Autoshow in Motion
I'm someone who other people look to for advice on new car decisions. However, like most amateur car "experts", I have to base my opinions about cars on things I read in magazines and what I see in cars parked on an autoshow floor. GM turned that all around for me with the AutoShow in Motion. The AutoShow in Motion was a touring event that ran from about 2003 to 2006 (called "Grab the Keys" in its final year). GM would take over a (very) large parking lot and convert it into test tracks and display areas. Attendees had the opportunity to test drive the latest GM models AND the competition on the tracks.
I attended the Autoshow in Motion in 2004 and 2005 at FedEX Field in Landover, Maryland. I had so many memorable driving impressions, from discovering the buttery smoothness of the Mercedes C-Class to experiencing the tremendous improvement in the Saturn ION over the two model years. Of course the most important drive of each year's event was the Corvette. I was amazed at how easy it was to handle despite its awesome performance capabilities.
Even the parts of the show that were not in motion were great. Then-upcoming GM models were all over the lot, and I could get far closer to them than I would at a normal autoshow.
I hope this event will return someday. It certainly enhanced my automotive expertise and put the best possible face on GM's transformation effort.
The world’s only auto show where consumers are handed the keys to take a spin in more than 150+ of the hottest GM vehicles on the market. Consumers attending this free event have the opportunity to drive vehicles from every General Motors brand – Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER – as well as their key competitors. In 2006, two "CARnivals" ran simultaneously (East and West coast). This popular "AUTOtainment" event was halted May, 2006 after The Drive opened in Las Vegas, Nevada in April, 2006.