Every spring, the biggest names in the automotive world roll into Manhattan for the New York International Auto Show. For the next nine days (April 19 to April 28), the Jacob Javits Center will be teeming with sizzling hot sheet metal of all shapes and sizes.
What makes the New York Auto Show so special is that it includes the best of the best from every previous auto show—Los Angeles, Detroit and Geneva—and few new cars thrown in for good measure.
If there is a theme this year, it’s performance-oriented luxury. There are sexy supercars like the “110 ans Bugatti” Chiron Sport and the Koenigsegg Jesko; the latest environmentally friendly go-fast electric vehicles like Mullen Qiantu K50 and Rimac C_Two; and plenty of fast and furious SUVs like the Mercedes new GLC and Porsche Cayenne Coupe. And that’s just a few.
Here are the must-see vehicles this year in New York. Enjoy the show.
2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35
Mercedes typically shines under the bright lights of the big city., This year, however, I felt I’d seen everything. Not that the cars were tiresome (no chance of that), but few stood out among the sea of sexy cars and SUVs. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC coupe was an exception.
The GLC coupe is basically a Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV with a lower profile (squashed) roofline. Its updates include a new front grille, taillights, rear fascia, as well as a tweaked 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will produce 255 horsepower.
Then I saw the CLA AMG 35, a faster, more exciting version of the entry-level Mercedes CLA coupe, thanks to the efforts of Mercedes’ in-house performance gurus at AMG.
Its four-cylinder turbocharged engine develops an impressive 305 horsepower, which is routed to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Mercedes-AMG says the CLA 35 is capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It also comes with sport wheels, and a more aggressive-looking hood, front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser.
2020 Cadillac CT5
Some stay within the confines of the Javits Center, while others use the city as a backdrop for their automotive stories. General Motors did both.
In addition to displaying the new Cadillac CT5 on the show floor, GM CEO Mary Barra and Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter drove a camouflaged next-generation Corvette through Times Square just before the show. Even though the mid-engine supercar won’t officially debut until this summer, it created quite a buzz.
The Cadillac CT5 is causing a stir itself. The sedan will soon replace the ATS and CTS in the luxury brand’s lineup. It features a wide stance, aggressive front, big wheels and crisp lines along the side and in the hood, and it’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine that produces 275-horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Though rear-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive will be available on all trims.
For self-driving fans, Cadillac’s Super Cruise highway driver-assistance system, which focuses on hands-free lane centering, braking and acceleration on freeways but does not do passing maneuvers or tackle on/off ramps, will be available. But not at launch.
2019 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration
Lexus offered the first glimpse of this rear-wheel-drive beauty last summer at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California. The bright-yellow coupe features a carbon-fiber roof and lower grille insert to contrast the bright hue, as well as 21-inch wheels. It is powered by the same 5.0-liter V-8 in the stock version, which makes a healthy 471 horsepower. Stomping the accelerator will scoot the neon sled from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. It’s not a fire-breather, but it’s a smooth fit for the touring coupe and plenty of fun to drive. It’ll set you back $107,235, almost $13,000 more than the stock LC 500. Only 100 of this special edition will be made.
2020 Ford Mustang
Ford is celebrating the 55th anniversary the Mustang’s debut at the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York, with a new EcoBoost engine. The High-Performance Package (HPP) increases the 2.3-liter four-banger’s output to 330 horses (that’s 20 more ponies than the stock engine) and 350 pound-feet of tire-spinning torque. The package also includes brake, aerodynamic and suspension upgrades.
Ford promises upgrades will make the pony car even more responsive and more energetic than today’s Mustang EcoBoost. With it, the entry-level fastback coupe will go from zero to 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds, on up to a top speed of 155 mph, or 10 miles per hour faster than the 2019 model. The HPP engine comes to market later this year.
2019 Fiat 124 Urbana Edition
Spring has sprung. The temperature is rising. And tops are dropping, as convertibles start to emerge from winter hibernation. Take this Fiat 124 Spider Urbana Edition, for instance.
The cheeky little roadster, based on the Mazda Miata, gets the blacked-out treatment: Black Diamond 17-inch aluminum wheels, quad exhaust tips, black exterior accents and gloss-black finishes on the A-pillar bar bezel, seat-back pillar and side mirror caps. Inside, you’ll find matte gray accents and leather and microfiber on the seats and wrapping the instrument panel and instrument cluster hood. Fog lamps are also included. Available only on the Classica model, the cosmetic upgrade will cost an extra $995 above the $25,190 basic sticker price.
2020 Subaru Outback
Subaru hasn’t updated this cult classic in almost a decade. No matter; the adventure vehicle is still in demand as much for its go-anywhere, do-anything attitude as for its abilities as a trustworthy everyday people mover.
This year Subaru made it bigger and more tech-laden, with a tablet-style 16-inch touchscreen display in the dash, intelligent all-wheel-drive and a smart DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System that aids in crash avoidance. More important is the boost in power. The Outback is now available with a 260-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. There is a more sedate naturally aspirated option, too, but that’s not very adventurous, is it? Oh—the Outback is still just as capable off-road as any almost any SUV.
