So what's the difference between a regular wagon and a "sport" wagon? Probably about 2 feet or so. That seems to be the average size difference between your typical wagon and something sporty like the 2011 Acura TSX sport wagon.
Only problem here is the fact that unlike the other sport wagon at the 2010 New York Auto Show -- the positively insane CTS-V wagon -- the Acura version isn't all that sporty, really. It only comes with an automatic and you can't get the sedan's optional V6 either. So yeah: more weight, a four-cylinder and a slushbox. Sporty!
Then again, can you blame Acura for equipping it like this? No one actually buys the V6s we all crave and even fewer still go for a manual V6. Couple that with the minuscule numbers of people who buy wagons at all and a V6, manual-equipped wagon is simply pointless. Sorry. Logic isn't always fun.
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Categories: Acura,New York Auto Show,Wagons
As you may have seen in our tC intro video, this new Scion was sporting some new lines when it drove onto the stage here in New York. Sure, they kind of look like sharper versions of the old lines, but new is new.
According to Scion, this tC rides on an all-new platform as well. We'll have to take its word on that one for now, as the car's wheelbase and suspension are essentially unchanged. There is a new 2.5-liter 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine, however, and this tC offers a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, which is new. There's an electric power steering unit now and standard 18-inch wheels. Not a bad set of upgrades.
IL News: 2011 Scion tC
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Categories: Coupes,New York Auto Show,Scion
We learned a couple more details about the 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T today in New York. First, unlike the standard 2.4-liter Sonata, the 2011 Sonata 2.0T will come with a six-speed automatic only.
The reasoning for that? "We primarily think of the 2.0T as a V6 replacement [rather than an enthusiast's special]," Hyundai's Michael Dietz told us. He noted further that the take rate on the manual transmission has been less than 2 percent on 2010 Sonatas.
The 2.0T engine will be offered only on SE and Limited versions of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai expects it to account for 20 percent of Sonata sales -- a typical take rate for the similarly powerful V6s on competing midsize/large sedans.
More details on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata can be found in our auto show write-up. And after the jump, you'll find a video of the animated model of the twin-scroll turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter inline-4 on display in the Hyundai booth, plus more photos.
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Categories: Future Vehicles,Hyundai,New York Auto Show,Sedans
From the maybe-650-hp-was-enough-after-all department comes this shameful display.
That mass of carbon fiber strewn across the B14 Autobahn near Stuttgart, Germany is none other than a prototype for the Pagani C9, the replacement for the Zonda. Why Stuttgart, you ask? Well, like the Zonda, the C9 uses a Mercedes-Benz motor. Instead of the 7.3-liter AMG V12 that amply powered the Zonda, the C9 apparently uses a twin-turbo version of Mercedes' 6.0-liter V12, making somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 hp.
Of course, in the SAE horsepower standard that we use in the United States, that 700 hp converts to "too much."
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,Pagani
Volkswagen of America's president and CEO Stefan Jacoby opened the automaker's press conference with a healthy dose of German confidence by saying VW is "investing $4 million in the U.S. market. The recession did not slow us down."
After Jacoby assured us that VW will continue to grow its market share, Walter de'Silva, head of design for the entire VW group, talked briefly about what to expect from VW's future design direction.
De'Silva described the VW Touareg Hybrid, shown here for the first time in the U.S., as a true VW. "Not arrogant or aggressive," he said. "But a good combination of performance and elegance."
De'Silva also said consumers will immediately recognize a VW on the road, while experiencing the distinct personality that comes with each vehicle.
To read more about the Touareg Hybrid, check out our First Drive.
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Categories: New York Auto Show,Volkswagen
If there were any doubts which cars are the targets of the 2011 Scion iQ, there weren't any once today's press conference was over. This pint-size two-door has been on sale in Europe for some time and starting next year it will finally go on sale in the U.S.
Not much changes from the various iQs we've seen in the past. It's front-wheel drive, powered by a 1.3-liter, 90-horsepower engine and should get around 38 mpg on the highway. Think it'll catch on where the Smart failed?
2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Scion iQ
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,New York Auto Show,Scion
Scion introduced the redesigned 2011 tC Coupe today at the 2010 New York Auto Show. Here's what it looked like.
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,New York Auto Show,Scion
#NYIAS Hyundai's booth at the Javits Center was packed with journalists this afternoon. We observed equal amounts of love being given to the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Sonata 2.0T. John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America CEO, says the Sonata Hybrid will be at U.S. dealerships "in time for the holiday shopping season." And the automaker expects it to account for just under 10 percent of all 2011 Sonata sales.
