On Saturday I visited the Twin Cities auto show, an event that I have visited annually since I moved to Minneapolis in 2001. I shot a bunch of pictures of the best of the 900+ cars and trucks exhibited at the show and created a photo album on the site that you can check out here.

I was mostly impressed with the new concepts shown by the domestic manufacturers GM, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford. My favorite from GM was the new Pontiac Solstice, which is a very fun little car. Chrysler had a V12 supercar prototype that had people in awe, which made up for the disappointing and ugly 2006 Dodge Charger that no one seemed to be interested in. Ford had this very interesting concept. It will probably never go on the market, but it’s good to see that Ford is starting to take things seriously again. Ford had a wonderful exhibit, most notably with their new Ford Mustang GT, Saleen Mustang (pictured above), new Mustang convertible, and of course the Ford GT, which was probably the coolest car at the show.

In my opinion, it’s definitely the new Saleen Mustang that was best in show. The retro style and power package brings a tear to the eye of a classic Mustang fan. After years of disappointing muscle from the blue oval, they finally have something to be proud of again. But I can’t be as confident about DaimlerChysler’s new Charger. After a long 30 year absence, Dodge is reviving the Charger but in a very new form. The decision to go from a muscular two-door coupe to an edgy four-door has sparked a decidedly divisive debate. Personally, I think it’s one of the ugliest cars I’ve ever seen and it doesn’t capture what was great about the old Charger in any way. Not only does it not feel like a true Dodge Charger, it doesn’t feel like a true domestic muscle car.

But what about GM? My hope is that they will finally bring back and unleash a powerful new Camaro with design elements from their late 60’s models, but there haven’t even been rumors of such as of yet. This is my dream, and I’ve actually been sketching this car myself over the last year. They may have already brought back the GTO, but it’s time to bring back the hugely popular Camaro while muscle cars are still all the rage.

As we left the convention center, we saw a large crowd of protesters with signs saying things like “Cars Kill The Planet.” They were loud, had a lot of people, but didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I wonder if they all rode bicycles downtown? I wonder if they all work for companies that have not been positively effected by automotive transportation? It would be pretty hard to find a company that hasn’t. I wonder if they would prefer to be carried to a hospital on foot if they were dying, rather than ride in an Ambulance? I know, I’m being a little extreme, but only as much as they were.

I understand the need for cleaner cars, and I think the auto industry is showing a legitimate concern too. They’re making strides with the development of hydrogen powered cars, and cars are so much cleaner today than they were 10-30 years ago. These protesters were just extremists, taking it way across the line without making any real serious points. They have their right to protest and I support that, but I find it silly how these days people are taking a stand against seemingly everything. There were no protests last year or the year before at the auto show, did this past election send people into a state of permanent opposition of everything? It’s like people are obsessed with protesting and getting in a tizzy over every single thing. For many, today, unrelenting opposition has become not just a political position, but a way of life. It’s scary.

Anyway, it was a fun auto show, and I’m already excited for next year.