Motor City Mayhem North American International Auto Show 2017

Lexus LS, Kia Stinger, VW ID Buzz, Toyota Camry, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe //

Our intrepid automotive explorer Ian Beavis travels to Detroit to conquer the formidable North American Int’l Auto Show. Given that many of the manufacturers showed their breakthrough innovations for the year at CES a week earlier, NAIAS was a bit more subdued affair in 2017. Lacking the flash of a Ford GT or truly eccentric concept, it took Ian’s trained eye to search out the real stories worth following. Here are some of the highlights of the show.

Lexus LS

Lexus LS - NAIAS 2017 - North American Int'l Auto Show

The LS has received a much-deserved revamp that brought all Lexus has to bear on improving the design, dynamics and already-incredible fit and finish. They’ve ditched the old V8 engine in favor of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that puts out an impressive 412 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque, added some length (it’s only available in a long wheelbase) and shed weight at the same time. As you’d expect from a car of this caliber, it has a massive 12.3-inch display and an even more massive 24-inch color HUD.

Kia Stinger GT

AMCI_NAIAS2017_Kia Stinger GT - North American Int'l Auto Show

The Stinger GT is Kia’s most important vehicle since the Soul, punching far above its weight, with amazing exterior design, excellent performance and an interior that will make the Germans take note.

Volkswagen ID Buzz Concept

AMCI_NAIAS2017__VW ID Buzz Concept - North American Int'l Auto Show

Another in a long line of teasers from Volkswagen, this time claiming 369 horsepower and a 270-mile range, with every bell and whistle imaginable, including a retractable wheel for autonomous driving, bed-folding seats and an AR HUD.

Toyota Camry

AMCI_NAIAS2017_Camry - North American Int'l Auto Show

The new Camry is the savior that the sedan segment needs, improved in every aspect and definitely looking the part of the best-selling car in America.

Mercedes E-Class Coupe

AMCI_NAIAS2017_Mercedes_EClass - North American Int'l Auto Show
A victory lap for the now number-one luxury brand, the E‑Class Coupe is the perfect distillation of why Mercedes-Benz is running the game. Their design language continues to set the standard for luxury cars.

Closing Thoughts on the North American Int’l Auto Show

We hope that Volkswagen will follow through with the ID Buzz and quit teasing us with such an amazing vehicle, and we can’t wait to get behind the wheel of unlikely bedfellows like the Lexus LS and Kia Stinger GT.

Have questions for Ian? Leave a comment or email him here.

Posted on January 18, 2017

Be the First to Comment!

Connect with the customer.

With so much “noise” in the marketplace, customers are quick to tune out when they feel disconnected to the message. So, how do you craft a message that leaves the most impact on an audience?

Before you can communicate with consumers, you need to make sure you’re speaking the same language. And that can’t happen without getting to know what drives them. Where do they live... work... play? What’s the best way to engage them? How do you talk to them? Learn those facts (and others like them) and you can wind your story into the fabric of who they are. That’s where every solution starts.

At AMCI Live, we begin with client-provided insights. After that, we layer in the learnings from literally millions of consumer interactions. Then we apply AMCI’s proprietary social intelligence platform, L.I.N.C.^®, to make sure we have the absolute latest insights. By uncovering what resonates with an audience, we learn how to relate the right programming...the right venues... the right staff... the right design to create authentic, connective experiences that leave a meaningful impression on customers.

Want to create some customer connections?

Great product inspires great content.

Meaningful engagements are a megaphone that shouts out all of the great stories and experiences offered by a product. How can you amplify those messages to extend their impact beyond a single moment in time?

Advocacy shouldn’t be limited just to those fortunate enough to attend an event. It grows by expanding a message, by turning up the broadcast. Product experiences do that by giving life to content that is infectious and spreads enthusiasm. Content that fuels and broadens the story of a brand and its products. Sometimes it’s born from just spending time with a product and uncovering its truths. Other times it’s created and shared professionally or organically from an event. Whether it’s a product proof video, a packaged piece of messaging or sharable social content created by attendees, it has the power to radiate out from an event and reach the broadest audience possible to create a community of advocates.

Want compelling content?

Every brand should be celebrated. Every product has something to say.

Brands are progressing. Products evolving. Opportunities are growing. How do you find the sweet spot for communicating those stories?

The dynamics of the auto industry are constantly changing; that’s what makes it so endlessly fascinating. It is here that our love of the industry truly shines bright. Not just gaining understanding, but finding ways to bring to life the personality differences between German luxury brands or finding the unique stories between American pickup trucks-this brings out the very best of AMCI.

Our activations are equally inspired by the ever-morphing combination of what a brand promises and how a product fulfills that promise. That bond gives each event its voice telling us, for example, whether we should be doing an invitation-only event at a massive custom-built off-road course or taking the latest electric vehicle and showing that it’s usable on every roadway in the world.