Subaru BRZ STI Performance Concept

A one-off show car with two purposes, the Subaru STI Performance Concept bowed in New York. It draws its inspiration and components from the hot Subaru BRZ GT300 competing in Japan's Super GT Series. Like that racer, this showpiece was created by Subaru Tecnica International, the automaker's official performance/performance parts division known as STI. In addition to serving as an exercise in future models, it heralds a new and significantly expanded role for STI in the American market. 

STI-spec cars on the way

While Subaru has yet to offer specific details on how STI fits into U.S. sales, it has confirmed that STI-tuned models will extend beyond the WRX STI. In the home market, STI currently produces versions of the BRZ and Forester as well as the iconic WRX and also has a large catalog of street/racing parts. Subaru says that upcoming STI-spec models for America could incorporate more extensive modifications from the factory, including suspension, performance, braking, chassis and aerodynamic upgrades. 

"At STI we know from our racing that to win, it is important not only to have high power, but also that all aspects of performance are balanced over the whole car," said Yoshio Hirakawa, president of Subaru Tecnica International. "When we achieve this balance, the driver feels that the car is easy to handle and reliable, and he can use it fully to the limits of its performance. Our plan is to produce cars and accessories that drivers can really enjoy."

While Subaru provided few specifics on the STI parts found on the Performance Concept, it did confirm this scintillating coupe is powered by the same 2.0-liter/350-horsepower turbocharged/intercooled boxer four found in the Subaru BRZ GT300 racer and ships that force to the rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential gearbox. In addition to its full STI body kit with a carbon fiber-enhanced front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and fixed deck wing, the Performance Concept features upgraded STI brakes and lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels, a custom interior treatment with a bespoke instrumentation and an on-board performance data recorder.

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Range Rover Sport HST 2016

As the latest addition to the family, the new 2016 Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition makes its global debut at the New York Auto Show. Slotting between the standard 340-horse Range Rover Sport and the 550-horsepower SVR variant, the new HST Limited Edition complements distinctive cosmetic touches with a healthy 40-horsepower bump for its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 as well as upgraded chassis tuning.

Enhancing its curbside appeal, the Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition is crowned with a Santorini Black top and features a Gloss Black grille, front-fender/hood vents and fog lamp bezels plus darkened front/rear lamps, sculpted side sills, a unique rear roof spoiler and satin-grey 21-inch alloy wheels all set off with bespoke badging. The cabin of the HST has Oxford Leather seat coverings, Ebony door trim/headliner material and textured aluminum accents. Rounding out the upgrades are a TFT instrument cluster, sport steering wheel with Noble-plated shifter paddles, bright-finish sport pedals and HST logos on the dash and floor mats.

To exploit the 40 extra horses underhood, the 2016 Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition benefits from unique chassis tuning that sharpens response and reduces body roll without compromising ride comfort. Bigger brakes upgrade its overall stopping power. Land Rover also tweaked the Terrain Response system on the HST Limited Edition's single-range/Torsen-equipped all-wheel drive system, adding a Dynamic Mode that optimizes the suspension settings, electric-assist steering and various other electronic systems to accommodate more spirited on-road driving.

New features for 2016 -- and a turbodiesel, too  

While the main Range Rover Sport news concerns the introduction of the hot HST Limited Edition, it's far from the only change we'll see. The entire Sport set comes with a Hands-Free Gesture Tailgate and Auto Access Height to facilitate entry/exit while the rear-view/surround-view systems have higher resolution cameras. All Terrain Progress Control that's standard-issue on V8 models but available on most V6s gains advanced off-road capability and a new Land Rover InControl app suite allows owners to interact with their vehicles using a smartphone or other connected device. Last but far from least, the Land Rover Sport Td6 will finally make its transatlantic crossing for the 2016 model year. Fitted with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 that makes 254 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, the most fuel efficient member of the lineup is projected to earn 22/28 mpg city/highway EPA ratings. Full pricing for the entire 2016 Range Rover Sport range - including a selection of new accessories and personalization options - will be announced later this year.

