Best of show
Even with a five-year hiatus the ATL REVOLUTION 2023 Auto Show, held November 17 through 19 at the National Arena, was a hit with fans of all ages.
Here are three things that stood out over the multi-day event:
1) Best car – Porsche 911 GT3 RS
There was little doubt that the visual impact of the hard-core track version of the Porsche GT3 would draw attention. While the car had some pre-event hype, with pictures swirling around on social media, that didn’t stop attendees from swamping the Porsche booth for hours upon end to grab a glimpse or snap pictures with this very rare car. For the fortunate few who stayed around long enough, they would even have the pleasure of hearing it brought to life by Uche McLean, head of business — Porsche Jamaica.
“At the launch of the Cayenne I said that we had something special coming, this is the special things that’s here now, the 911 GT3 RS, live and in living colour,” McLean told the Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto mag.
RS, or Rennsport, or racing in English, when applied to a Porsche, means the brand has pulled heavily from its motorsports programme to create the ultimate race car for the road to further amplify the already impressive behaviour of the non-RS GT3.
2) Best booth – Volkswagen Jamaica
This was a close one, almost split between MINI and Volkswagen. Both booths brought forth the style and whimsy associated with either brand, having bright bold colours and design. However, the hat went to VW, housing not only a real sand beach surrounded by warm tropical colours on which to relax, but they leaned into their history captivating many patrons with an iconic VW Beetle in their literal midst, tipping things in their favour. For the older crowd it was obvious when the flow of memories would hit. The younger amongst them were completely taken by the Beetle which they could sit in it.
3) Best booth trick – BYD Jamaica
Many of the booths were impressive, with racing simulators, inventive ways to show off products to grab the attention of show-goers over the three days. Begrudgingly, it was only the media who got to experience this trick on the Friday morning in the BYD booth. Using the BYD Han, the Vehicle to Load (V2L) function was demonstrated. Members of the media were then treated to coffee prepared by a coffee machine attached to the car’s charging port using the V2L adapter which allows the vehicle to access the power in its battery for external electrical items.