Auto Shows Car reviews

The Blue Oval is preparing to unveil a variety of custom builds, including the Bronco Badlands Sasquatch 2-Door Concept. Created to showcase the Bronco’s modularity, the concept highlights what amounts to the Bronco Badlands’ ability to act as an urban ride on weekdays and off-road marauder on weekends through the glory of swappable components.

The Bronco Badlands Sasquatch 2-Door Concept will be revealed alongside Ford’s other SEMA offerings during the Ford Auto Nights webcast that starts at 8.PM. tonight.

Ford’s recipe for its 2020 SEMA Auto Show lineup was simple. Use popular models in the lineup, give them concept makeovers, and let everyone know about all the custom tuning possibilities that can be done to these models. It doesn’t come as a surprise that, in addition to the Ranger and the F-150 trucks, Ford chose the Bronco to its SEMA lineup and created two concepts out of the returning nameplate. One of these concepts is called the MAD Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Overland. Ford teamed with MAD Industries to create this concept, which shows the capacity of Ford’s newest SUV to be as adept in the outdoors as it is on concrete roads. It’s a dream-come-true concept for Bronco fans who have been clamoring for ways to customize the Bronco and turn it into a legitimate 4x4 off-roader.

The SEMA Show is turning out to be quite exciting. Jeep is taking part, obviously, and has come with a concept targeted at hard-core mountain bike enthusiasts. The automaker, along with Mopar, has transformed the 2020 Gladiator pickup truck into a fun concept vehicle for serious mountain bikers. But, what’s catchier about this concept is the number of storage spaces in the customized truck bed. Oh, and also, there’s a built-in hot dog machine. How about that!

We’re having quite an unusual SEMA Show this year, but that hasn’t deterred automakers from coming up with special off-roading concepts. Toyota is no exception and has teamed up with 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine to develop an Overlanding concept based on the Tacoma. We’ve seen a lot of aftermarket Tacoma builds over the years, but this one stands out for the amount of equipment installed on it.

The 2020 Toyota Ornamental Conifer GR Supra is a customized version of the Japanese coupe designed for the 2020 SEMA Show. Now converted to the SEMA360 Showcase online presentation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will debut four special-edition Toyota models, including this GR Supra. Essentially an art car, the Ornamental Conifer GR Supra was designed by British artist Nicolai Sclater.

After unveiling the E-10 electric concept last year, Chevy has now unveiled a 1977 Blazer K5 electric concept for the SEMA show that previews the company’s crate powertrain future. For a company that didn’t seem to be as vested in electrification as other automakers until recently, this is a very big step. This concept also gives us a peek at the upcoming Electric Connect and Cruise package that’s expected to come sometime next year.

First hitting the market in January of 1996, the Lexus LX nameplate has evolved through three separate generations over the years, with the latest J200 iteration arriving in 2007. Based heavily on the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Lexus LX is the premium Japanese brand’s take on full-size luxury SUV transport, comfortably seating up to eight passengers and offering a good deal of capability if road conditions are less than ideal. However, according to Lexus, “some customers indicated they did not use the third row and expressed a preference for more interior cargo space,” and as a result, the 2018 model year gets a bit of switch-up in the cabin. Introduced as the LX 570 at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, the third-row bench was tossed to accommodate more junk in the trunk, all while keeping the same capability and comfort found in the LX’s eight-seater counterparts.

Lexus says the LX 570 is aimed at “smaller families, empty nesters and multiple-vehicle households, [customers who] are more likely to travel with fewer passengers but more carry-on gear. Among the activities they enjoy are skiing, cycling, kayaking, and golf, along with such hobbies as nature photography and antique collecting. Some also wanted more versatility for carrying their dogs.” So – does the LX really work better with fewer seats and more cargo?

Update 8-13-2020: Lexus has updated the LX570 for the 2021 model year with a few new goodies, a new package, and a new limited-edition Inspiration Series. Check out the details down below.

The 2020 Morgan Plus Four is a neo-retro roadster produced by British coachbuilder Morgan. The 2020 Plus Four replaces the old Plus 4, a roadster that Morgan produced without any updates from 2005 to 2020. While the nameplate carries over unchanged, the word "Four" replaces the numeral "4" for better differentiation between the two cars. The 2020 Plus Four is underpinned by the CX-Generation, bonded aluminum platform that Morgan debuted in the 2019 Plus Six. Although it looks virtually the same on the outside, the 2020 Plus Four features a more modern interior, while the old naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine was replaced with a turbo-four from BMW.

The 2020 Skoda Octavia vRS is the high-performance version of the fourth-generation liftback sedan. Available in both sedan and wagon body styles, the 2020 Octavia vRS boasts the sportier, more angular design of the latest Octavia, but the really big news is that it features a hybrid drivetrain. This isn’t surprising given that it shares underpinnings with the latest Volkswagen Golf,, but it’s the first vRS model to sport a form of electrification. The 2020 Octavia vRS iV is the first performance Skoda model with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It also joins other electrified Octavia models like two mild hybrids and a less powerful plug-in. Let’s find out more about this performance four-door in the review below.

The 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S is the range-topping version of the latest, 992-generation Porsche 911. Unveiled during the virtual edition of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, the 2021 911 Turbo S arrive before its least powerful twin, the Turbo. Fitted with a twin-turbo, 3.8-liter flat-six engine rated at 640 horsepower, the 2021 911 Turbo S is the most powerful 911 Turbo model ever. It’s also the quickest, as the beefed-up coupe needs only 2.6 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standing start. How does it compare with the old Turbo S and similar sports cars on the market? Let’s find out in the review below.

Already nine years old as of 2018, the Zenvo ST1 has already made a name for itself as a potent supercar with extreme design and performance. Designed and built in Denmark, the ST1 remained in production until 2016, when it was replaced by the TS1, which gained certain changes in terms of aerodynamics and drivetrain. The TS1 was followed by the race-spec TSR in 2017. With the latter still new, Zenvo launched a new iteration of its only vehicle to date. It’s called the TSR-S, and it’s the company’s most radical car for street use.

Positioned between the TS1 GT road car and the race-only TSR, the TSR-S shares the looks of the original ST1. However, it borrows the revised aerodynamics of the TSR, as well as a number of unique features that improve performance on both the road and the track. As usual, the Danish automaker will keep production very limited, with only five examples to be built a year. Yes, this thing is just as exclusive as a Koenigsegg, but does it have the power and speed to go against it? Let’s find out in the review below.

Update: 3/12/2020 Zenvo has showcased its latest iteration of the TSR-S road-going hypercar and it comes with a handful of new improvements. Learn all about it below!

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG E53 is a facelifted version of the performance sedan that sits between the regular E-Class and the AMG E63. The sedan that replaced the old AMG E43 arrived less than a couple of years ago, but Mercedes-Benz decided to upgrade it alongside the standard E-Class. The facelift adds restyled front and rear sections and some new tech, but the drivetrain remains unchanged.

Mansory is a premium aftermarket company that has designed some pretty good vehicles in the past. The cars that it has unveiled lately, however, seem to tell a different story. Check out the audacious Lamborghini Urus Venatus or the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Coastline to know what I mean. But, now, the company is back to working on its favorite vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

In 2019, Mansory worked on the Mercedes-AMG G63 to create a Star Trooper edition of the legendary SUV. The company has now created a pickup version of the same Star Trooper SUV with a few more touches. Did Brabus inspire them to do this? The Star Trooper has been designed by Mansory in collaboration with Phillip Plein.