Detroit 2017 - PH Liveblog

RAM, bam, thank you Mam!

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 10 January 2017 / Loading comments

The Detroit show is on and Matt is at the show and reporting back on this opening salvo in the 2017 motor show season. As a city and symbol of the American car industry Detroit has had its ups and downs for sure but with a new president taking office shortly (as you may have heard...) on a promise of 'making American great again' it's an interesting time to be there. It's not just a show for the local manufacturers either - any brand wanting to sell cars to Americans also takes Detroit seriously, though how welcome they'll be once the new man takes office is one of the big questions.

We'll stick to the cars for now though, Matt reporting in with his thoughts and observations as he wanders the show. As per the News Hub where we'll be gathering all our stories in one place you can follow his progress via social media at @PistonHeads, and @PHMattB on Twitter and @PistonHeads_Speedmatters on Instagram under the hashtag #PHDetroit17.

The weird and the curious, Ram 1600h (local time)

Would you just look at this? It's some kind of Ram 5500 Heavy Duty conversion, adapted to carry whatever it is some good old boys need to lug around. I counted 10 cup holders inside and I think I love it.

What else? There's a crazy Chevrolet snow plough thing, a rather fetching brown Volvo V90 and a lovely BMW M760Li in navy blue with red leather. It's by far the most interesting thing on the BMW stand. And locked. Depreciating as we speak...

The police are here too! Michigan State are out with their latest Charger and an old Chevy Caprice too. They will be first port of call in the morning. Sir.

'Ring Stinger - Kia, 1430h (local)

Having divulged so little information in the reveal event last night, there was some expectation on Kia today to reveal a little more of what we didn't know about the Stinger GT. Sadly not, the speeches by senior bods featuring lines from the press release and indeed what we have already been told from the microsite, The Curve Ahead. Plus lots of "charisma", "passion" and "desire". Albert Biermann did say the car required "countless" laps of the Nurburgring though, so perhaps he's worth talking with to see where it's good and where it isn't.

Today the car has been shown in colours other than red - red being "intense" and "dynamic", therefore the perfect Kia colour - with blue and silver on the stand too. It's a smart enough design, though perhaps not as adventurous as we've come to expect from Kia recently. Still, the American journos here are proclaiming how "beautiful" it is, and it's that market that matters... Look how busy the stand is!

Predictably Kia's sales expectations for the UK are fairly small, and the rumours are that UK pricing will place the Stinger GT as the most expensive Kia on sale; doesn't sound a lot, until you realise a range-topping Sorento is £40,950... More details soon!

Truck yeah - Detroit, 1200h (local)

Pick-ups and SUVs are big business in the States. An obvious point perhaps, but it's always surprising at American shows to see how prominent these vehicles are. As a little old Brit, it's always quite a nice Borrowers-style experience to have a poke around the latest stuff.

Did you know a Lincoln Navigator can have eight seats? It's gigantic. So too is the Cadillac Escalade, still as unapologetically brash (and chrome) as it's always been. They're showing Dodge Rams here with four rear wheels and the 'Z71' off-road package is as big a deal on the Chevy stand as the 'Z07' Corvette track pack. But then who wouldn't want a truck called a Colorado Zee 71? Being from a car culture where pick-ups are for farmers and builders, it's fascinating to see how important they are here. The Tundra in battleship grey is probably my favourite.

Next stop is Kia; I'm out here on their trip and the Stinger is clearly a big deal for them in the US. There was a frustrating lack of info at the launch event last night, so best go grab a seat now!

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A - Detroit, 1130h (local)

I like muscle cars. Quite a lot actually. And now that fascination requires no apologies, because the cars are actually good. And unsurprisingly there's plenty to see at Detroit.

Highlights? The new

Challenger TA and Charger Daytona

; how can you not love a car with bonnet clips? Perhaps more than even the gigantic pick ups here, the rejuvenated muscle car scene reflects the confidence of the US car makers after some turbulent years. Nothing says we're in a good place like a 392 Hemi and Green Go paint...

The latest range of 'V' Cadillacs look great too, the 640hp CTS-V particularly menacing on the stand in stealth grey. There was even one of those manual gearbox things in the ATS-V Coupe. The Corvette Grand Sport is stunning as well, and the novelty of sitting in a Mustang with the redline beyond eight still hasn't worn off. Yeah, muscle cars are cool. Best go look at that Viper on the Dodge stand while there's still one here.