Thursday, 24 March 2016

The Most Exciting News, Debuts, and Takeaways from the 2016 New York Auto Show

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At most every auto show, we curate a list of must-see debuts and concept cars that every car enthusiast, car shopper, and casual observer should know about. This is not that list. Instead, this is a collection of thoughts on which New York auto show cars and news tidbits have us wiggling in our chairs with anticipation. Some of the items are pretty obvious—if you’re not excited by the 640-hp Camaro ZL1, for example, check your pulse—but others aren’t specific to a car, instead they’re indicative of broader shifts within brands. So tag along as we cut through the auto show noise and read between the lines:

Every Honda Civic body style gets the turbo engine with a manual transmission

Great news, Save the Manuals fans! During its rollout of the Honda Civic hatchback “concept” in New York, Honda officials confirmed that the hatchback’s marquee powertrain, a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed manual, would spread throughout the Civic lineup. The turbo engine currently is on offer in the Civic sedan and the Civic coupe, but it’s paired exclusively with a CVT automatic. The exciting part is that the stick-shift/turbo combination, whether the new hatchback or the coupe or the sedan, should prove to be the key to unlocking the 10th-generation Civic’s true fun potential. Already imbued with eye-catching looks, a nicely assembled interior, and excellent road manners, only that CVT was holding the Civic back—until next year. MORE ON HONDA’S ANNOUNCEMENT >>

The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

It’s hard not to be at least a little bit awestruck by Chevrolet’s 640-hp Camaro ZL1. Whether you consider the ZL1 a Corvette Z06 Lite (which, with the same supercharged LT4 V-8, it nearly is) or the beastly Cadillac ATS-V Cadillac isn’t building (the Camaro and the ATS share a platform), it’s an exciting piece. All the more so because of the Camaro landscape into which the ZL1 fits. There’s the regular Camaro V-6, which is surprisingly good; the track-ready Camaro 1LE treatment has been expanded to the V-6 Camaro in addition to the V-8 Camaro SS; the surprisingly good base model with its turbo four; and there’s still an ultra-high-performance, track-decimating Z/28 on the way. It’s a good time to be a Camaro fan. FULL STORY ON THE 2017 ZL1>>

Possibly renting this Shelby Mustang*

Speaking of muscle cars, here’s one from Ford. But the Mustang Shelby GT-H isn’t just any Mustang—nor is it any Shelby. Instead, this special-edition ‘Stang was conceived to be a rental car first, and a sought-after collectible second—we can’t think of another car with such a bizarre life arc. Modeled after the 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350H, which was provided to Hertz by Ford and Shelby to be rented as a “rent-a-racer” 50 years ago, the GT-H trades more heavily on that car’s iconic history than its literal conception. (For example, this GT-H is based on a Mustang GT, not a full-blown Shelby, and no, you can’t rent it and actually take it racing.) We’re excited at the possibility of renting one of these in the coming months—we’ve done it before, both in 1966 and 2006, when the concept was re-hashed by Hertz. And it’s really not often we get excited at all by a rental car. FULL DETAILS ON THE GT-H >>

Scion’s FR-S will survive Scion’s death—as a Toyota

When it was announced that Toyota was shuttering its Scion sub-brand, our minds immediately raced to the FR-S sports car, which was developed jointly between Toyota and Subaru. The drift-happy, rear-drive coupe was the shining star of the Scion lineup, so naturally we hoped it would survive the brand’s sinking. So we were relieved when Toyota confirmed that the FR-S wasn’t going anywhere, and that it would live on as a Toyota, which it is sold as globally anyway. (This brings up an interesting twist: The Scion, originally a re-badged Toyota, is now being re-rebadged as a Toyota, completing the circle. Or something.) Of course, the future of the Toyota/Subaru sports car is far from clear, but its adoption into the mainstream Toyota fold is one concrete manifestation of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s stated desire to see more sportiness in the brand’s wares. And increased sportiness and driving satisfaction is something more Toyotas need to deliver. MORE ON THE TOYOTA 86 >>

Lincoln’s Navigator will keep its non-MK-whatever name

In the past few years, Lincoln’s lineup has devolved into an MK[insert letter here] smorgasbord with absolutely zero character. This from a brand that has a trove of classic and inspiring names: Zephyr, Cosmopolitan, Aviator, Town Car, and Capri, to name a few. All evoke . . . something from an onlooker. But MKC, MKS, MKT? Not so much. Luckily, Lincoln has kept actual names for two of its most important models going forward, the new Continental sedan, and the Navigator SUV. In New York, the future of the SUV’s name was cemented with the Navigator concept. With the exception of its yawning gullwing doors and deployable staircase/running board combination, the SUV’s look and tech should carry over to the upcoming production model. More importantly, its name retention will force a continued conversation within Lincoln—or just annoying questions from the media—about whether it should ditch the MK-whatever naming scheme. For a brand intent on turning itself around, an answer needs to be settled upon sooner rather than later. FULL STORY ON THE NAVIGATOR CONCEPT >>

Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand is chasing BMW

One of the New York show’s biggest surprises was the unveiling of the next arrow in the Genesis luxury brand’s quiver, a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan with obvious BMW 3-series pretense. So far, the Genesis lineup consists of the G90 and the upcoming G80 (the latter really just the Hyundai Genesis but with a new name). We know that Hyundai plans to expand the Genesis family to a total of six models on rear-drive platforms by 2020, but the Genesis New York concept is still a pleasant surprise. Maybe the buzz comes from the reality it brings to the Genesis situation—Hyundai only just spun off the Genesis brand—or maybe it’s the concept’s surprisingly restrained yet overtly sporty styling. Genesis could have made this concept flashy and extravagant, but instead chose to keep it nearly production-ready; there’s a seriousness to the car that should have established luxury players concerned. No doubt, Hyundai has big plans for its infant luxury division, and we’re eager to see where it goes. FULL STORY ON GENESIS’ NEW YORK CONCEPT >>

Finally, a Mazda MX-5 Miata coupe! Sort of!

If journalists’ reactions and internet chatter are anything to go by, the MX-5 Miata RF (Retractable Fastback) Mazda debuted in New York is wildly popular. That’s to be expected, given the current Miata’s snappy styling and the “Retractable Fastback” folding-roof mechanism’s novelty and enrapturing motorized complexity. Questions of the system’s weight must wait for Mazda’s release of official specifications—Miata fans and Mazda itself are obsessive over weight—so all that’s left to do for now is bask in the RF’s coolness. We’re more impressed by Mazda’s efficiency in serving buyers looking for both an updated power-folding hardtop Miata (the previous-generation model was very popular) and those calling for a Miata coupe. We’ve published optimistic renderings of a new folding-hardtop model and a coupe (and a Shooting Brake wagon, but who’s counting), and the Miata RF neatly covers nearly both of those hoped-for bases in a single package. FULL STORY ON THE MIATA RF >>

A three-row family crossover with a three-motor hybrid system and torque vectoring?

Acura, eager to cash in on the NSX’s headline-grabbing looks and performance, has distilled an aspect of that supercar’s powertrain into the crushingly pedestrian MDX crossover to create the MDX Sport Hybrid. Now, by distilled, we should point out that the MDX Sport Hybrid has a triple-filtered, twice-cut, and inverted take on the NSX’s powertrain, which consists of three electric motors plus a V-6 engine. In the three-row crossover, the V-6 and one electric motor power the front wheels (as opposed to the rears in the supercar) and the other two motors spin the rear wheels (instead of the fronts, as they do on the NSX), where they also provide torque vectoring. Total system output is 325 horsepower, quite a bit lower than the NSX’s 500 horsepower, but a meaningful bump over the standard model’s 290. So the MDX Sport Hybrid isn’t exactly an NSX with three rows of seats, but it still offers both an increase in power and a significant fuel-economy bump. The real takeaway is this: Acura is upping both the sportiness and the tech in its bestselling vehicle, and that’s good news for the brand—and for consumers. FULL STORY ON THE 2017 MDX >>

Subaru’s new Impreza hatchback sure would make a fine WRX . . .

Next to the 2017 Subaru Impreza’s refined (for a Subaru) styling and massively upgraded interior, what most captured our imagination was the hatchback version. Sure, the outgoing Impreza could be had as a hatchback, but it didn’t look as handsome as the ’17 model, and neither could be had in higher-performance WRX form, whereas its predecessor could be. As such, Subaru weathered complaints (even from us) about that missing WRX hatchback. The 2017 Impreza hatchback, naturally, renews our excitement for a possible return of the WRX hatch, even though as of two years ago, Subaru claimed it would not resurrect the five-door WRX. But two years is plenty of time for Subaru to change its mind . . . FULL STORY ON THE 2017 IMPREZA >>

Even without 505 horsepower the Alfa Romeo Giulia looks worthwhile

After first showing its U.S.-spec Giulia sedan in fire-breathing Quadrifoglio guise at last year’s L.A. auto show in November, Alfa Romeo has finally revealed the pedestrian Giulia models for the American market. And they’re not so pedestrian at all. While it would be easy to overlook the non-Quadrifoglio Giulia for lacking a 505-hp, twin-turbo V-6 engine, quad exhaust outlets, and a mean-looking hunkered-down stance, upon closer inspection, the humble four-cylinder models look promising. With a 276-hp turbo four powering the rear wheels (or all four with optional Q4 all-wheel drive) through a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission, purposeful styling, and a sexy yet minimalist interior, the Giulia has the makings of a solid sports sedan. Sweetening the deal is its expected $40,000 base price, which makes the Giulia far more attainable than the Quadrifoglio, which is expected to cost around $70,000. Both Giulias are set to go on sale in October—provided Alfa can keep its delay-prone reentrance to the American market on track. FULL STORY ON THE 2017 GIULIA >>

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