The hybrid Sonata uses a 169-horsepower, non-direct-injected version of Hyundai's 2.4-liter gasoline engine combined with a 40-hp front-drive electric motor. It then adds such oddities (as hybrid go) as a six-speed automatic transmission and a lithium-polymer battery pack. Hyundai expects final EPA fuel economy ratings of 37 mpg city, 39 mpg highway and 38 mpg combined.
Read full details on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in our full New York Auto Show writeup.
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Categories: Hybrids,Hyundai,New York Auto Show,Sedans
From that hotbed of specialty-car builders and great drivers, Boston, comes this newest pointy-nosed supercar, the Rapier SL-C Superlite.
We can only assume that the guys at Rapier Automotive forgot that Boston was no longer part of the British Empire when they opened shop in Massachusetts. In jolly-old England there are literally great swarms of independent sports-car builders who announce a new project moments before insolvency. But we digress.
Rapier has apparently been developing its 2,375-pound, 222-mph midengine widowmaker for some five years. It's now ready to take your order. Prices start at $179,000 for a Rapier powered by a 480-hp LS3 small-block. The company will be happy to drop an LS7 from the Corvette Z06 or a supercharged LS9 from the ZR1 into your car, should you want a little more juice. The company wants 50 percent up front and then expects that you will have sent your final check to them by the time the car is finished, something that will happen in nine months, says Rapier.
If this sounds a lot like a Mosler MT900, that's because it kind of is. And then there's the recently unveiled Hennessey Venom GT from a company that we've actually heard of and with a body that doesn't look like a kit car. But we digress again. It's about the same price as the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, but as Rapier points out, the SL-C is the "most exclusive hand-built supercar on the planet." We reckon that might be literally true.
Have a look at Rapier's Web Page.
Categories: Coupes,Future Vehicles,Sports Cars,Tuners and Modifications
#NYIAS Here are a couple of quick and dirty videos of the Hyundai booth before the unveiling of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Sonata 2.0T, so you can get a sense of the festive mood. As you can see, it's the hybrid that gets the bigger fanfare. It's under the lights. Meanwhile, the 274-horsepower Sonata 2.0T, which is poised to slay some giants, is under a sheet.
2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T
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Categories: Future Vehicles,Hybrids,Hyundai,New York Auto Show,Sedans
#NYautoshow Mercedes released details and photos of its new SLS AMG GT3 car last week, but that didn't dampen the crowd's enthusiasm for the new racecar. Especially when the driver revved the engine on stage.
The new car retains the visual flavor of the road-going SLS AMG but has been extensively reworked for the FIA's latest GT3 regulations.
Mercedes says the new GT3 car will be ready for the 2011 race season.
Suh-weeeeet.
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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show
#NYautoshow Mazda announced its 2011 Mazda 2 will finally arrive in the U.S. this July, with a base price of $13,980 plus a $750 delivery fee.
Two trim levels will be available, both powered by a 100-horsepower 1.5-liter engine. The base level Mazda 2 Sport comes with a five-speed manual transmission, or an optional four-speed auto that adds $800 to the car's bottom line. Standard equipment includes ABS, stability control, traction control, electric power-assist steering, power windows, door locks and mirrors, plus air-conditioning and a four-speaker AM/FM/CD/mp3 stereo.
The uplevel Mazda 2 Touring starts at $15,435 for the manual tranny-equipped car, or $16,235 for the automatic. It adds better seat fabric with red trim, alloy wheels, foglights, a rear roof spoiler, chrome exhaust tip, a trip computer and a six-speaker stereo system.
Additional options are limited to a rear cargo net ($40); auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass ($295); and wheel locks ($50) for the Touring. Crystal White Pearl paint will cost you $200 extra.
Nice long list of standard equipment for the new little hatchback.
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Categories: Mazda,New York Auto Show
#NYIAS Sure enough, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid headlined Ford's press conference at the New York auto show. And sure enough, it is a Ford Fusion Hybrid with a toothy grille. It goes on sale this fall. Lincoln says it will be cheaper than the Lexus HS 250h ($34K).
So that means the MKZ Hybrid has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine running on the Atkinson cycle, a front-drive electric motor and a rear-mounted NiMH battery pack. Net horsepower is 191 and fuel economy will be 41 mpg in the city, says Lincoln, and presumably 36 mpg on the highway.
The key upgrade in the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid over the Fusion Hybrid is evident in the fuel economy display. Now, in addition to growing a vine of green leaves, you have the added challenge to scrimp your way to white apple blossoms. The flowers come into bloom when the car deems that your long-term fuel consumption is impressively frugal.
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Categories: Electric Vehicles,Future Vehicles,Hybrids,Lincoln,New York Auto Show,Sedans
Not a bad combination, eh? And how did Infiniti pull such a feat of engineering and marketing genius? We're not entirely sure.
