The 2016 New York International Auto Show kicked off last week, with a host of new unveilings from both luxury and mass-market manufacturers, some surprising, some not so surprising.
Even though many manufacturers blew their wad at Geneva earlier this year and several brands like Aston Martin and Bugatti chose to skip New York altogether, there’s still plenty of new and exciting things from one of the largest car shows in America.
From muscle-bound monsters to all-out track weapons and even the odd passenger car here and there, here’s our round up of the stand-out models from this year’s New York show.
Honda/Acura NSX GT3
We all knew that the new second-gen Honda NSX (Acura NSX if you’re reading this on the other side of the Atlantic) would make an appearance in New York. After all, how couldn’t it? One of the most hotly-anticipated sports cars for a long time, the new NSX has also been designed and built in the good old US-of-A.
Still, it’s safe to say that absolutely nobody expected Honda to unveil a GT3 version of the NSX, which it intends to start competing with as early as next year. Fitted with a metric tonne of race-tuned bodywork to enhance aerodynamics and cooling, in true GT3 style it’s also been stripped of every conceivable non-essential to keep weight to a bare minimum.
However, unlike the production car which uses a hybrid powertrain comprised of a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 and a total of three electric motors, the GT3 version is just petrol-powered.
Due to the fact that Honda couldn’t get clearance from any race series to run its unique hybrid set-up, the NSX GT3 will feature a more traditional setup along with rear-wheel drive instead of the AWD system of the road car.
Bad news for hybrid fans, but great for anybody keen to see how a rawer NSX will fare in competition. Could a non-hybrid street version be on the cards one day?
Mazda MX-5 RF
One of the best worst-kept secrets from this year’s New York International Auto Show, unlike the NSX GT3 there are few who doubted that Mazda would unveil a hardtop version of its latest fourth-generation MX-5 Miata.
However, it’s unlikely that anybody predicted it would look quite like this. Dubbed the MX-5 RF for ‘retractable fastback’, the hard-top version of the world’s best-selling two seater roadster features a beautiful Targa-style electrically folding roof.
Aside from adding a slight bit of extra weight, the new roof keeps the MX-5’s internal and storage dimensions intact, can be folded in just 12 seconds and offers a fantastically sleek and stylish appearance.
Mercedes-AMG E43
Merc’s latest E-Class, fresh after a facelift mere months ago, brought with it a whole new suite of semi-autonomous capabilities including a new system which allows it to pilot itself on motorways.
Fear not enthusiasts, as Mercedes’ performance wing AMG have now got their hands on the E-Class and have bestowed it with a significant power bump courtesy of a 391bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6. AMG kit also includes tweaked steering, air suspension and a rear-drive bias setting for its four-wheel drive system.
In true AMG style it also features a more performance-oriented design with larger wheels and a ‘roided-out body kit, which shows that Mercedes has more in mind for the E-Class than just new driverless tricks.
As if the E43 AMG isn’t ridiculous enough for you, there’s also the upcoming E63 model due to debut later in the year, which will feature an uprated 4.0-litre V8 engine that’s rumoured to produce up to 600bhp.
Nissan GT-R
One of the most technologically-advanced production cars on earth, the R35 GT-R has always held a special place in the hearts of performance car fans with its mix of sheer power and scalpel-precise driving ability.
Nissan’s engineers just can’t seem to leave the thing alone either, and the latest in a long line of updates for the car nicknamed Godzilla brings with it a more comfortable interior for Japan’s premier pavement-shredder, plus even more city-stomping power. Naturally.
In addition to the option of Nappa leather seats and a thankfully stripped-down infotainment system, the GT-R now has slightly tweaked styling and an extra 20 ponies under the bonnet courtesy of revisions to its twin turbochargers.
That means that its 3.8-litre V6 now produces a total of 562bhp in its standard format, with 637Nm of torque that’ll rend the tarmac clean off any street or track alike. It’s likely that the R35 is nearing the end of its lifespan now, but before it gets replaced by a new generation it’s nice to know that Nissan is still committed to improving on what many see as its greatest achievement yet.
Subaru Impreza
Among all the supercar exotica, Subaru discreetly unveiled an all-new Impreza saloon and hatchback in New York, which is more an evolution of the outgoing model rather than a revolution.
Of course, Subaru has never been known for its overly dramatic styling, but it’s beneath the shell where the Impreza is most important. Four-wheel drive comes standard and the famous 2.0-litre four-pot boxer engine remains intact, this time with more horsepower and direct injection.
Although the regular versions might appear slightly middling, more exciting is the news that Subaru bosses have confirmed that new WRX and STi versions of the Impreza are on their way in the near future.
With the current WRX STi model divorced from the mainstream Impreza model and rivals like the Mitsubishi Evo now relegated to the annals of history, it’ll come as good news for Subie fans that the marque hasn’t forgotten about one of its most important and most iconic cars.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Technically, Chevrolet jumped the gun slightly by announcing the biggest, baddest current-gen Camaro a week or so before the New York Auto Show started.
It’s easy to see why the company got so excited about the ZL1, however, with precisely 640 reasons lurking under the bonnet. Forget the plebeian turbo-four, or even the V6 and V8 options in the standard Camaro and focus instead on the ZL1’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8.
An exercise in automotive superlatives, the Camaro ZL1 comes with the option of a 10-speed automatic gearbox to harness all 640 of those well-muscled ponies, and also gets Magnetic Ride suspension and aerodynamic upgrades to keep it stable and controlled at speed.
Unlike the Z28, which is designed purely as a track weapon, the ZL1 instead takes everything that puts the ‘muscle’ in muscle car – ugly, brutal horsepower and styling your mother would hate – and cranks it up to 11.
It’s even got some rather brainy tricks to go along with all that brawn, including an IntelliLink infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus a built-in GoPro camera that records your drives and also records the car’s performance data to satisfy all your voyeuristic fantasies.
Audi R8 Spyder V10
One of the most instantly-recognisable and desirable modern supercars received an update recently, and Audi has now given its latest R8 the Spyder treatment courtesy of a fabric-drop top roof.
Although we’ve had mixed feelings about the new R8’s styling, with its flat rear decking and new roof we’ll concede that this particular topless German does look very good indeed. Along with the fabric cover, the R8 Spyder also gets revised aerodynamics to reduce noise and air turbulence.
With 533bhp and a top speed of 198mph, the Spyder has also been stiffened to accommodate the roofless design, while Audi estimates the reverse airflow around the occupants’ heads has been cut by as much as 90 per cent. Supercar performance that’s friendly to your hairdo, who can ask for more?
