Kayla Epstein 

Driving us crazy: the weird things we found at the Detroit auto show

Pregancy suits, tricked out pool tables, and a violinist steal the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show
  
  

Detroit auto show
An Acura on the wall of a showroom at the North American International Auto Show. Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

Journalists and car enthusiasts from around the world descended upon Detroit for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) this week, where some of the world’s most prominent automakers – among them Ford, General Motors, and Toyota – released new designs for their most popular vehicles and previewed the cars of tomorrow.

The vehicles were the main attraction, but there was still plenty at the convention for geeks of all stripes. Scattered among the gleaming trucks, sedans, and sports cars were more than a few weird embellishments, if only you know how to look.

We sent our business reporter Dominic Rushe (@dominicru), who has a keen eye for weirdness, around the NAIAS floor to take photos and videos of all the odd items on display. We also gathered contributions from some of the quirkier auto enthusiasts on Twitter.

Below, we present a small sample of the strange sights at NAIAS

While all of the above items listed here are weird, nothing that follows will even come close to the absurdity and incongruousness of this pregnancy suit.

Someone needs to tell this guy that he’s not at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The smart folks over at Bentley want you to stay connected in style with this utterly superfluous accessory. This handy feature allows you to post obnoxious status updates about how you’re being chauffeured around in a Bentley.

The team from BBC's Top Gear was at the auto show, and have also been on the lookout for strange sights.

While most carmakers opted for turbocharged, hyperbolic presentations (we’re looking at you, Ford), Mercedes used a more subtle approach to attract interest.

Not far from the soothing tones of the violinist, attendees could also relax near an indoor forest.

This thing isn't intended to be driven, right?

… right?

This model might be dressed futuristically, but the idea of using pretty women to sell cars isn’t exactly a revolutionary idea. Yet with most of the human beauties on display were wearing a standard uniform of cocktail dresses and stilettos, we’ve got to give props to this one for really committing.

In case all the hot rods and pickup trucks aren’t enough to make you feel manly, you can play pool on top of a classic car.

And yet, not even a driver's paradise is safe from the encroaching grip of the Bicycle Lobby, which has clearly worked its nefarious magic on the US Labor Department:

Well that's all we got for now. But he show lasts through next week, and we have a feeling the best is yet to come.

Did you spot anything strange at NAIAS, like the guy you see below? Share it with @GuardianUS using the hashtag #WeirdNAIAS.

 

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