NAIAS, the North American
International Auto Show is a big deal in the car world. It all began in 1907, when a beer garden in
Riverside Park hosted what was likely the inaugural show, and it has been held
annually ever since, excluding the war years in the 40s and early 50s. The current home is Detroit’s Cobo Center with nearly 1 million square
feet of display space occupied.
Many of the world’s car manufacturers debut important new
cars as well as concepts at the show every year, and 2016 was no
exception. Here are a few of my
favorites for upcoming production cars…
Lexus’ current design language has many detractors, but I think
the stylists finally nailed one. The
upcoming LC 500, due as a 2018 model, is a luxury coupe in the larger Grand
Touring theme. Powered by a version of
the high-zoot V8 used in current F-series cars, the LC will have 467 hp and 389
lb-ft of torque to get you moving quickly, and a new 10-speed transmission will
row you through the gears. The interior
is finished in high style as well, with luxury materials as well as updated
electronics. My favorite Lexus ever...? Hell yes!
I’m not including the 2017 E-Class due to its beauty, as the
exterior design changes are very restrained.
However, one might argue that the E is Mercedes’ bedrock model, thus the
relevance of this debut. Fortunately for
the MB folks, the interior redux is top shelf, bringing the E-Class cabin up to
the design level of the recent C and S-Class updates. The tech will be top-shelf as well, with the
latest and greatest safety and infotainment gizmos.
The car maker from Sweden is on a roll. With the huge success of the new XC90 SUV and
a few concept car hits at recent auto shows, the Volvo arrow is pointing firmly
upward. The 2017 S90 employs a sleek and
stylish new exterior, along with the interior design language shown to such
great effect in the XC90. And let’s not
forget that excellent Sensus infotainment system. The S90 will use the same powerplant from the
XC90 as well, which has proved to be a winner.
I like this car… a lot…!
One of the great automotive monikers is returning for the
2017 model year. The Conti is back...! Lincoln’s iconic flagship sedan debuts new marque
design queues and looks sharp and stately.
The powerplant is a twin-turbo V6 good for 400 horsepower and was tuned
to give what Lincoln describes as “effortless” performance. Interior luxury design was guided by
substantial research with brand customers as well as non-automotive luxury
brands. Will this car be a hit…? Time will tell, but it looks like the folks
at Lincoln have set the table well for this one…
Like Lexus, Infinity is another manufacturer that has missed
the bullseye with their car design, but that may be changing. The unveiled 2017 Q60 Coupe may have turned
the corner for Lexus’ design team, as this is surely their best work in recent
memory. A mid-size coupe that will
compete with the likes of the BMW 4-Series, Audi A5 and Mercedes C-Class coupe,
the Q60 will be powered by a 400 horsepower V6 and have plenty of performance
and tech features to keep the enthusiasts happy. This one could be fun…!
