Five (sort-of) car-free activities at Detroit auto demonstrate, Crain s Detroit Business
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Ally Financial created eight unique fragrances to make a twist on the “fresh car smell.” They debuted this exhibit Jan. Eleven at the North American International Auto Showcase at Cobo Center in Detroit.
You might be going to the North American International Auto Demonstrate even tho’ you actually don’t like cars. But there are a few activities besides geeking out about horsepower, expanded cup holders and the fresh Mercedes-Benz that you very likely can’t afford anyway. Following are some things to do when you need a break from sitting in concept cars:
At the massive “Blue Oval” Ford Motor Co. display, practice the rubdown seats available in F-150 trucks. The rubdown points concentrate on the rear and lower back. The pressure is subtle — nothing like what you would get sampling at Brookstone or Sharper Pic — but provides a respite from standing and walking.
Clever! Showcasing the rubdown seats from the @ford Explorer Platinum Series – good break from the showcase! #FordNAIAS pic.twitter.com/UD1AaN7Bfm
Still at the Ford area, you can mimic the effects of driving drugged, toasted or as an elderly person. Users wear weights on certain areas of their bod to slow their movements or abate their senses and then play basketball. Compare your score with and without weights to learn how altered states of mind or aging affects your driving.
Ford – with its basketball arcade game – feels like the most American display here. #NAIAS pic.twitter.com/1TgJhD9aXM
Predictably, there are more than a few driving simulations at this year’s auto demonstrate. Attempt the two thousand seventeen Ford Super Duty, where users bounce in their seats as they drive through rugged terrain, or take a rail in a yellow snakeskin-printed Dodge Viper, which also surrounds the user in a virtual venture with three screens. For something that’s more educational than adrenaline-pumping, Denso Corp., a Kariya, Japan-based auto supplier, offers the chance to simulate driving an auto-piloted car in an everyday situation — for example, switching lanes.
Step outside the demo room to sample and create a fresh twist on the “new car smell,” courtesy of Ally Financial Inc. The Detroit-based bank holding company created eight unique fragrances meant to emulate what a city compact or burly pickup might indeed smell like. For example, that little urban car’s “new car smell” is forty three percent cappuccino, twenty nine percent hairspray, twenty five percent lipstick and three percent yoga mat. A luxury coupe is sixty seven percent plush leather, twenty eight percent shoe grind, four percent caviar and one percent Benjamins. Using cheeky scents like fanny pack and tofu, create your own virtual smell.
Timothy Raines, holder of Timothy Raines Gallery, will be painting cars, sports and other Detroit icons in his Jackson Pollock-inspired style. It is the fifth year he’s painted live at the auto display, and he’ll be selling originals and prints of his work.
Bonus pro-tip: If you didn’t bring your charger, and all of your smartphone photo taking has your battery running low, don’t fret. The Chevrolet station has straps for those who need 30-pin or Lightning iPhone or micro USB ropes. Cobo has slew of USB and standard outlets for those who came ready, too.
