An auto show or motor show is a public gathering of automobile manufacturers which includes demonstrations of current automobile models, new debuts, and concept cars.
After months of speculation, spy shots and “leaked” 3-D images raising the anticipation level and the excitement of the fanboy in us, here it is folks, The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and yes, the iconic Stingray name is back since it was last seen in the ‘Vette C3.
As promised, Chevrolet has taken off the wraps of what’s arguably one of the most highly anticipated cars in 2013 at the Detroit Motor Show. This is the day we at TopSpeed have been waiting for since all of this C7 talk started about a year ago.
Rather than calling it the “Corvette,” Chevy boldly calls it the “New Corvette.”Calling it “New” is absolutely correct, as everything on the car is brand new. From a new design to a new powertrain to a brand new interior, Chevrolet has revolutionized every nook and cranny of the `Vette. But it still has that modern Corvette philosophy that has been retained for the past six generations, maybe even made it better.
Updated 05/28/2013: Chevrolet officially announced today the final specifications for the new Corvette Stingray. The company announced that when equipped with the optional performance exhaust system, the new Stingray delivers a total of 460 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 465 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm. The baseline figures - with the standard exhaust system - are 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet.
Click past the jump to enjoy our full review and check out whether we were impressed by the all new ‘Vette or if Chevy could’ve done better.
If our love affair with the Ford Raptor isn’t quite clear, please allow us to let you know that we think it is one of the most bad-ass trucks ever built. It not only has a 6.2-liter V-8 engine with a mean 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque that gets it to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, but it is also built to handle some of the meanest terrain you could imagine driving a street-legal truck on.
Well, we apparently aren’t the only ones that fell in love with it, as a one was displayed at the Cipate Police Equipment Exhibition in Beijing, China. And this is no normal Raptor, as Haiqiao Industry removed the bed and put a massive RV-like cab on the backside.
So, why would a police vehicle need a cab? Well, this particular model is designed for long-distance border patrol in China. Inside this massive cab is a bed, so the officer can take a much-needed break after a long shift; a cooking set, so the patrolling officer is properly fed; and a set of red seats for taking a load of comfortably.
This Raptor isn’t all comfort either, as it comes with the standard police equipment, including: search lights, a light bar and a speaker.
What makes this even more interesting is that the Raptor isn’t even available in China. Nope, Haiqiao gets them shipped in on the “grey market” from California and dresses them up for the government. It seems odd for a Government to purchase grey market vehicles, but so be it.
This particular model runs 1.3 million Chinese Yuan ($211,500) and only the Chinese government can purchase them for now, but the company is debating opening up to the civilian market.
Click past the jump to read about the 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Though it doesn’t bring increased power to the table — a privilege reserved for the future Z06 or a ZR1 – the new Z51 package for the Corvette Stingray does bring along significant upgrades that customers can benefit from, if they regularly plunder a track.
With this package installed, your Corvette Stingray will be fitted with a dry-sump oiling system that plays a crucial role while cornering, slightly shorter gear ratios, larger-capacity Bilstein dampers, a rear-stabilizer bar and forged rims that have grown up to 19 inches up front and 20 inches in the rear, an inch bigger than the standard Stingray.
What can arguably be called the most significant addition is the limited slip differential — an electronically controlled hydraulic clutch pack – which modulates the rate at which the differential transfers torque across the axle. When the car corners, the LSD acts like an open differential to reduce understeer, but when power is added, electronic slip diff is engaged to handle the traction and balance it all out.
Along with ride tweaks, the Z51 also focuses on the tweaking the aerodynamics of the Stingray. While the standard one has impressive figures, the Z51 package makes it better with the addition of a rear spoiler to keep it planted to the ground and gaping air inlets at the rear fenders to cool transmission and differential.
People opting for the Z51 package have the option to choose the Magnetic Ride Control that promises track-like performance with a more comforting ride for $1,795.
All of these upgrades play a role in its impressive cornering at 1.0g and a 0 to 60 sprint of less than 4 seconds.
GM has set the package at a premium of $8,005, bringing the total cost for the Stingray Z51 to $60,000. We are still uncertain if the Z51 package will be available on the convertible model; if so, the package total will be $65,000.
Though the C7 Stingray is proving to be a great track-day car, as well as a pleasant cruiser, the Z51 package takes the excitement and thrill of driving the new Corvette Stingray up a notch.
UPDATE 4/26/13: GM has released the pricing and more details on the Z51 package.
2013 Auto Shanghai – aka Shanghai Auto Show – kicks off tomorrow and it looks like we are in for a pretty decent showing, Typically, the Shanghai Auto show is a lower tier show, which means it brings a smattering of cool cars, but mostly focuses on Asia-only models. This year looks to be much of the same, but it will have a few really cool cars hitting the floor at the Shanghai New International Expo.
The biggest waves will be made by Lamborghini, Nissan, Maserati and, of all brands, MG. With the show only a little over a day away, we will outline for you the models to keep an eye out for and what we expect to see when their respective makers unveil them.
Stay tuned for full coverage of the show.
Read all about these upcoming models and find out which ones will likely impress us after the jump
A few years ago, Hyundai collaborated with Italian fashion label Prada to build a special-edition Prada-designed Genesis model. That endeavor proved to be a flop as only about 400 of the 1,200 models were sold.
But the Korean automaker is apparently undaunted because it’s once again taken the same partnership route, only this time it’s with French fashion brand Hermes.
Called the Hyundai Equus Hermes Edition, the special-edition model is only three units strong and none of them are for sale. Guess Hyundai learned a lesson or two from the Prada debacle, huh?
