Feb 5, 2008 12:00 PM
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Every year, automotive journalists look forward to the Chicago Auto Show, not because it's America's largest, or its oldest (right on both counts), but because it's in Chicago. The Second City. The White City. Home of the Cubs, Buddy Guy, Al Capone, Oprah, the Sipowitz accent and deep dish pizza. This year, Chicago is going to be celebrating 100 years of auto shows with a better-than-usual roster of big reveals. You can expect Jalopnik to be there in full force—that is, when we're not downing a dog at the Wiener's Circle, a Honker's Ale at The Map Room or a slice at Gino's East. The action has already started, with embargoes breaking like crazy. It gets more exciting tonight when the curtains surrounding some of the most anticipated concepts are finally drawn open. Below, please find our official, detailed and awesome cheat sheet to the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, from Acura to Ze Germans!
Acura
Press Conference: Wednesday at 10:00 am (CST)
SCOOP: It looks like Acura is finally going to be replacing their poor-selling, two-cylinders-too-few RL with the 2009 Acura RL. Why not keep an alphanumeric that has almost no brand ID? What's the new Acura RL going to look like? We're not sure. Will it be getting the new Acura diesel engine instead of a V8? These are the questions we'll soon answer.
Bentley
Press Conference: Wednesday at 4:00 pm (CST)
Bentley's the last automaker to reveal its goods on Wednesday, but we don't think they're saving the best for last. Bentley Continental GT Mike Ditka Edition? Maybe.
BMW
Press Conference: Wednesday at 3:15 pm (CST)
SCOOP: Herr BMW will be showing up in style with the BMW Concept 1-Series tii in tow. And while this one may not have the mechanical fuel injection of its historical namesake, it does have passenger-side racing stripes. We've already seen what it looks like, but we're hoping we'll get an idea of what (if anything) is going on under the hood.
Buick
Press Conference: Wednesday at 9:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: In addition to looking around for Tiger Woods, we'll be checking out the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. The new LaCrosse will be built on GM's Epsilon II platform, which also underpins the 2008 Opel Insignia and will be the basis of the next-generation Saturn Aura, Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6. Spy photos of the squishier-looking FWD midsized luxury sedan below.
Chevy
Press Conference: Wednesday at 9:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: Not too much of a scoop here, as we can squint our eyes when looking at any other Lambda-based crossover SUV and picture what the 2009 Chevy Traverse is going to look like. That said, people who want something in a Trailblazer and don't like the soft look of the Saturn Outlook may be interested.
Dodge
Press Conference: Wednesday at 10:45 am (CST)
SCOOP: Hmm... it seems like there was something coming at the Chicago Auto Show from Dodge this year... let's see... something about a muscle car. Oh yeah! Everyone's been crazy over the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, which we also have for you in a lovely Silver SRT-8 paint job. We're going to be bringing you photos, details, video and, if possible, etchings of this new muscle car from the Pentastar.
Ford
Press Conference: Wednesday at 1:00 pm (CST)
SCOOP: It was just a few weeks ago we were bemoaning the lack of anything interesting to come from Ford at Chicago. That all changed when we heard a little rumor that we might be getting the 2009 Ford Transit Connect van here, on our shores, in some form. And we even have confirmation of this thanks to the Chicago Auto Show Blog. Ford will also be showing off its dubtastic Ford Edge Sport package for the popular CUV.
GM
Press Conference: Wednesday at 1:45 pm (CST)
SCOOP: While numerous GM brands will be offering their own reveals, there's an additional GM-wide event relating to commercial vehicles. As mentioned last week, GM is trotting out a line of slightly better-for-the-environment commercial vans, cars and trucks at Chicago. There's nothing spectacular here, as they're the hybrid, E85 and B5-powered vehicle we've already come to be underwhelmed by.
GMC
Press Conference: Wednesday at 9:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: This show is all about GMC, with the truckmaker debuting three new concepts. The slightly interesting news is that we'll be getting the GMC Sierra Hybrid, a dual-mode that should be getting a 25% increase in mileage over the all-gas versions. The biggest news is the GMC Denali XT Hybrid Concept Truck, the mean-looking modern Cabellero.
Hummer
Press Conference: Wednesday at 9:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: Hummer will be revealing the 2009 Hummer H3T truck to a world that might have some idea what it's going to look like. That aside, we're anxious to get up close and personal with this now most Hummerist of trucks. At over six feet, we can't fully lie down in the Hummer's truck bed. But that won't stop us from trying. Given enough time and maybe a little cheese-induced mania we may try and sneak by the Hummer people to see just how much stuff we can fit in the bed of the H3T.
Hyundai
Press Conference: Wednesday at 2:30 pm (CST)
SCOOP: Though Hyundai has been on a roll with some big reveals, for Chicago we've got the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, which is a mild refresh that does add a bit of class to the solid midsize performer. The other reveal is the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring, which should be a capable five-door hatch for the segment of the population that doesn't care so much for driving characteristics but go crazy for special features and extended warranties. The company will also be showing their i-Blue Fuel Cell Concept for the first time on American shores.
Mitsubishi
Press Conference: Thursday at 9:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: We're not expecting to be shocked by what Mitsubishi has to offer, though we're curious about what the 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT & Spyder look like up close. We're also looking to see how they spin that extra 2 horsepower they squeezed out of the 3.8L MIVEC V6. Oh, and they're bringing the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant. Here's hoping they at least bring a Ralliart version.
Porsche
Press Conference: Thursday at 8:15 am (CST)
SCOOP: The story for Porsche, which blew off Detroit, is the 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS. Squeezed between the Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo, the GTS is tuned for the track as opposed to the woods. Though it will probably spend most of its time in the parking lot of Whole Foods.
Scion
Press Conference: No Conference Scheduled
SCOOP: At last year's Chicago Auto Show, we got the newScion xD and xB. At this year's show, we get the VIP-themed 2008 Scion tC Series RS 4.0, which is the older Scion with a bevy of visual enhancements on the outside (including the special grille and color) as well as embroidered alcantara leather and other goodies on the inside.
Suzuki
Press Conference: Wednesday at 12:15 pm (CST)
The rebadged Nissan Frontier-cum-Suzuki Equator will be debuting in non-illustrated form at Chicago. We've got some information that says Suzuki will be showing off some crazy off-road version. Look for that later.
Volkswagen
Press Conference: Wednesday at 11:30 am (CST)
It may be hard to pronounce, but there's no denying that the 2009 VW Routan seen in spy pictures and fuzzy photos will finally bow. Is this a spiritual successor to the , or just a placeholder for the planned VW Revolution?
Volvo
Press Conference: Thursday at 10:00 am (CST)
As far as we can tell, Volvo isn't going to be doing much more than officially announced the R-design limited edition cars that showed up at the Detroit Auto Show. This includes the new C30 R-Design for those looking for a sportier version of the Swedish hatch.
Yes!
Press Conference: Thursday at 10:30 am (CST)
Not to sounds like an Herbal Essences commercial, but Yes... Yes... oh YES! The little convertible that could, the YES! 3.2 Roadster will make its official debut at Chicago this year. The roadster will be powered by a 3.2-liter VW V6 good for 255, 355 or 415 horses, depending on how you get it tuned. We're hoping to get a read on price and dealership network when the 3.2 Roadster has its American coming out party on Thursday so we'll know if this is a cheap, fast runabout or another overpriced, limited-run sports car from Europe.
That's all we know for now. Check back with the Chicago Auto Show page this week to see what's happening as it happens
Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at matt@jalopnik.com.
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