(Words and Photos by Jim Hrody) After being downsized for a couple of years, the 2023 Chicago Auto Show returned to two halls at McCormick Place. Electric vehicles and test tracks were everywhere. Sadly, corporate support was notably absent for several brands such as Audi, Cadillac, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mazda, Porsche, and a few others.

However, the annual Supercar Gallery returned as it does every year. Local dealers showcased their wares behind a partition. On hand were a few variants each from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, and Rolls Royce.
The signs next to most of these ultra high end vehicles advertised 0 to 60 times in the 4s. The one that stood out the most was the rebooted Lamborghini Countach. It had plenty of design cues from the original supercar, but with a price tag of almost $3M.

We took a ride on six of the test tracks. First up was Ram’s mild off-road/work truck loop in a 1500 GT. This thing was loaded with cameras and other technology and made it through the course with relative ease. Next up was Toyota’s course in a Sequoia Platinum. This big SUV had very good ride quality over the short course and was also loaded with plenty of options.

Then it was time for Hyundai’s EV course in the Ionic 5 crossover wagon. The nose and dash on this thing were very reminiscent of a ’92 Cutlass Supreme. Yes, it looks like what Oldsmobile might have been making in current times, which is a plus. Other than that, seemed like a nice vehicle, though the ride was somewhat boring with the only noise coming from the squeak of the tires.

Next up, Ford’s EV strip in a Lightning. It’s just a straight line of concrete that exists solely to showcase the Lightning’s zero-to-sixty prowess. They say it can do it in 4.4 seconds, and after that lightning-quick ride (no pun intended), I don’t doubt it. Then, it was on to Ford’s off-road course in a Bronco Badlands, with the doors and roof removed.
While not quite the toughest course at the show, not a lot of trucks would make it through the way the Bronco did. Its balance and climbing abilities were beyond impressive. The final course we tackled was Jeep’s rugged 4×4 track in a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392.

If we had a choice, this is the truck we would’ve asked for, but it just so happens the stars aligned that day and in we went. There’s just something strange about an SRT-spec V8 in an open top SUV. Yes, it sounded very good. The course was very rugged, even more so than the Bronco track. Climbing several ramps, over logs, up & down steps, the 392 and its Wrangler host had no issues.

As for the show floor… Chevy had just a single Camaro on hand. But three Corvettes were on display — a 70th Anniversary Editon, a Z06, and an E-Ray. They were also prominently displaying a couple of electric-only CUVs. Those were the Equinox EV and the Blazer EV SS, the latter of which supposedly will get to 60mph in under 4 seconds..
Buick had the beautiful Wildcat concept on a turntable. Ford had the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse on a raised stage. Dodge had the prototype for the next Charger on display. Chrysler had the Airflow concept in the front corner of their area. Ram had the Revolution concept slowly spinning around. However, it seemed as if the Big Three have pulled back a bit. The displays left a lot to be desired, as compared to previous years.

It appeared like a few import brands were still ‘all-in’. Toyota had its full lineup in a large area. They even included five SEMA concepts— 4 trucks and a car. Lexus had more V8 rear-wheel drive cars on the floor than any of the Big Three brought. Honda knows how to market their wares, and showcased a prerunner pickup, a few UTV’s and a jet alongside their automobile lineup.

Yes, Honda had an airplane in the middle of their area, albeit without wings.

For decades now the Chicago Auto Show has a corner that is essentially a custom car show within the new car show. This year a local Camaro club had several F-bodies on hand. Ditto for a Jeep club which displayed a nice cross-section of vehicles from several decades.

A Chicago car museum called ‘Klairmont Kollections’ brought out a wide variety of interesting vehicles for display.

The Chicago Auto Show is historically the longest-running auto show on the planet. Even with small changes over the years, it’s still known as the largest in the nation and is worth the trip. CAS runs for ten days in mid-February every year. It can get very crowded on public days, so plan ahead.