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Motor Bella Takes M1 Concourse by Storm

Photo: Jonah Phillips

PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, September 22, 2021 ~ Tuesday’s Motor Bella media preview unveiled a very different car show than the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) it was intended to fill the tread marks of.

Filled with track tests, off-site drives and off-road courses, Motor Bella offers patrons the opportunity to play with their toys before they decide to buy them. Next to displays of Ford’s new offerings, such as the new 2022 Expedition, showgoers can ride as a passenger in the new Ford Bronco SUV in an on-site off-road course.

The SUV goes through deep water with ease, handles uneven terrain with assistance from tech like the stabilizer bar disconnect, and rotates in sand pits with ease due to the off-road turn assist, which locks the inside rear tire momentarily to achieve a shorter turning radius.


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The attraction is topped off by crawling the SUV over the appropriately named “Bronco Mountain.” Built to demonstrate the use of the one-pedal drive, the driver sets the desired climb speed, and using one pedal, ascend and descend inclines with no fluctuation in speed.

The M1 Concourse grounds had many other attractions to enjoy as well; exotic cars to ogle at, such as a McLaren Senna, a Ferrari 458 Aperta, and a one-of-seven Saleen S7, with Steve Saleen himself next to the car answering questions; test drives of new Ford and Audi vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E and Audi e-tron; and a massive tent, showcasing engineering achievements being used currently, and some yet to come.

Due to weather, all activities for Wednesday at Motor Bella have been cancelled, but the public days, Thursday through Sunday, are still proceeding as planned.

After a very successful and highly anticipated first day, we had a significant amount of rain hit the facility, resulting in flooding and water damage to exhibit areas,” said Detroit Auto Dealer Association Executive Director Rod Alberts. “With the significant amount of rain forecasted to continue well into today, we unfortunately are forced to cancel all activities scheduled for today and focus on ensuring the facility is ready for public days.”

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