Detroit Auto Show

The Toyota Supra has arrived, and, well, it hasn’t had the glowing reception Toyota probably expected. We’ve pored over and dissected the Supra, but a new revelation from a Japanese spec sheet of the sports car shows that the base version of the Supra comes with a four-cylinder engine that produces a rather disappointing 197 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The horsepower figure, in particular, is shocking because it’s less power than the 206-horsepower Toyota 86, a sports car that was supposed to sit well below the Supra in Toyota’s sports car pecking order. Fortunately, the U.S. is unlikely to get the base Supra, leaving us with one less disappointing version of the sports car to think about.

Ford just unveiled the new and awesome Mustang Shelby GT500 at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, but we still don’t know how much power it delivers. The official rating is now at 700+ horsepower, but this figure will change later on, before the muscle car goes on sale.

There was a ton of new metal to ogle and argue over at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, but none of the big sheet pulls were as polarizing as the 2020 Toyota Supra. After more than 20 years on the shelf, Toyota finally introduced a fifth-generation for one of the most iconic names in Japanese performance, and well, the trolls are currently lighting their digital torches. Right on schedule, too.

The Hyundai Elantra GT N Line has the makings of a solid hot hatch, though if you’re going to seat in the back of one, you might want to brace yourselves. Space isn’t so much of a problem as it is a minor inconvenience for a model that doesn’t have a good amount of rear head- and legroom in the first place. Still, even with the tighter-than-expected rear section, the Elantra GT N Line is a solid first offering in the U.S. from Hyundai’s new N Line performance trim. Even though it’s still the same model, the Elantra GT N Line, in essence, replaces the Elantra GT Sport nameplate, and does so with slight aesthetic, powertrain, and chassis upgrades. Unfortunately, space in the rear of the hot hatch didn’t change, proving that even highly rated debuting models aren’t immune from minor flaws.

Ford made somewhat of a surprise move at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show and introduced a couple more versions of the brand-new Explorer. Unveiled just last week, the Explorer came to Detroit in new ST and Hybrid trims. The latter features a rather weird drivetrain layout, especially given what FoMoCo offers in other hybrids.

After a lot prodding and, presumably, more incessant begging, Subaru has finally gifted American customers with their own special edition Subie, called the STI S209. Limited to “around 200” units, the STI S209 is the first-ever S-series vehicle to come to the U.S. In truth, the S209 isn’t actually a Subaru, in large part because of the extensive mechanical work the model received to make it legal in America. Hence, Subaru homologated it as an STI model instead so it’s official name is “STI S209.” Name discrepancies aside, the S209 comes with a heavily modified body and an overhauled version of Subaru’s EJ25 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces around 341 horsepower. The S209 will go on sale later this year at a price that will be announced closer to launch. Considering all the work that was done on the car and its super limited status, it’s almost a certainty that all allocated units in the U.S. will sell out faster than it took me to finish writing this paragraph.

The meanest and fastest production version of the Ford Mustang just made a comeback after a five year hiatus. Last discontinued in 2014, the Shelby GT500 signaled its return at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show with more aggressive looks, more power and... well... more everything. But does it live up to the hype?

Toyota just introduced the fifth-gen Supra for the 2020 model year, and with it, a long list of performance specs. However, looking ‘em over has us scratching our heads a bit, especially with regards to the Japanese sports machine’s surprisingly quick 0-to-60 mph time.

Ford just unveiled the new Explorer at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, but during the press conference it also announced five new models that it will launch over the next 24 months. Three of them are new generations of existing models, while the other two are brand-new nameplates, including a revival of the Bronco.

As part of its worldwide effort to spice up its lineup, today Hyundai introduced the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line for the U.S. market at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. We have already seen the N Line branded car for Europe - dubbed the Hyundai i30 N Line - when we learned that the N Line performance goodies include something more than just an exterior touch up. It is a similar story for the U.S. car although I did notice some clear differences. In short, the U.S. Elantra GT N Line may well be somewhat better compared to the i30 N Line for Europe.

Toyota finally unveiled the new-generation Supra at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. The unveiling comes after many years of rumors and several months of spy shots and teasers. It was one of the most anticipated vehicles for 2019, but now that it’s out there, I think it’s rather disappointing.

I know, it’s rash to judge a sports car based on a launch event and without driving it, but it’s not what it seems. I’m not saying the 2020 Supra is a bad sports car. I actually think it will prove itself performance-wise against the competition. I’m just saying that the fifth-generation Supra isn’t worthy of its badge.

And here’s why.

The Hyundai Elantra GT N Line did not come alone to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit; it has the 2019 Velostar N TCR for company. This race car from the South Korean is eligible to race in the 2019 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge. Doesn’t it feel tempting to own a car that has raced the tracks?