The new Ram Laramie Limited is the kind of gargantuan truck that gets attention wherever it goes. Certainly, it doesn’t hurt that it’s got plenty of new digs to back up its claim as one of the best pick-ups on the market today.
At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Ram officially pulled the covers off of the Laramie Limited, giving us a good look at a pick-up that not only offers unmatched performance credentials, but also comes with plenty of plush amenities you rarely see in a pick-up truck like this one.
Should you have any interest in scooping up the Ram Laramie Limited - and really, if you had the purpose for it, why wouldn’t you? - Ram has pegged the pick-up’s arrival in dealerships later this year. The cost of the pick-up is still undetermined, but expect it to catch plenty of interest from a lot of people looking for a comprehensive cocktail of style and power.
UPDATE 03/22/12: Ram has officially announced pricing for the Laramie Limited. Here’s a hint: it’s the most expensive Ram trim yet. Check out the price of the limited edition pick-up after the jump!
Find out more about the Ram Laramie Limited after the jump.
Kia has brought a new range topping Optima to the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The special Optima SX Limited will go on sale in March and will be offered exclusively in three exterior colors: Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl, and Titanium Metallic.
The special edition Kia Optima SX Limited will be distinguished by LED daytime running lights, a chrome-accented rear spoiler, lower door sills, wood interior trim, and a new set of uniquely designed chrome 18-inch wheels. The interior has been dressed up in black or white Nappa for the leather seats, door panels, center console armrest, and center fascia trim for a premium feel. All of these elements are combined with wood accents on the steering wheel, interior door trim, and shift knob, and a black tricot fabric lends a premium feel to the headliner, sun visor, and A, B, and C pillars.
The Kia Optima SX Limited is powered by the vehicle’s usual 2.0-liter turbo GDI V6 engine that delivers a total of 274 HP and achieves 22/34 mpg city/hwy.
Japanese automaker, Mazda, will troop to the Windy City to debut another special edition model of their most popular vehicle, the MX-5 Miata.
Based on the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring model, the car will be limited to only 450 models, distinguishing itself with a number of unique additions that include two new exterior colors, a black-only power retractable hard top, blah exterior accents, a new set of 17" gunmetal wheels, heated black leather seats, and interior finishes dressed in piano black.
Performance specs will remain the same, which means that the car will sport a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine that produces 167 horsepower and 158 lb/ft of torque and will be mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed sport automatic transmission.
The MX-5 Miata Special Edition’s participation at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show was done as a tribute to Mazda’s debut on the global stage back in 1989. Since then, the Miata has become one of the most popular roadsters in the world, selling over a million models since it made its debut 23 years ago.
UPDATE 02/08/2012: The special edition Mazda MX-5 has made its debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Limited to only 450 units, the model will go on sale at the end of February 2012 at a starting price of $31,225 for the manual transmission and $31,675 when equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission. The model is equipped with both the Premium and Suspension packages as standard.
The GMC Acadia began its history back in 2007 when the standard model was first introduced to the market. In 2010, GMC added the Denali version and just one year later, in 2011, the model had the best sales in its five-year history. Wanting to keep the momentum going, GMC is offering some refreshing updates to the 2013 model year for both the standard and Denali versions, which it introduced at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Sales will begin in late 2012.
"With an award-winning combination of space, capability and fuel-efficiency, Acadia epitomizes GMC’s ’never say never’ attitude," said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing. "For 2013, our engineers and designers applied that same attitude to developing the new Acadia."
Changes for the 2013 GMC Acadia include a new exterior design highlighted by signature LED lighting, plus a refined interior with soft-touch materials, accent stitching, and ambient lighting. As for power, GMC has kept the usual 3.6L direct injection V-6 engine under the hood.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 GMC Acadia.
Last year, Hyundai unveiled the new generation Elantra sedan - a model that featured an impressive exterior design language and a new 1.8-liter inline-four that producing 148 HP and 131 pound-feet of torque. Now, Hyundai has to unveil a new Coupe variant at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, which the company hopes will compete with the Honda Civic Coupe model.
Just like the sedan, the new Elantra Coupe will be powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 148 HP and 131 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, this engine delivers a fuel economy of 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.
The new model will be distinguished by a unique "Fluidic Sculpture" two-door coupe design language that includes a hexagonal front fascia with jeweled swept-back headlights, a blacked-out rear diffuser, and much more.
UPDATE 06/15/2012: Hyundai has announced prices for the 2013 Elantra Coupe. Prices will range from $17,445 for the base GS version and will go up to $19,745 for the sport-tuned Elantra Coupe SE. An optional SE A/T Technology Package will add another $2,350. Hit the jump for a full pricing list.
Hit the jump to read more about the new Hyundai Elantra Coupe.
The history of the SVT (Ford’s Special Vehicle Team) began at the 1992 Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling of the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and SVT F-150 Lightning and now, as a celebration of their 20th anniversary, Ford has unveiled the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.
Just like with the coupe version, the GT500 Convertible is powered by a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers a total of 650 HP. When equipped with the optional Performance Package, the new GT500 Convertible is nearly 3.5 seconds faster than the outgoing model at Sebring International Raceway.
