot Wheels of the Camaro being promoted. On the second floor they had a preview of the new XBOX Kinect featuring a racing simulation game sponsored by the NEW 100% electric Chevy Volt. All of the stations were full of kinds waiting to play with this new technology that parents will be buying this holiday season.

To counteract Chevy’s efforts, Ford basically had half of the smaller Hall with a similar approach of having the attendees more participative. They gave out a passport with different activities or “challenges” you have to go through in order to obtain Ford SWAG. People could actually go into a Ford Mustang BOSS and go as fast as they can to feel the power of the Mustang! They also have the NEW Ford F150 “Raptor” which looked really awesome and very different to its previous F 150 models.

Out of the brands out there I do have to mention that my favorite of the night has to be Audi because not only do I love their new design of vehicles but used social media to interact with its customers.

Check out some of the pictures I took on my Flickr Photostream !

What did you think of this years LA Auto Show? I want to hear from you!