The Detroit Auto Show is a pretty big deal, right? I mean, it’s in the Motor City, and usually plays host to handfuls of new cars – not to mention all of the news that comes out of the show in the first few days the doors are open to the press. So, why would any automaker decide to skip on the Detroit Auto Show? Well, as it turns out, the New York Auto Show actually brings in quite a few more people over the what we typically see in Detroit – after all, it is a bigger, more populated city. And, that is one of the reasons why Porsche has decided to forgo the NAIAS in Detroit next year.

When you really think about it, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given Porche’s current situation. The Detroit Auto Show kicks off on January 8th next year, and Porsche doesn’t really have anything new that it could debut while the show is in the mitten state. Plus, Porsche doesn’t sell that many Porsches in Michigan (crazy winters are to thank for that,) and Los Angeles is the brand’s largest U.S. Market.

So, what about the Chicago Auto Show? Well Autoblog is reporting – citing the spokesman of the Chicago Auto Show, Dave Sloan – that Porsche has also upped its ante for Chicago by doubling the size of its exhibit next February. So, you might not be able to catch your favorite 911 here in Michigan, but if you wait a month, you can have double the pleasure in Chicago – plus you can eat some of that awesome Chicago pizza that everyone raves about, right?

Why it Matters

I live within reasonable driving distance from Detroit, so every year it’s definitely on my list of things to do. I’m a little sad that Porsche won’t be there next year, but I’m sure they’ll be more than ready to impress when they unlock the doors at McCormick Place on February 11th. Porsches exhibit in Chicago is normally pretty big, so I’m kind of curious to find out what the automaker is planning to do with all of that space. Perhaps they are planning to bring out some sweet one-off models, or maybe they’ll do something cool with the Panamera.

Either way, I honestly don’t think they’ll be missed much in Michigan anyway. Porsche’s just aren’t that popular here as you generally only want to drive them four or five months out of the year anyway. It’s not like the automaker hasn’t played this hand before – it skipped Detroit back in 2009 because attendance is generally better in Chicago and New York.