One of the big problems with the venue where the Chicago Auto Show is staged annually is that the lighting is nothing short of appalling. Which makes things rather difficult when you want to look at and/or sell those car things that the kids are so crazy about these days. Or, of course, when you want to take pictures.

Volkswagen apparently put some thought into this. I’m sure there are other venues where the lighting is equally terrible, and it’s not like they’re not a bit…control-freakish in nature. So it’s not terribly surprising that they’d want to control everything as best they could—up to and including bringing their own lighting rig to ensure everything looked as sumptuous as anything VW produces ever could.

But maybe that’s just a reflection of the current VW corporate mindset. The 2009 VW Passat CC photographed in this photo is clearly aiming for Savile Row rather than Moore’s Clothing For Men.  And a lot of the car-buying process has to do with putting buyers at their ease about whatever vehicle it is they’re going to purchase.

The VW booth?  Made you happy as soon as you walked in.  No lie.  Maybe those are UV lamps and there’s some nefarious plan to perk up any wintry, sun-starved towns that the VW mothership touches down in.

[Update: Here are a few more photos from the VW booth, again courtesy of Joe Lucente.]