Chicago Auto Show 2020: Nearly 1,000 vehicles on display at McCormick Place
CHICAGO (WLS) -- North America's largest auto show is showcasing nearly 1,000 vehicles in Chicago Saturday.
The doors opened to the public on Saturday, and crowds of people were eager to get a glimpse of the latest and greatest. As many as one million people are expected to descend upon McCormick Place and soak up the thrill of sampling new cars and the visions of freedom they represent.
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"So many cars, good bonding experience," said Portage Park resident Justin Evans.
Evans and his son Jacob raced over to check out the brand new Corvette.
"I've seen a bunch of pictures of it so I want to see in person," he said.
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The American classic was re-imagined with the mid-engine design moving the engine to the back.
"It's nice, it's cool. Can't wait to see it on the road," Evans said.
Others checked out the auto show test tracks.
"Think people are looking at the electric vehicles," said Auto Show Chairman Tony Guido.
Guido said whether you're in the market or fantasizing about your dream car, you'll find a ride here.
It's an ideal spot for car buyers to get a feel for vehicles.
"There's like every manufacturer you could possibly think of," Evans said.
The Chicago Auto Show is open daily through President's Day.
Tickets for adults run $13, and $8 for children ages 7 to 12 and adults who are 62 years and older.
Friday night was the First Look for Charity, raising millions of dollars for local charities. The estimated proceeds of Friday's event are expected to top $3 million.
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One of the trends seen at the Auto Show is more hybrids and fully electric vehicles. The new Ford Mustang Mach-E has a 300 mile range, Audi E-Tron is a fully electric SUV and the Porsche Taycon will be available later this year.
"What we know from electrics, unlike gas powered vehicles, they can be quick and exciting and efficient at the same time," said Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder.
On the Ford Mach E, Ford marketing manager Lisa Teed said, "This is fun, fast and we call it full of freedom. Freedom from all the complexities you used to have in your life."
On the technology front, your car is becoming a lot more like your phone and updates can be made wirelessly through the cloud.
"They will update essentially anything that is controlled by a computer code and in a car that's a lot nowadays," Wisenfelder said. "This is a huge development and really powerful technology for a car."
The Ford Mustang Mach E and the Cadillac CT5 are among a handful of vehicles at the show with this technology. Expect dozens of models to have wireless update capability in a couple of years!
One car making its world premier at the Chicago Auto Show is a new version of the Toyota Highlander.
"This is a variant that is a lot more sporty than your conventional Highlander and we think it is going to get a lot of converts, especially Gen-X," said Curtis McAllister of Toyota.
Toyota also has a test track to check out all of their cars.
This year's show has lots of new features, including the STEAM Machine mobile science lab from Ford. Inside, it gives kids an opportunity to do science experiments including riding a bike to learn about kinetic energy.
ABC 7 is a proud sponsor of the Chicago Auto Show.
