Denver Auto Show

by Felix Wong | 15 Apr 2023

Despite living in Spain most of the time nowadays, I had the opportunity to visit the Denver Auto Show, one of the largest and most exciting automotive events in Colorado. I went with my friend Manuel, who was kind enough to drop me at the Denver International Airport later that day so that I could return to Spain. We met up with Manuel’s friend Mike, who also shares our passion for sports cars. Both Manuel and Mike have a Mazda Miata, and Mike has also owned a Corvette C8 and an Ariel Atom in the past. I have owned six European sports cars myself, mostly two-seat roadsters.

The first thing we did at the show was test drive a Dodge Charger R/T through the streets of downtown Denver. Manuel drove while Mike and I sat in the backseat. I had rented one of these with a HEMI engine in Tennessee and North Carolina several years ago, and I loved its rumbly engine, power and performance. The Charger R/T is one of the many vehicles that you can ride or drive at the show outside the convention center.

We then browsed the cars on the showroom floors, which featured more than 500 vehicles from over 40 manufacturers. Most models were trucks and SUVs, reflecting the current market trends. But there were also more electrified cars than usual, such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles. Some of the highlights included the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Rivian R1T.

Manuel was disappointed that Volkswagen was not there, as he wanted to see their new car lineup. I was disappointed that Porsche was not there, as they are one of my favorite brands. For me, the show wasn’t as good as in previous years mainly because of industry trends (SUVs and electrified vehicles). But there still were a number of sports cars that caught our attention and I’ve taken photos of many of them below.

Some of the sports cars that we liked were:

• The Chevrolet Corvette eRay. It has a hybrid-powered variant of the award-winning, mid-engine design that gives it a sleek and aggressive look. It has a 6.2-liter V8 engine that powers the rear wheels and an electric motor that powers the front wheels, creating an all-wheel drive system with a combined output of 655 horsepower. It will also have a small battery pack that allows it to drive on electric power only for short distances at low speeds, in a mode called Stealth Mode. It’s the first hybrid and the first all-wheel drive Corvette in history. 
• The Toyota GR Supra, which is a collaboration between Toyota and BMW. It has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine that delivers 382 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. It also has a sporty and aerodynamic exterior that draws inspiration from Toyota’s racing heritage.
• The Nissan Z, which has a retro-futuristic design that pays homage to the original Datsun 240Z from the 1970s. It also has a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that is paired with a six-speed manual transmission.

After two hours at the show, Manuel, Mike, and I went to Tamayo, a good Mexican restaurant in Larimer Square, to eat lunch. We enjoyed delicious tacos and drinks while chatting about cars and life. It was a nice final thing to do in Colorado before returning to Spain.

The Denver Auto Show was a fun and informative experience for me and my friends. We got to see some of the latest models and technologies in the automotive industry, as well as some of our favorite sports cars.