More power is just a matter of cranking up the 5.6-liter V8, while the economy comes from a lighter curb weight than the current model. And the price? Well, figure that Infiniti is well aware that the full-size luxury SUV segment isn't what it used to be, so holding the line on pricing is a good way to stay relevant.
And one more thing. Infiniti says this is more than just a face-lifted version of the Nissan Patrol that was revealed in the Middle East back in February. Ben Poore, vice president of Infiniti Business Unit, told Inside Line that the QX56 was set up specifically for the U.S. market. "This vehicle is more of a five-star luxury experience, while the Patrol is really set up more for serious off-road duty," Poore said.
2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Infiniti QX56
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Categories: Infiniti,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs
Mercedes-Benz announced today that its gullwing wonder, the SLS, will go on sale in May of this year and will start at $183,000.
That's no small amount of money, but it's a whole lot cheaper than the phallic SLR it replaces. Let's see how that compares with some others in the class, as it were.
Mercedes-Benz SLS: $183,000
Audi R8 5.2 FSI: $150,200
Ferrari 458 Italia:$225,000
Lamborghini Gallardo:$208,000
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1:$107,830
Kia Soul Sport: $17,645
Aston Martin DB9: $179,450
Note: Some prices are for 2009 models. Some are for 2010 models. Either way, all of them are high.
Have a peep at the numbers we achieved in the SLS at our test track.
Categories: Coupes,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show
Let's get this day started off properly, shall we? How about a nice in-car run in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR racer at the 24 Hours of Spa? Sound good? You bet it does.
It's a nice clean lap of the old Belgian circuit. Now, naturally, we would have gone flat through Eau Rouge*, but we suppose not everyone has the intestinal fortitude for such endeavors.
There, now your automotive palate is cleansed for a full day of New York Auto Show coverage. Carry on.
* This would take place mere milliseconds before a very serious and possibly mortally embarrassing crash.
Categories: Coupes,Motorsports,Porsche
Much of the Chrysler Empire might be mute lately, but Mopar, at least, is making some noise. The maker of all thing performance-oriented at Chrysler brought to the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari event in Moab, Utah more off-road dreamboats than you could shake a muddy, dusty, axle-grease-covered stick at. You can see a pretty nice selection of the vehicles the company brought in the group photo above.
For details and individual shots of the most interesting of Mopar's creations make the jump.
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Categories: Diesels,Dodge,Jeep,Trucks
We already know all the details on the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. It's just like the CTS-V sedan and CTS-V coupe except for the slightly bigger behind that pretends to add some measure of utility to the equation.
Actually, it's more like a really good excuse to buy the family a 556-horsepower Cadillac. That, and having a carpool vehicle that can lay stripes like a Cobra on slicks.
2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
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Categories: Cadillac,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,Wagons
#NYIAS You might remember that Suzuki has been working on a V6 all-wheel-drive version of its Kizashi sedan. The automaker showed a prototype last fall when it launched the regular-strength, 185-hp, four-cylinder Kizashi. Well, this evening the production version of that prototype debuted as the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport at the Classic Car Club in lower Manhattan, but it doesn't have a V6 anymore.
The reason for the omission is simple. Suzuki no longer has an equity partnership with General Motors, and GM was the supplier of the 3.6-liter V6 that Suzuki had planned to use. Now the Japanese automaker has a deal with Volkswagen, which took a 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki last December. But this new partnership has yet to bear fruit in the form of drivetrain technology. So the Kizashi Sport still has a 2.4-liter inline-4.
The Sport goes on sale this July, and notably, all 2011 GTS and SLS models will take the name Kizashi Sport (while lower-line line S and SE models remain just "Kizashi").
Differences on the Kizashi Sport include a revised front fascia with an extended spoiler, extended rocker panels and a sliver of a lip spoiler on the rear deck. We're not sure where all the exterior brightwork is coming from -- the earlier prototype was free of such garishness.
The suspension has been lowered 0.4 inch, and though the Dunlop tires are the same P235/45R18s as on earlier Kizashis, the alloy wheels are said to be 2.5 pounds lighter apiece.
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Categories: Future Vehicles,New York Auto Show,Sedans,Suzuki
We have not been great fans of the current BMW 6 Series. This is, in part, because it is ugly. Oh, there are other factors as well, but, well, it is pretty ugly.
Our spies have just snapped the first shots of the upcoming new 6 Series coupe and, even under its swirly body wrap, it's obvious that this 6 is considerably more restrained in appearance. We'd already shot the upcoming 6 Series convertible.
In all its cladding and wrapping, the thing, shot in Munich, looks a little something like a cross between the old Maserati coupe and a late '90s Nissan 300ZX. We anticipate, however, that once all that nonsense comes off, the new 6 will actually crib a few cues from the old and much-loved E24 6 Series, albeit in a bigger, brawnier way.
Categories: BMW,Coupes,Future Vehicles
