crankandpiston goes for a wander at the New York Motor Show. Then goes for another in the hopes of finding something a bit more interesting.
We hate to say this, but with the launch of the Jaguar XKR-S GT, the Jaguar XJR and images of the new Subaru WRX concept dropping pre-event, there wasn’t a huge amount at the New York Auto Show that left us with our jaws on the floor. Within an hour or so, crankandpiston had already completed its first wander of the show halls, and heaved a hearty sigh or two.
Saying that, given the jet lag that had floored all and sundry a day earlier and our next visit to Manhattan not circled on the calendar yet, coming home without at least one full memory card seemed a waste. So, with a couple of black coffees slammed home, crankandpiston’s own Phil McGovern hit the halls for one last look around.
This seemed as good as place to start: the SRT Dodge Charger Super Bee. A cheeky bodykit and some racing/bumble bee stripes caught attention quickly, as did the 6.4-litre V8 just behind the snarling headlights. Chucking out 470hp and 470lb ft of torque, 0-100kph should be covered in just over four seconds. And though the helmet clad bee sticker may seem nothing more than a gimmick, the model can actually trace its lineage – courtesy of one whopping great bonnet scoop or another – back to mid-size (or B-size) Dodges of the late 1960s.
In terms of power though, SRT’s Viper TA has the Charger comprehensively top trumped. Powered by a thumping great 8.4-litre V10, generating 640hp and 600lb of torque, the Viper will be on its way to 350ish-kph if the loud pedal is pushed hard enough. Available only in Crusher Orange (yeah, exactly) with black TA logos, only 33 examples will be produced. Chequebooks out please.
The new WRX wasn’t the only concept that lit a fire in our hearts. As our recent review of the Genesis Coupe attested, Hyundai seems to be on something of a roll, as the looks of the new HCD-14 concept show. Whether this new model forms the basis of the new Genesis saloon remains to be seen, the design functioning (as it normally does) as a ‘future design direction’ at the moment. We can but hope though.
Since the 500th model just rolled off the production line, we thought it only right to take a quick stop by the Lexus LFA. The 4.8-litre V10 under the bonnet, as well as a lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced polymer body and a six-speed sequential transmission, mean a 0-100kph time of 3.7 second and an opponent that (temporarily) put the 599GTB in its place. Of course the quite hideous $375,000 plus change asking price did stunt interest a little…
Don’t panic, because the engine under this bonnet is a diesel. But before you start clammering for the door, the particular Mazda6 is the Skyactiv-D that will compete in this year’s United Sportscar Racing series (formerly Grand-Am) and which has already competed wheel nut-to-wheel nut with GT contenders at this year’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. An inauspicious race saw the #70 Skyactiv-D, with recent IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe, Marino Franchitti (who took the DeltaWing for a spin at Buttonwillow), Jonathon Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay on driver detail, DNF the event
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a crankandpiston tour of an international motor show without the traditional closing shot.
Maybe it was worth one last look around after all.