2020 Lincoln Corsair
It’s obvious that a lot of thought went into this luxurious sport utility vehicle, which will replace the MKC in Lincoln’s stable of upscale SUVs this fall. While it shares a basic skeleton with the more pedestrian 2020 Ford Escape that was revealed earlier this month, that’s where the similarities end. The two vehicles don’t share a single body panel or piece of interior trim. Instead, the Corsair is more stately, taking its styling cues from elder siblings, including the same elegant lines, details, and even the sloping roof as the Aviator. Lincoln further distanced the Corsair from the Escape by dialing up the car’s interior, covering it in luxe materials.
Under the hood is a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder engines: a 2.0-liter I-4 that generates 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque and an optional 2.3-liter that produces 280 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The Corsair will eventually get a plug-in hybrid variant and a pure electric powertrain is in the plan.
2020 Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition
Besides wanting former CEO Carlos Ghosn’s head on a stake, Nissan is celebrating 50 years of performance with some unique versions of the Nissan 370Z and GT-R, as well as dressing up the booth with Z cars of the past.
Based on the 370Z Sport trim, the special anniversary edition will be available in two color schemes. The first is a white and red motif, while the other is a silver and black one with racing stripes on the doors and a painted on the trunk, hood, side mirrors, and A-pillars.
There are a few special touches inside, too. The steering wheel is wrapped in Alcantara and the 50th Anniversary logo is embossed into the backrests. Dark chrome accents, new skid plates, and synthetic suede door inserts wrap up the special features.
2020 Automobili Pininfarina Battista
This stunning hypercar was celebrated in New York but will not be one of the many high-performance speed demons on display at the Auto Show. The fast-as-hell Battista was housed at an offsite location.
The Battista is the first vehicle built entirely by Pininfarina. Sure, the famed Italian designer has sketched many iconic sports cars over the years for the likes of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Maserati, to name a few. But it has never built one under its own banner before.
The electric hypercar will feature a power plant capable of producing an incendiary 1,900 horsepower and 1,696 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough get-up-and-go to propel the car from zero to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds and on to a top speed of over 250 mph. The Battista will go into production in 2020. Only 150 units will be built at an estimated price tag of more than $2 million.
2019 Porsche 911 Speedster
The Porsche Speedster is back—and it’s a knockout. In fact, the low-slung work of automotive art should get best-of-show honors.
Drool-worthy by any measure, the Speedster gets its bones from the company’s 911 GT3. To shed weight, Porsche has taken great care to rid the vehicle of excess baggage like air-conditioning. It is also draped in carbon fiber—the hood, rear deck, double bubbles (aerodynamic humps) and even the fenders are made of the lightweight material. There’s even a hand-operated fabric top, no motorization to weigh he car down.
Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine from the 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS. It produces 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. Perhaps best of all, the only transmission option is a six-speed manual.
The result is a seriously fast, undeniably sexy sports car that will reach 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, before continuing to a top speed of 192 miles per hour.
A ticket to ride will cost you around $275,000, and only 1,948 units of the two-seater will be built.
Also worth a look is the new Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. The six-cylinder hybrid plug-in has a pure-electric range of 27 miles and a respectable top speed of 157 mph, plus a zero-to-60 mph sprint time of 4.7 seconds. It comes with details such as acid-green brake calipers, 22-inch wheels, heads-up displays, and touchscreens.
Genesis Mint concept car
According to the folks at Genesis, Hyundai’s upscale luxury brand, the idea behind this tiny, all-electric auto was to show it could make a city car chic. Novel features include side doors that slice straight up to open and a two-person bench seat that moves back automatically, allowing the driver improved ingress.
And while spec details are scarce, and the minimal yet ultra-luxurious interior may make it seem like vaporware, Genesis says it will fight to see something like this bust into the marketplace.
Volkswagen I.D. Buggy Concept
Growing up in the 1970s (yeah, I wore bell bottoms and rainbow-colored Pro Keds), I had a neighbor who owned a 1963 VW Manx-Style Dune Buggy. The 10-year-old me thought it was so cool. But the fact that it was loud and leaked oil everywhere was a concern for the adults.
This week, my middle-aged self got a close look at Volkswagen’s new I.D. Buggy. It gave me that same jazzed feeling the Manx-style did.
The I.D. Buggy is the latest electric vehicle from Volkswagen. It’s designed to show off the capabilities of the company’s new battery-powered platform that will supposedly underpin a wide range of vehicles over the next few years. It looks like a modern version of the Manx—but the Manx for Mars. It has a 62-kWh lithium-ion battery and 201-horsepower electric motor. The buggy can go from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds, but the maximum speed is electronically limited to 99 mph. It has a 155-mile range on one charge. I can only hope that every 10-year-old who sees it dreams of owning one some day.