Our main criticism of Honda these days is that they don’t seem to be willing to push any design or powertrain boundaries. It’s the same old transmissions and engines going into more-or-less the same old designs. That criticism was only partially addressed when Honda rolled out the Accord Coupe Concept which features some new powertrains in a coupe that looks very much like what you’ve been able to buy at any Honda dealer the past few years. We know that when the production Accord launches later this summer it will look like what you see here minus the fancy wheels and shiny bits. Read more…
Toyota took great pains to remind us that it was the pioneer in the industry and proved its commitment to that segment by unveiling the production version of the Prius c. Toyota claims the ‘c’ stands for ‘city.’ The intent of the Prius c is to offer the most efficient and lowest priced member of the Prius family. With a starting price of under $19,000 the Prius c is actually less expensive than the original Prius that debuted more than 10 years ago. The ‘c’ promises an impressive 53 mpg in city driving and 46 mpg on the highway. We found this to be an attractive addition to the Prius lineup and hope that it may have more enticing driving dynamics than the sterile standard Prius. Unfortunately, acceleration doesn’t sound promising with the 1.5L four combining with the electric motor for a total of 99 hp. We were not so impressed with our first look at the interior plastics, but we should withold final judgment until we are able to drive one of these cars. Read more…
We’d need all our fingers and toes to count the times we’ve heard this before, but Lincoln executives took to the stage to present the MKZ Concept as the first glimpse at a revitalized Lincoln that will finally compete for luxury customers with the best in the industry. The MKZ Concept is clearly a thinly disguised look at the production model that’ll debut later this year and love it or hate it we’re glad to see this isn’t just a leather-lined version of the new Fusion on which it’s based. Read more…
Before hot-rodding was cool, Henry Ford’s design savy son, Edsel, had a custom bodied speedster built on the chassis of a 1934 Ford and powered by a flathead Ford V8. Officially christened the Model 40 Special Speedster, this car was recently restored and shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and will be on permanent display at Edsel’s estate in Grosse Point Shores, Michigan. Since Edsel was a champion for the Lincoln Division and the inspiration for the original Lincoln Continental, it is fitting that this speedster was displayed within the Lincoln display at this year’s North American International Auto Show. Read more…
Sweden’s lone surviving auto brand chose to highlight a new plug-in hybrid concept vehicle called the XC60 Plug-in-Hybrid. While the vehicle looks like a conventional XC60, the SUV utilizes a 280 hp turbo four with an electric motor. The XC60 has three drive modes. One mode runs exclusively off of electric power, the next is a fuel saving hybrid mode, and the last is a performance hybrid mode with a combined 350 hp. Read more…
Hyundai executives appeared to have much to celebrate about this year. Having ended 2011 with double digit sales increases as well as numerous industry recognitions and awards, Hyundai started 2012 by receiving the North American Car of the Year Award for its Elantra. Their Detroit introductions included two updates to their existing sporty cars, the Veloster and Genesis coupes. The big news for Veloster is a new 201 hp turbocharged 1.6L four cylinder. This new powertrain achieves 38 mpg on the highway partly due to the Veloster’s low power to weight ratio of 14 lbs/hp. The specific output of that 1.6L is an impressively high 125.6 hp/liter. On the outside the performance oriented coupe benefits from a unique grille treatment and can now be ordered with matte finish paint. Read more…
Acura made a splash in Detroit by unveiling two new production models and a concept signaling the return of the dearly departed NSX. Since we’re enthusiasts around here you can bet our curiosity was piqued at every NSX detail they were willing to divulge. Unfortunately for us, and subsequently you, that wasn’t much. What we did learn was that the NSX will return to production within three years at the hands of a US development team and be built in Ohio of all places. Read more…
If there was a common theme at the North American International Auto Show, it was that automakers are no longer shy about introducing a convertible in brisk January. MINI joined both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in unveiling an open air vehicle with a vehicle they have simply named the MINI Roadster. Read more…
In an attempt to convince us it wants to be known for style and performance as much as quality and comfort Lexus rolled out the stunning LF-LC Concept and promptly made a compelling argument. The big coupe looks great from every angle except the front where the gaping grille needs to be toned down a notch or seven. Lexus claims the rear-wheel drive LF-LC utilizes a hybrid powertrain but the real story is inside where the 2+2 cockpit is sumptuously finished in contrasting leathers and wood yet someone manages to neatly integrate two 12.3-inch screens and touch screen controls on the center console and both doors. Read more…
Rather than take the route of its German competitors and stablemates, Audi chose not to unveil a convertible model in chilly Detroit. Rather, Audi unveiled the Q3 Vail crossover. Though Audi has not promised to offer the Q3 in the US market, they promised that it could go on sale in the US as soon as the end of 2013. If such a vehicle were to be sold in the US, it would be powered by a 2.5L inline 5 cylinder engine with 314 hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. Read more…
