Thousands of people from all over the D.C. area battled snow and cold weather to head to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the opening weekend of the Washington, D.C. Auto Show.
The show — which runs until Jan. 28 — is known as the region’s largest indoor event, using both floors of the convention center to showcase the latest models and innovations driving the automotive industry today.
“Spending time with the family, you know. Getting out, seeing cars that you dreamed about as kids,” Ken Dickerson told WTOP.
Dickerson said his favorite part of the day was taking part in the Tesla Outdoor Ride N’ Drive. Along with Tesla, Hyundai and Nissan have test tracks that allow you to get behind the wheel.
“We went around the block, [and] it was awesome,” Dickerson said.
Nine-year-old Nicky Hanna stood in the middle of the second floor with his family and said that if he could take any car home, it would be a Lamborghini. His father, Nick Hanna, quickly reminded his son that they are “a Ferrari family.”
The Washington, D.C. Auto Show also features many manufacturers’ latest electric vehicles. One that turned a lot of heads was the brand new GMC Hummer EV, which gets 53 miles to the gallon electrical equivalent.
“Its battery weighs more than most vehicles,” Jeff Koch, the show’s vice president of operations, said.
This year’s auto show has 500 cars with prices ranging from around $20,000 to seven figures. There are also several exotics on display, including the Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, McLaren and a car that would make James Bond jealous: The DB12, a brand new, fully-electrified Aston Martin costing $300,000.
John O’Donnell, the show’s president and CEO, told WTOP that the most expensive car on display this year was the Bugatti. When asked if the floor mats were included when you buy the $4 million car, he laughingly said: “I personally don’t know, but I would negotiate pretty strongly on that.”
Tickets for the auto show are available online.
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