The 2016 North American International Auto Show opened in Detroit earlier this week and in terms of GM performance, the only news was the sexy Buick Avista Concept Coupe. 2016 technically marks the Detroit Auto Show premier of the 6th generation Chevrolet Camaro, but there is really nothing new to report on the Camaro, the Corvette or any of the other high performance GM models. Fortunately, even without any brand new vehicles, GM performance lovers will find plenty of high powered Chevrolet and Cadillac models on display.
What will likely be one of the biggest attractions at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show is the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. Those Detroit locals who haven’t been to Woodward, another auto show outside of Detroit or their local Chevy dealership will be getting their first time to check out the 6th gen Camaro in person. There were two new Camaros on hand for media days – one V6 coupe and one SS convertible – and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were even more Camaros when the show opens to the public this weekend.
In addition to the Camaros, there are also a few Corvette Z06 coupes on display, with one bright yellow unit in the Chevrolet display which was joined by a deep metallic red Stingray convertible, a metallic blue Z06 in the Robb Report area and another yellow car in the Michelin display – which is accompanied by the Corvette C7R race car.
Finally, the Cadillac brand brought out just as much performance as the Chevrolet brand, with the new CTS-V and ATS-V coupes lined up nose to tail alongside the new CT6, so for those folks who like a whole lot of luxury combined with a whole lot of power – Cadillac has your interests covered at the 2016 NAIAS.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