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Range Rover SVAutobiography 2016

Range-topping replacement for the current Autobiography Black model, the new 2016 Range Rover SVAutobiography made its global debut in New York. Created at JLR's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) Technical Center in Britain, it matches an even higher level of absolute opulence with the most potent Supercharged V8 engine ever fitted in a series-production Range Rover. In addition to unveiling this new flagship offering, the firm used the show to present a host of other powertrain and feature upgrades that will be coming to the rest of the 2016 lineup. 

Adding new upscale edge 

Exterior cues that define the new SVAutobiography include a bespoke grille finished in Graphite Atlas and polished chrome, unique typeface lettering on the hood and a custom tailgate badge as well as the option for a new dual-tone finish that sets off one of nine available colors with a Santorini Black upper body. Inside, the Range Rover's already super-plush cabin gains a host of new detail upgrades starting with knurled solid-aluminum rotary controls and sport pedals, distinctive trims and accents for the front/rear consoles, deep twist-pile mohair carpeted floor mats, a beverage chiller compartment and power-activated drop-down tables in the rear seat area as well as a dedicated SVAutobiography key fob. Buyers also will be able to opt for a sliding rear cargo floor made from aluminum and covered in choice of wood veneers. 

Powering the 2016 Range Rover SVAutobiography is the same 550-horse Supercharged 5.0-liter V8 used in the top Range Rover Sport SVR model. Specifically tweaked for this application, it makes 502 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission that features steering-wheel-mounted shifter paddles. Although it has 40 more ponies and 41 additional peak twist units than the like-sized engine in other Range Rover 5.0 models, fuel economy remains unchanged. On sale in the fall, price of entry for this new ultra-spec Range Rover model will start at $199,590. 

New powertrains/features for all 2016 Range Rover models 

Borrowing a page from the 2016 Range Rover Sport HSE playbook, the entire Range Rover family will benefit from a selection of impressive upgrades to its drivetrains and comfort/convenience elements. On the motivation front, a more potent version of the 3.0-liter Supercharged V6 used in the 2015 Range Rover HSE has been recalibrated to up its pony count from 340 to 380. For the first time, the Range Rover HSE also will be on offer here in Td6 form. It's fitted with the well-proven 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel that makes 245 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, a figure that will allow a Td6 HSE to tow 7,716 pounds and return 28 mpg on the highway. 

Other key Range Rover enhancements for the 2016 model year include a standard Hands-Free Gesture Tailgate that responds to foot swipes below the rear corner of the vehicle, fully autonomous operation of the Automatic Access Height feature on the air suspension system, an improved Surround View Camera setup that provides even clearer images and an expanded suite of Land Rover InControl connected car tech giving drivers more options to remotely monitor and modify various functions as well improve integration of the owners smartphone with the touchscreen in the vehicle. Like the new SVAutobiography, all of the 2016 Range Rover models are due to roll into showrooms here this autumn.

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Porsche Boxster 2016

Porsche has created the nth-degree Boxster, and introduced it at the New York Auto Show. The 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder is the Quickest (0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds), Fastest (top speed of 180 miles per hour), Lightest (2,899 pounds), Most Powerful (375 horsepower and about 310 lb-ft of torque), and Most Expensive (starting at $82,100 when it arrives stateside in October of 2015), Porsche Boxster ever.

Going to war, with light weight and heavy power

As much a love song to Porsche Spyder, Speedster and Club Sport models from the past, the new Boxster Spyder carries the same drivetrain as the new Cayman GT4 which means a 3.8-liter flat-6 working a 6-speed manual transmission working with a mechanically locking rear differential and Porsche Torque Vectoring to get power to the rear wheels and sweeten the handling dynamics.

The Boxster Spyder's suspension is locked down pretty tight and the Boxster ride height has been lowered by a little over three-quarters of an inch. Its coefficient of drag is 0.33, not record-setting by any means, but still respectable. But it's really the light weight of the Boxster Spyder that matters most.

It appears that everything was considered. The body consists of aluminum-steel construction, with the doors, trunklid and front "bonnet" lid done in aluminum. Then it gets hardcore: The Spyder's manual top is unlined and uninsulated. The door pulls are nylon straps. Air conditioning and audio systems are available only as options. On the upside, however, Porsche's automatic stop/start system has been left off of the Boxster Spyder as part of the weight-saving mission. If there are any fuel economy benefits to all this trimming, they have yet to be announced.