"The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is," said Kerry Baldori, SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer. "All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but can still be driven on a daily basis."
UPDATE 02/08/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible.
Hit the jump for more details on the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible.
As we previously reported, Nissan will be bringing a facelift version of their 370Z sports car to the 2012 Chicago Auto Show and since the show is only a few hours away, the first details of the vehicle have been released. The new 370Z will be offered in Coupe, Roadster, and NISMO Z configurations and will go on sale in June 2012.
Updates for the refreshed 370Z include a revised front fascia with vertical LED daytime running lights, the addition of a red reflector to the rear fascia, revised 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and a new set of 18" wheels for the Coupe version. The models equipped with the Sport Package will receive red-finished brake calipers and Euro-tuned shock absorbers. Nissan will also offer two new exterior colors – Magma Red and Midnight Blue - and will combine them with a dark-finish fuel gauge trim.
The list of standard equipment will include a new Bose Premium Audio Package with two additional speakers and two subwoofers, premium gun metallic dark-finish 19-inch wheels, and Nissan GT-R style high-rigidity brake hoses and performance brake fluid.
Under the hood, Nissan has kept the usual 332 HP 3.7-liter DOHC V6 engine and the choice of either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic transmission.
More details will be revealed tomorrow when the 2013 Nissan 370Z makes its debut in Chicago, so stay tuned!
The last and arguably most impressive program Chrysler and Mopar built to celebrate the latter’s 75th anniversary is the Mopar 300, a comprehensive tuning program built for the Chrysler 300.
As a special edition model, the Mopar 300 is distinguished by a slew of aerodynamic and aesthetic modifications, including a new black chrome grille, tinted headlights, blue decal body stripes with matching special badging, and a new set of 20" wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Meanwhile, interior modifications done on the Mopar 300 include perforated Katzkin leather seats, a thick-rimmed steering wheel with die-cast paddle shifters, carbon fiber trim, piano black accents, a new gear knob, an Alpine audio system, and a Uconnect Touch infotainment system.
Performance modifications include a sport-tuned suspension system, high-performance brakes, and revised gearing, improving the acceleration capabilities of the 300’s 363-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine from six seconds down to around five seconds.
Anybody looking to score a piece of this special edition, Mopar-tuned Chrysler 300 will get a chance to do so this summer when the car becomes available at a price of $49,700.
The Chicago Auto Show is one of America’s biggest auto events, yet it doesn’t hold the same glamorous standards as that of its counterparts in Detroit, New York, and even Los Angeles.
That being said, a lot of automakers have used Chicago as the venue for their concept debuts and it’s no different this year as Kia prepares to roll out the Track’ster Concept.
The Tracks’ter Concept is being touted as "the ultimate performance" Soul that features an aggressive hatchback body with a low and aggressive bodykit. Looking at the Soul’s overall design, it should be easy to paint a picture of the Tracks’Ter as a concept that carries a far edgier look to coincide with the Korean automaker’s evolving design language, one that’s a far departure from the conservative approach the company used to be known for.
Performance details on the Tracks’ter Concept have yet to be announced, but considering what we’re looking at and how it’s being touted, we wouldn’t be surprised if it packs the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder powertrain that can be found under the hood of the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.
Whatever the case may be, we’re all looking forward to seeing the Kia Tracks’Ter Concept make its world debut in Chicago later this month.
There doesn’t appear to be a sports compact car that’s been the subject of more tuning programs than the lovable Fiat 500. Now, Chrysler’s in-house tuning arm, Mopar, is joining in the fun with the 500 "Stinger."
Built as one of Mopar’s 75th anniversary models, the Fiat 500 Stinger comes to the party packed with a two-stage Mopar program that combines a unique styling upheaval with a bold, high-performance engine modification.
The Stage 1 program deals with plenty of exterior and interior enhancements. For the former, Mopar gave the 500 Stinger a more aggressive appearance, highlighted by a special "Giallo" exterior paint with a matching "whiskers and logo" face and circular Black Chrome projector headlamps. In addition, the head and tail lamps have been tinted while the bodyside was wrapped in vinyl with complimenting black checker roof graphics. Finishing off the exterior details are a new set of 17" Abarth Hyper Black aluminum wheels wrapped in wider 205/40 R 17 performance tires.
As for the latter, the interior of the 500 Stinger continues the Giallo-and-black two-tone treatment of the exterior with Katzkin leather seats. Speaking of the seats, Mopar also added Alcantara seat centers with Giallo black leather bolsters and Giallo accent stitching. A carbon-fiber instrument panel decal has also been added, as was a Mopar shifter ball finished in Gloss Black, completing an interior look that’s a far departure from the usually mild-mannered 500.
While no specific numbers were given on the 500 Stinger’s performance boost, we know that Mopar’s Stage 2 kit ensures all that and more. Included in this program kit are a cold-air intake and free-flowing cat-back exhaust and performance brakes with cross-drilled rotors, allowing the 500 Stinger to deliver even more power and torque, as well as serious track-ready brake performance.
Just like the rest of Mopar’s 75th Anniversary models, the 500 Stinger will be proudly displayed at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show this coming February.
