Guess What Fans Voted as BEST of Chicago Auto Show?

For those of you who didn’t know, the Chicago Auto Show is the only major auto show that polls its attendees’ favorite vehicles and exhibit. And, for the 10th consecutive year, show-goers proclaimed their favorites in five categories in the Chicago Auto Show’s “Best of Show” balloting. In all, nearly 8,000 consumers voted for best of show. Voters were entered for a chance to win one of 10 $50 Shell Gas cards.

According to the results, voters considered the Ford GT the Best All-New Production Vehicle. Though the GT was a run-away favorite, the Acura NSX and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT also garnered a considerable number of votes, finishing second and third, respectively.

The BMW i8 took the honors for Best Green Vehicle. The unique hybrid-electric sports car can reach 60 mph in less than four seconds, has a top speed of 155 mph and a cruising range of 300-plus miles. It topped runner-up Chevrolet Volt and third-place finisher Ford Focus Electric.

Best Concept honors went to the racy Toyota FT-1. The striking coupe is considered to be a forbear of a soon-to-be announced Toyota sports car. A close runner-up for Best Concept was the ready-for-production, four-door Buick Avenir.

Garnering 2nd place among fans, the 4-door Buick Avenir could actually see production.

Taking top honors as Best Exhibit was Ford. With its new GT as a centerpiece, the Ford display was consistently one of the most popular at the show. Additional display properties in the Ford exhibit included Hank the Robot, the Mustang Dynamometer, an extensive commercial display and the mini-F150 track for kids. Posting a close second was the Chevrolet display followed by the extremely popular Jeep exhibit.

Every year the tightest race of all is the pick for “Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway.” This year was no different as the Ford Mustang GT350 and Bugatti Veyron battled neck and neck to the last day. Blue Oval fans mashed the gas on the final day to put the Mustang GT350 on top.

The awards for Best of Show will be presented to the winning manufacturers at the annual Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally, held annually at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

In voting conducted over the 9-day public run of the nation’s biggest auto show, the final tally for winners in the contest’s five categories is:

Best All-New Production Vehicle: Ford GT (38 percent of vote)
Best Concept Vehicle: Toyota FT-1 (30 percent of vote)
Best Green Vehicle: BMW i8 (38 percent of vote)
Best Exhibit: Ford (25 percent of vote)
Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway: Ford Mustang GT350

Each of the first four winners beat out seven other vehicles. The eight finalists in Best All-New Production Vehicle, Best Concept Vehicle, Best Green Vehicle and Best Exhibit were selected by a jury of automotive experts. In the fifth category, “Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway,” voters could choose from any of the hundreds of vehicles on the show floor.