Winning the war, with style to burn

While the Boxster Spyder's interior, nose and tail owe everything to the Cayman GT4's styling, the 2-seater's midsection is its own thing, with the rear deck behind the headrests dominated by dual tapered bulges, a nod to the Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder from the early Sixties. Other Spyder touches include interior trim pieces that are a body-color match for the exterior color and the availability of lightweight, full-carbon-fiber seats with manual fore/aft and electric tilt (the whole seat assembly tilts -- not just the seatback).

Top down is the undeniable hero shot for the Boxster Spyder. Top up it's got that low-profile 911 Speedster vibe. Either way, though, it's kind of cool to see Porsche create something with more character than a simple GT4 version of the Boxster, and the 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder certainly has our attention.

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Nissan Maxima 2016

Getting its debut in New York, the new 2016 Nissan Maxima fulfilled a promise made two years ago when the automaker presented its "Sport Sedan Concept" at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. While toned down to meet reality, the striking midsize 4-door retains styling cues from the concept. Complementing the 2016 Maxima's distinctive looks are a redesigned platform and revised powertrain that contribute to this major overhaul of Nissan's flasgship sedan.

Intent on having the eighth generation Maxima serve as a halo vehicle showcasing design leadership, the visual transformation reflects an aggressive take on the company's evolving styling language, from its bold "V-motion" front fascia to its floating style C-pillar and distinctive LED-enhanced front/rear.  Available in S, SV, SL, range-topping Platinum and a new sporty SR trim, the 2016 Maxima is 2.2 inches longer and 1.3 inches lower than the current car and fills its flared fenders with 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 245/45 tires that upgrade to 19-inch wheels with 245/40 rubber on the SR. 

Beneath its sleek skin, the 2016 Maxima has high-strength steel, which bumps torsional rigidity by 25 percent and contributes to an 82 pound drop in curb weight. This robust foundation anchors a retuned fully independent suspension that incorporates new monotube rear shocks while the new SR model gets tauter settings along with Active Ride Control and a new Performance Chassis Damper up front to quell high-frequency vibrations that accompany stiffer shock settings. 

More power and economy

The engine in the 2016 Maxima is a heavily reworked version of Nissan's award-winning VQ35. With over 60 percent new components, output of the revised 3.5-liter V6 has been bumped from 290 to 300 horsepower while fuel economy has been upped by 15 percent. Backed by a new Xtronic CVT automatic equipped with a Sport setting and new D-Step shift logic, the engine is projected to deliver 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway - a 4 mpg gain. To further establish its "4-door Sports Car" positioning, Nissan also fitted the 2016 Maxima with a Drive Mode Selector with Normal/Sport choices that adjust throttle response, transmission mapping, steering effort and Active Sound Enhancement that adds aural excitement when Sport mode is engaged.

The passenger cabin of the 2016 Maxima has a design inspired by the cockpit of a fighter jet while featuring upscale touches -- and premium touchpoints -- found in luxury sedans. The Maxima has driver-focused control functionality along with comfort/convenience features. In addition to dual-zone climate control, a full array of power assists and Bluetooth phone/streaming audio are standard on the not-so-base S model. Other items include Nissan's power-activated "Zero Gravity" front seats with new softer but more supportive bolstering, a multi-mode 7.0-inch Advanced Drive-Assist Display in the main instrument cluster, NissanConnect with standard navigation and an 8.0-inch touchscreen, SiriusXM/HD radio, keyless remote and cruise control.

Moving up through the mono-spec Maxima model hierarchy adds leather in place of cloth upholstery, a Bose Premium Audio system with active noise cancellation, power assist for the tilt/telescope steering, heated/cooled seats, dual-panel moonroof, LED projector headlamps and enhanced Nissan Connect Services. Advanced safety touches on SL/SR models include Blind Spot Warning, Intelligent Cruise Control, Predictive Forward Collision Warning/Forward Emergency Braking and Rear Cross Traffic. Platinum models boast Moving Object Detection and Driver Attention Alert. The 2016 Nissan Maxima will be built at the automaker's assembly plant in Tennessee. Pricing will start at $33,235 when the car goes on sale this summer. 

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