After each major auto show, we like to sit back and simmer on what we saw for a little bit. It’s important to think about what we saw and where we think the auto industry as a whole is headed. Oftentimes, an auto show will have an underlying theme or trend beyond the glitz, glamor, and luxury of the latest and greatest new cars. For instance, last year in Detroit, the North American International Auto Show was all about sports cars. The Los Angeles Auto Show tends to alternate between driving fun, sporty cars or big, lumbering crossovers. The New York show, a one-to-one transfer of urban and affluent world around it, was loaded up with high-end luxury vehicles and sports cars. And with over 25 new vehicles making their debut in the halls of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this year, we figured we should pick a few highlights from the show that warrant a closer look.
Most Fun: This has to go to the new Mazda MX-5 RF. Although the beautiful flying buttresses and hardtop mechanism add an estimated 100 lb weight penalty to the lightweight roadster, we’ll gladly take the extra style and security of a hardtop in this case. Mazda took a car we already loved to drive and gave us a reason to drive it even more.
Best Concept: This was a tough decision between the Lincoln Navigator and the Genesis New York Concept but the Genesis wins because it’s the one we most want to drive. We like the edgy, overstyled design cues and high-tech futuristic tech but what really got our attention was the 3.3L V6 making 365 HP that we were promised. While we’re not sure if Genesis will actually implement technologies like gesture control and a 21-inch curved 4K display sprawling across the dash, we’re looking forward to seeing a production version in the near-ish future.
Best Overall Booth: It’s pretty safe to say that Nissan had the best booth of the entire show (they actually had two booths). We loved Nissan’s booths so much because for the 2017 GTR unveiling, Nissan brought out six vintage GTRs from 1969 all the way up to 2014 to show their lineage. While we were impressed by the 2014 Nurburgring record-holding GTR NISMO and enjoyed a bit of nostalgia for the R32, R33, and R34 models that we idolized in Gran Turismo video games, the true stars in our eyes were the 1969 KPGC10 and 1974 KPCG110 models that just ooze style.
Most Luxurious: Now the Lincoln Navigator Concept gets its chance to shine. Aside from the huge gullwing door opening, Lincoln Motor Company’s tagline “Quiet Luxury” couldn’t be more fitting for this SUV concept. The interior design is pure opulence while the exterior styling makes more of a statement than any Rolls Royce. Assuming Lincoln stays true to this design for the production Navigator like they did with the Continental, we’ll be happy campers.
Driver’s Choice: As you might know if you follow our Morrie’s Heritage Car Connection blog, a bunch of us here at Morrie’s love to get out and drive. Many of us are also loyal Porsche enthusiasts which is why the new 911R spoke to us the most as the car we wanted to get in and drive at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. A 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated Flat-6 generating 500 HP carries over from the street-legal race car GT3RS but what makes the 911R special is that it’s linked to a model-exclusive 6-speed manual transmission instead of the usual PDK gearbox we see in Porsche’s GT models. It’s meant to be driven hard and put away wet, and that’s what we’re all about.
Unobtanium Award: Just because we’ll probably never see another one of these again, we’ve got to pick the Koenigsegg Regera (and its One:1 stablemate) as the biggest jaw-dropper of the show. Something about having well over 1,000 HP packed into a lightweight, carbon-fiber shell with loads of other technologies including a hybrid drivetrain that eliminates the need for a transmission, and this is pure, unfiltered, car-nerd dream fodder. More than any other booth at the show, we probably went out of our way to walk past the Koenigseggs the most. Soak it in, my friends. This thing is wild!
Thanks for looking and be sure to check out our 2016 New York International Auto Show recap posts HERE and HERE, as well as our video playlist from the show HERE.
