Who Are The Unexpected Winners Of The homologatedSHIFT New York International Auto Show Awards?
The New York International Auto Show is one of the best automotive events in North America. Manufacturers big and small take great effort to capture the essence of their vehicles and put it on display for the world. The unique combination of practical hatchbacks, exotic supercars, prototypes guaranteed for failure, and all-natural shammy sales demonstrations capture the charming variety of the automotive world. There are few places where you could perform an interior quality test across every major new subcompact release in a single day while also adding to your collection of stolen Toyota Camry volume knobs. What fun!
In honor of the largest East Coast automotive spectacle, please join me in celebration of the inaugural homologatedSHIFT New York International Auto Show Awards.
If you think any of the cars above are going home with prizes today, you may be disappointed and also at risk for heart disease. That is just statistics. This is a different kind of award show. No statistics. Everything is subjective today, folks. There will be plenty of time to talk about Glickenhaus and Koenigsegg in the near future.
Manufacturers spend great amounts of time and money preparing their newest lineups for the NYIAS in hopes of capturing the attention of potential car buyers. Here at homologatedSHIFT, we aim to honor the winners and losers of the show in hopes of building future generations of car lovers. As you will see, some manufacturers know their fanbase and best models. While others have no idea what year it is, where their brands are headed, or what matters to the car buying public.
On to the awards!
Best Interior Lighting Award
The winner for this year’s Best Interior Lighting Award beat the competition by the distance required to walk off the calories from the weekly bottomless mimosas brunches the future owners will surely be enjoying. The new Mercedes G-Class had its interior lit up like it is about to film full episodes of Real Housewives inside. Mercedes should consider making this a factory option. A very practical solution for social media influencers in need to good lighting for their livestream. Plus, it shows off a legitimately well crafted interior. It is incredible to see how far we have come since the Geländewagen was a military vehicle. Eye-catching.
Best Paint Finish To Show The World You Are A Complete Idiot
Choosing the right paint for your new car is an essential step in the car-buying experience. A specific choice of paint can highlight the unique characteristics of the vehicle while also reflecting qualities of the driver. For example, the Acura NSX’s Andaro paint option provides a high-quality finish that also reflects the owner’s good taste. However, some manufacturers understand that a portion of their buyers can’t help themselves from telling the world that they are total idiots.
A visual example of a high quality paint finish. The NSX with Andaro paint option.
They sell cars to a very picky set of buyers that need to tell the world that they have money to burn, they are within 14 months of their next IRS investigation, and that they are in the final stages of ending their fourth marriage. Almost single and ready to mingle!
As highly contested category, we have a tie for first! Both Maserati and Mercedes were able to secure the win in this category. With a regrettable callback to 2010, the silky matte finishes on the Levante, AMG GT-R, and AMG GT 63 4-door Coupe will broadcast to the world that you are a danger to yourself and others. No better way to tell the world you are an idiot by spending a few thousand dollars on paint that can’t be washed or polished. Well done.
Most Confusing Flooring Experience
Those who have spent time walking around auto shows know that one of the methods that manufacturers display a feeling of luxury and comfort for the public is a cushioning carpet. It welcomes your step with a softness similar to the ride quality of their vehicles. If you are walking through the show while browsing instagram, an unusually cushy step will grab your attention. In previous years, I have found this experience fitting for some companies like Lexus, who makes cars with commercial-grade appliance levels of build quality that provide levels of comfort adequate for owners who would have preferred to never left the womb.
However, it appears that the folks over at Jaguar Land Rover are confused about their product offerings. Jaguar Land Rover had a floor treatment that was so soft that it would make Drake look like Tormund Giantsbane. Much like their aging product lineup, it sends a confusing message. Are they making sporty sedans and coupes? Are they making large luxury SUVs and sedans? Are they going electric with the iPace? No one knows and that is why they have won this year’s highly coveted Most Confusing Carpeting Experience!
Selling a car with such sporting ambitions on a carpet that feels like a mattress. Call me confused.
Best Heritage Signaling
Many car companies point to their pedigree to help sell new cars. Porsche tells stories about their history in nearly all of their marketing. Part of this is likely to control the narrative around their less savory WWII era activities (let’s talk about that some other time eh?). Regardless, they do an effective job of connecting their past racing efforts and vehicles to their current lineup. A consistent reminder of the good old days. The second runner-up of Best Heritage Signaling is Porsche’s 911 Speedster with the aptly named Heritage Design Package. Two details worth mentioning is the vintage Porsche vinyl crest on the front bonnet and the less thoughtful 70 years of Porsche plaque between the seats. Two things you don’t get on the regular special edition 911 Speedster. However, that is far too thoughtful and cohesive to win an award here at homologatedSHIFT.
The first runner up is Nissan with its celebrations of BOTH the Z and the GT-R. They came out swinging hard with collections of classic GT-Rs and Zs. It took actual effort by Nissan to curate the impressive collection of a racing R32, a NISMO GT-R LM Road Car, and a collection of Z cars to launch the 2020 GT-R NISMO. Again, this is a thoughtful presentation of Nissan’s history of producing excellent sport and race cars. Too thoughtful to win here.
Mercedes again takes the prize for their last-ditch effort to cast the longest shadow of age on the competition. Looking like an afterthought, they decided to embroider 1886 on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC. No explanation. No explanation needed. I’m sure everyone knows that that 1886 is the year of the original Benz Patent Wagen, recognized by many as the original automobile. They have got over 130 years of car building experience under their belt and they want to make sure that all those new-fangled electric car buyers know who has been doing it with old technology the longest. Keep racking the wins up Mercedes!
Until Next Year
That closes the main awards coverage for the 2019 New York International Auto Show. Mercedes nearly swept the competition, but luckily there are other European manufacturers who are equally challenged by producing intriguing products.