Aesthetically speaking, each of the three Equus Hermes models have interiors that live up to Hyundai’s pursuit of a "modern premium" car. More than 20 high-end items were used to dress up the interior, including luminary materials like crocodile leather lining the door panels. If the material rings a bell, it’s also the same one Hermes uses on a lot of its handbags.
As an extended wheelbase, the Equus Hermes has enough space to accommodate a host of luxury features, particularly the rear, which has its own folding table, four-cup holders, a water bottle compartment, and a large storage space, among other things.
Unfortunately, none of the three units of the Equus Hermes Edition are up for sale, according to Hyundai. But if you want to learn more about the automaker’s rationale in building the unique luxury sedan, you can check out its Q&A regarding the Equus Hermes Edition after the jump.
Well, the New York International Auto Show is wrapping up and all of the big unveilings are completed. This year’s show initially looked like it was going to be fairly boring, but a few surprise reveals by Chevy, Subaru and Jaguar really added some excitement. Yeah, we know; it is weird for Chevy to be able to keep any model under wraps, let alone one as big as the return of the Z/28.
We also saw the reveals that we all expected to see, like the new Jaguar XK, the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, the 2014 Scion tC, the Audi S3 and A3, and so much more. Overall, we would call this show a success, but it was not without its relative duds – doesn’t every show have a few.
Now that everything’s in the books, we are prepared to bring you our complete wrap up of the 2013 New York International Auto Show that shows you what we loved at the show, what disappointed us and what we were planning to see, but never arrived.
The 2014 Kia Optima SX Limited made its debut at the New York International Auto Show and offers a sporty package for the mid-sized sedan market.
The Kia Optima line is the best-selling line for the Korean automaker and the SX Limited model offers a more upscale feel. The cars styling has subtle details that set it apart from the other cars in the model’s lineup.
The SX Limited offers a high performing engine and a lot of tech goodies. The more powerful engine option is given away with styling cues such as larger chrome alloy wheels, red brake calipers and chrome accents. Kia is hoping that this model will help give the car a bit more excitement than the lower level cars in the model’s lineup.
The design of the car was out of Frankfurt Germany to help ensure a pleasing European design. The Limited is styled to compete with sporty mid-size sedans from Europe and Japan and looks like it will give them a run for their money.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Kia Optima SX Limited.
We’ve gotta say, Hyundai’s been hitting these concepts out of the park lately. Remember the HCD-14 Genesis Concept that it introduced at the Detroit Auto Show?
Well, it followed that up with another fantastic concept that was unveiled in person at the Seoul Motor Show. It’s called the HND-9 Concept and it’s the ninth concept model developed by Hyundai’s own R&D Center in Namyang, Korea as a preview version for the next generation Genesis Coupe.
As far as the concept’s looks are concerned, the renderings points to an absolute stunning ride that has butterfly doors, a Lexus-like front profile with an aggressive nose and a dynamic wide hexagonal-shaped grille. At the back, there are definitely some hints of aggressiveness with highly stylized rear fenders, a dual twin muffler and sleek rear lamps.
Under its conceptual hood, the HND-9 is powered by a 3.3-liter turbo GDi V-6 engine that can produce 365 horsepower. This boosted engine mates to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The HND-9’s interior is unlike anything you’ve likely ever seen before and is almost certainly not what its resulting model’s interior will look like. It’s main focus was to offer up a modern and luxurious driving experience with its splendid lines, tasteful use of color and wild-looking steering wheel.
Updated 03/28/2013: The new Hyundai HND-9 Concept made its world debut today at the 2013 Seoul Auto Show. Hit the jump to read Hyundai’s press release.
SsangYong’s continuing run of concepts has given birth to a new concept called the LIV-1, which stands for "Limitless Interface Vehicle".
Now we’ve seen the Korean automaker release some of the least attractive vehicles in the past, but it has done quite well in recent years, or at least not as bad as it used to.
The LIV-1 Concept is the latest proof that SsangYong is serious about giving its models a stylistic makeover. Pegged as a large premium SUV, the LIV-1 certainly has a couple of things about it that’s worth mentioning, including the haughty headlight setup, which we actually like because it gives off a proud but not too arrogant look that underlines SsangYong’s intention to make a name for itself in the business.
There’s a good chance that the LIV-1 Concept is a preview of a production vehicle and we won’t be surprised if it does make it to production. With the number of concepts SsangYong has been releasing the past few years, at least one of them has to make it to production, right?
Full details of the LIV-1 will be revealed at the Seoul Motor Show so sit tight and we’ll give you the information when it becomes available.
Okay folks, we are finally to the eve of the 2013 New York International Auto Show — one of the biggest shows of the year. The red carpets are rolled out and the red velvet veils have been draped over their respective models. It’s time to get a brief preview of what debuts you can expect to see at the show.
Unfortunately, this year is not going to yield quite as many debuts as we’re used to. Rather, it will feature a select number of all-new models mixed in with a slew of previously released models. Also lacking from this year’s NYIAS are sports and muscle cars, as by our count, there are only a few being debuted over the next week.
Despite the lack of models and the severe lack of high-performance models, this still looks to be an eventful show with the headliners likely being the all-new Range Rover Sport, the Jaguar XJR, the 2014 Camaro SS and the SRT Viper TA.
Also worth a look are the 2013 Shelby 1000 S/C and the all-new 2014 Scion tC.
Click past the jump to read our preview of the models that are making their debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show
