SOME OF YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE HIGH-OCTANE TRUTH. – Rants

By Peter M. DeLorenzo 

Detroit. It’s Car Present week listed here in the Motor City. Certainly, you study that appropriately. Soon after two-and-a person-fifty percent decades of postponements, fake commences and navel-gazing concerns as to “what is it all about?” the Detroit Auto Exhibit, this sort of as it is, is slated to commence with a media day on Wednesday (this week’s publication day – WG). 

In fact, this “media day” is a misnomer, since what utilized to be two jam-packed times of media push conferences, products rollouts and closely orchestrated and, in some circumstances, excruciating government pontificating, has been lowered to a 50 percent-assed facsimile of what utilised to be.

Oh guaranteed, there are out of doors displays, and tightly controlled “ride and drives” in and about Huntington Area (previously known as Cobo Hall), but the truth is that what was at the time a correct intercontinental car present stuffed with very important new product or service reveals has now been minimized to a hometown retail exhibit, where the hundreds of men and women who are either instantly or indirectly associated in the car market in this region can go and revel in the fruits of their labor and say a little something like, “We did the decreased entrance valance on the new Mustang.”

It’s no major revelation that the COVID pandemic essentially ruined the automobile show model. It upended the automobile present calendar and hastened its demise by putting the whole circus on a train to Oblivion, which is just one quit past Obsolete Station. 

Is this the Detroit Clearly show organizers’ fault? Not in the minimum. These folks are struggling mightily to make the Detroit Car Display appropriate and an car-themed place for loved ones leisure. A big effort is becoming created – supported by the nearby media – to make the clearly show appealing yet again. But the actuality is that the plot has been misplaced and the absence of the Detroit Automobile Present has not designed hearts grow fonder. Instead it has planted an overwhelming feeling of ennui, which has permeated the collective consciousness of the men and women who applied to give a damn.

Certainly, the periods have changed. The auto producers have realized that the collective hundreds of millions of bucks they made use of to commit on car exhibits was a huge waste of cash. Automobile demonstrates have been replaced by qualified item rollouts to what passes for the automotive media, alleged social media “influencers” and effectively-heeled clientele who can spread the term considerably extra successfully and fundamentally, instantaneously. 

It does not assist that the retail automobile current market has inexorably improved way too. People do not store at dealers anymore the unlimited offer chain challenges have set paid to that quaint idea. Now, it’s spec-out an get for a car or truck and wait around or hope someone on a list to get a motor vehicle cancels and generates an open slot. 

Wait a moment, would not that make the Detroit Automobile Show extra desirable? Really, no. Folks are used to viewing every little thing and something to do with new and approaching autos on the Internet. Right now. There’s no thriller or allure any longer, no waiting around with anticipation for the sellers to remove the paper covering up the showroom windows like historic times. Persons now know what is coming a year or much more in advance down to the previous detail, it’s just the way points are done these times. And in addition to, persons all-around right here are informed of motor vehicles from all of the companies well prior to everybody else. We see prototypes on the highway all the time, yrs in advance also. 

Is there just about anything going on at the “new” Detroit Auto Present? The only expose of notice in Detroit will be Ford’s expose of the previous ICE Mustang, Wednesday evening. Is this event adequate to give the Detroit Automobile Clearly show reliability or desirability? No. It is akin to the Detroit Lions holding “family” working day. You fundamentally know what is likely to happen – with a few wrinkles thrown in for the sake of “new” – but we’ve all been there and done that before, haven’t we?

This column will be a bitter tablet for some, but truth has a way of finding in the way. The Higher-Octane Fact is that the Detroit Automobile Present is dead, no subject what type it takes. And what’s going on in its area this week will be a a single hit speculate. There is just not sufficient “buzz” to maintain items over and above this 12 months. 

Oh, and one more thing. I refuse to sit by and permit manufacturers produce synthetic sounds for their EVs and contact it “good” or suitable. Stellantis is touting the artificially-made muscle mass audio emanating from its new Charger EV prototype as some thing that is reliable and attractive. But that is Unmitigated Bush League Bullshit. Electronic-generated and projected seem – no issue how enhanced – is the quintessential definition of synthetic phoniness. There is almost nothing “authentic” about it and there is no “there” there. The Significant-Octane Truth is that it is flat-out stupid, no make a difference how it’s presented. And it is the most depressing progress to hit this enterprise in a lengthy, long time.

There you have it. Two wildly unpopular topics this 7 days. 

The Large-Octane Truth has in no way been handy, essentially feel-excellent common, or for the faint of heart. 

And which is the Large-Octane Fact for this week.

Even if some of you simply cannot handle it.

“You Can’t Handle The Truth of the matter” – A Couple of Excellent Gentlemen.