By Joey Lee
As many of us do every year, the Annual Twin Cities Auto Show has come around to the Minneapolis Convention Center again, and as always, I attended. This year was different though as the Dream Killers Pod Cast was recording on this Tuesday Night, which also happened to be Military Appreciation night as well. The Twin Cities Auto Show has been on for 47 years now and has grown to around 600 cars on display with an estimated value of around $21 million. The show itself hasn’t always been at the Minneapolis Convention Center as in its early years, it was held at the Armory and even spent a few years at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
But now at its permanent home, the show has expanded over the years, including this year’s “RAM Truck Territory” which allows you to ride on one of the new 2020 Ram Truck through an obstacle course of pulling and towing to overcoming various angles to crawl over. Much like the “Jeep Camp” and it’s various obstacles as well. In fact, the Twin Cities Auto Show is only 1 of 2 shows nationwide, to offer the 2 separate tracks. Again, comes the “Ride & Drive” this year, but brought to you by Fiat-Chrylser of America, Toyota, and Volkswagen; which allows you to take a car of your choice from the sponsored make around the downtown Minneapolis area (Check scheduling for specific makes and models). Added for the exhibition rooms for the “Custom Garage” room with vehicles from SEMA, Automotive Concepts, and etc; the “Unique Classic Cars” room by Unique Specialty and Classic Cars as well as the “Project Car” competition of locally owned built vehicles. So be sure to check all the rooms, and to vote for your favorite “Project Car” finalist at this years show.
This year’s Luxury Lane has been moved back into the main Hall and Room A has now been turned into the “Truck Country” room with all makes and models available for sale this year, as well as a few tastefully modified vehicles. Trucks were certainly the theme of this years show as the number of trucks around the show have indeed increased as well as the
sheer size of them. Automotive Concepts also had quite a few trucks displayed throughout the rooms and halls, from the newly released Ford Ranger, to larger full size Chevrolet Silverado
HD Dually. GMC also brought over one of the newer designed Harley Davidson Sierra pick-ups as well.
Not on the show floor this year was BMW, who elected not to make an appearance at the Twin Cities Auto Show on their own accord, for reasons unknown. So for those of you who were looking to physically compare the new A90/A91 Toyota Supra to its German counter-part, the BMW Z4 Roadster, you’ll have to try again somewhere else at another time. The layout of the TC Auto Show is actually co-designed by not just the manufacturers but co-developed by them and a team from the TC Auto Show to market and place the needs of each vehicle, while still adhering to the Convention Center rules and guidelines.
There are many vehicles to see at the TC Auto Show and unfortunately, the one car I was really hoping to make an appearance, did not. And that would be the all-new 2021 Audi RS6 Avant. There are still exciting vehicles in attendance though like the Acura NSX GT3, Bentley Continental GT, GMC Sierra AT4, Lexus LC500, Audi S7, Shelby GT500, Alfa Romeo Guilia, and the 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Convertible. And although seeing the new C8 Corvette was a gem, especially being able to see the Vette’s first ever automatic hard top come down, the biggest surprises to me was the small and agile Hyundai Veloster N, and the Toyota Camry TRD edition.
Overall, there is a lot to see, and even a lot to do at this years TC Auto Show. From autograph sessions from Minnesota Vikings Safety Harrison Smith (Saturday - 3/14), to T. Texas Terry, and getting inside the RAMINATOR monster truck, you can certainly fill your day at the auto show by taking advantage of all that is provided at the Minneapolis Convention Center this year. Be sure to listen to our Podcast that Drive Cartel did at this year’s Twin Cities Auto Show and be sure to visit the auto show this weekend, because you’ll have to wait another whole year for the next one.
Be sure to tune in to the new Dream Killers Podcast for more insight on some of the cars from the auto show, as well as some news from around the auto industry. Where can you find the podcast you ask? Well, you can find them on Spotify, Youtube, Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/DCdreamkillers/ ), and more. Also, if you’d like to be involved with the Twin Cities Auto Show in anyway, feel free to reach out to Mary at the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association ( mary@mada.org )
Useful Links: http://www.twincitiesautoshow.com/
Project Car Voting http://twincitiesautoshow.com/show-features/projectcar **As of March 13, 2020, the 2020 Twin Cities Auto Show has been canceled for safety concerns because of COVID-19**