President Obama Calls Corvette C7.R “Subtle,” Checks Out Bolt EV [VIDEO]
Obama takes a look at Chevrolet’s new all-electric Bolt
Photo credit: Michael Martinez
President Barack Obama stopped by the North American International Auto Show in Detroit today to check out some of the latest models. According to the White House, Obama’s visit was meant “to showcase how the American auto industry has come roaring back since the financial crisis” (in other words, to argue that the GM and Chrysler bailouts were a good investment).
Accompanied by UAW President Dennis Williams and NAIAS Detroit chairman Paul Sabatini, Obama made sure to check out the Chevrolet display, which included the brand new 2017 Chevy Bolt EV and a yellow C7.R edition Corvette Z06. Considering that Obama told Jerry Seinfeld he thought the 1963 Corvette Stingray was the coolest car ever, we wondered: what he would think of the current, track-ready C7.R?
“That looks alright,” Obama said when checking out the new Vette, before deadpanning, “you know, uh, it’s subtle.” (Awfully modest praise, compared to vice president Joe Biden’s enthusiastic review of America’s sports car).
Take a look at the video for yourself:
Hello, Detroit! President Obama is at the Detroit Auto Show to showcase how the American auto industry has come roaring…
Posted by The White House on Wednesday, January 20, 2016
After eyeing the Corvette, Obama took a seat behind the steering wheel of the new all-electric Bolt. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to hear what he was saying about the EV in this video.
But later, Obama did speak at the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources. His speech (below) focused on the economic recovery, the state of emergency in nearby Flint, and of course, the American automotive industry.
“I already drive in a great American car,” Obama said, referring to “The Beast.” However, the president acknowledged that once his term ends, he will need to find a new ride.
“So I figured that I need to do a little browsing now at the Detroit Auto Show,” Obama continued. “I know they’ve got auto shows in Paris and Frankfurt and Tokyo, but there is only one Motor City, and there is only one Detroit, and if you are looking for the world’s best cars and the workers who make those cars, you need to be in Detroit.”
“I’m not gonna tell you all what I’m buying now,” Obama said when people in the crowd started shouting out suggestions for his next vehicle purchase, though he did admit that his first new car was a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
What will Obama pick after his days in the White House come to a close? Hard to say, but there is a good chance it will be expectantly eco-friendly, probably pricey, and assuredly American-made.
Patrick Grieve was born in Southwestern Ohio and has lived there all of his life, with the exception of a few years spent getting a Creative Writing degree in Southeastern Ohio. He loves to take road trips, sometimes to places as distant as Northeastern or even Northwestern Ohio. Patrick also enjoys old movies, shopping at thrift stores, going to ballgames, writing about those things, and watching Law & Order reruns. He just watches the original series, though, none of the spin-offs. And also only the ones they made before Jerry Orbach died. Season five was really the peak, in his opinion. See more articles by Patrick.