This years New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) was quite the gathering. We had the opportunity to view some amazing debuts from major manufacturers. Car makers such as Subaru, Audi, Hyundai and Infiniti showed off some their latest models at the show and gave great presentations.
One of the interesting aspects of the show was the promotion and display of green technology. Of course with rising gas prices, one would expect for this trend to catch on. A unique exhibition at the NYIAS was the taxicab centennial display. There will be a special posting for this exhibit later on. Now, on to the cars!
Audi showed us the sport tuned version of their new coupe model, the S5. The S5 is based off of the A4 platform and is a hardtop but Audi will eventually release a convertible version by years end. Audi will be using the same 4.2 liter V8 used in the S4 with some updated injection technology for the S5 version. The horsepower rating for the engine is 354hp and will be paired with a six speed manual transmission to Audi’s all wheel drive system.
Now the big question is whether or not the S5 is a BMW M3 killer. My answer would be “no” with a but. The but being that Audi has produced a car that will draw the attention from their opposition.
Subaru debuted their all new Impreza at the NYIAS. The new Impreza is 3.2 inches longer than it predecessor and comes in two body styles. The sedan version of the car returns while a hatchback version replaces the wagon. While the Impreza maintains its overall shape from previous versions, the 2008 model is very different. At the front of the car an all new front fascia and headlights are seen and according to the presenter, “Invokes Subaru’s history of building airplanes”. The rear of the car is very bland and shows how conservative the new Impreza has become.
The interior of the Impreza is a major downgrade from it’s previous incarnations. The WRX still sports a turbocharged engine but it’s basically the current one. One piece of trivia for you Subaru fans, the emblem for Subaru does not represent the constellation Paladin but the 5 division of Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Hyundai wowed the crowd with its Genesis concept car. The Genesis may be just a concept but it gives an inside look at what the production version will look like and their desire to enter the sports sedan market. Hyundai expects that a Genesis based car to compete with the Mercedes-Benz E class and the BMW 5 series. The concept vehicle has a 4.6 liter V8 which will produce over 300 horsepower and get this, the car is rear wheel drive based.
Hyundai is looking to sell the V6 version of the car well under $30,000 and the V8 version around $35,000. I just hope Hyundai doesn’t sell us short with the quality of components with the interior. Otherwise I would say that Hyundai has a potential winner here.
Infiniti has fully updated the G35 coupe with the G37. There is a sense of much more sophistication with the G37 over its predecessor, the G35. The engine is probably one of the key improvements of the car besides it’s new exterior styling. The engine is now a 3.7 liters, 330 horsepower, and boasts 270 ft/lbs of torque. That is a 30hp increase and 30 ft/lbs of torque decrease over the G35’s power plant.
The G37 also has some interesting hardware available. One being the $1,500 option for four wheel active steering, which allows the rear wheels to turn up to 1 degree. The suspension is based on Nissan’s front midship platform and provides an increase of 36 percent in vehicle rigidity. The interior of the G37 is not much different than the G35 and can be seen in better detail here: Infiniti G37 Interior Comparison
This concludes part one of our review of the NYIAS. Stay tunned for part two where we will present some very nice production cars like the Lexus IS-F, Pontiac G8, and much more. Also, keep your eyes open for our posting on the centennial taxicab display.
Related Articles:
