Day One at the Detroit Auto Show for #FordNAIAS

As expected, today was a rush! My day with Ford started by admiring the thick snow (that I didn’t have to shovel or drive in) on the way to Joe Louis Arena. Once we arrived – by “we” I mean Ford’s “digital influencers” – we proceeded to our reserved, front-and-center press conference seating. I don’t think I was ready for all the announcements Ford had for us.

First up was the all-new Ford Raptor.

All-new Ford Raptor engineered for off-roading. #fordnaias pic.twitter.com/7H27sclVcT

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

Up next, the sound of the flat plane crank of the Shelby GT 350R romanced us all.

Shelby GT 350R is the most track capable street legal #mustang ever. #fordnaias #NAIAS2015 pic.twitter.com/TSTU6Vwi7h

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

Then came my favorite announcement of the day: the Ford GT is back and better than ever.

A video posted by Whitney Gonzalez ☕ (@whitneygonzalez) on Jan 12, 2015 at 7:10am PST

Roaming NAIAS

During some downtime I got to check out the BMW press conference where they unveiled the all-new 6 series. Exciting stuff!

A hot #BMW #6series in hot yellow. RT @whitneygonzalez: 6 series pic.twitter.com/CqWJupJdar

— Be Car Chic (@BeCarChic) January 12, 2015

I’ve reviewed the i3 here on Be Car Chic so naturally I had to hop into the i8 for a quick photo.

Had to… #bmwi8 #naias2015 #bmwdetroit pic.twitter.com/LjeZD4JD0J

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

Best coffee by far was at the Infinity display courtesy of Anthology Coffee.

Enjoying some @anthologycoffee at #NAIAS2015. Check them out at the #infiniti display pic.twitter.com/qr5ztzkcm0

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

At the Volkswagen display I checked out Motor Trend’s Car of the Year – the Golf…

.@MotorTrend's car of the year: @VW Golf #NAIAS2015 pic.twitter.com/S5tecBnWAx

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

and I also talked with a robot.

Weirdest exchange ever! “@hayleyminn: .@whitneygonzalez and I just spoke to a robot at the @VW stand at #NAIAS2015 pic.twitter.com/slDpK07FgB”

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

Talking Snapchat

Back at Ford’s “Behind the Blue Oval,” we had the opportunity to hear from Snapchat’s COO Emily White. Together with Ford Futurist Sheryl Connelly, they provided a look into Gen-Z trends and how they’re changing the world. As a Gen-Yer who loves her Snapchat, data trends and “social media” (Emily said the term is starting to sound dated, opts to call it “just” media), I thoroughly enjoyed the session.

Getting schooled on @Snapchat by COO Emily White #FordNAIAS pic.twitter.com/nDfyQ5S4kd

— Whitney Gonzalez (@whitneygonzalez) January 12, 2015

Closing Out

Just when we thought Ford was through with NAIAS announcements, they shared special news regarding a partnership with XBOX. The Ford GT is coming exclusively to XBOX as the cover car for Forza Motorsports 6!

That’s all for today and I’m excited to head back to the show tomorrow morning! So far, some words to summarize the show include selfie-sticks, performance and drama.