Big guns in the Big Apple

By Gregg Merksamer

New York’s 2015 auto show surveyed

Though 20-plus press conferences were scheduled over the two days preceding the April 3rd-12th public run of the 115th anniversary New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s west side, several pedigreed vehicles of interest were given early off-site unveilings in pursuit of the promotional dividend that comes from being first. Lincoln’s Continental Concept led the pack Sunday, March 29. It was previewed to a select group of reporters at Harman Kardon’s flagship stereo store at Madison and 54th Street to highlight its high-end Revel audio system (there it stayed until a 3am Tuesday, when it was extracted out a window to appear on the ABC-TV morning show Live with Kelly & Michael). Jaguar’s second-generation XF sedan, already used by British movie stuntman Jim Dowdall for a dramatic, March 24 high-wire drive above London’s Canary Wharf, went to West 22nd Street in Chelsea one week later for a stateside reveal. Red-headed MAD MEN star Christina Hendricks was the guest of honor (her character, after all, landed the Jaguar ad account for Sterling Cooper).

Jaguar, prior to its official press conference at the 2015 New York auto show, previewed its second-generation XF sports sedan at a Chelsea shindig where MAD MEN star Christina Hendricks was a special guest - her character, after all, landed the Jaguar ad account for Sterling Cooper!

Aided by a brief glimpse of its classically proportioned long-cowl profile in Cadillac’s February 22nd Oscars ad, Gotham’s most anticipated world debut remained the large, sleek CT6 sedan. It was revealed Tuesday evening, March 31 at a glass-walled “Greenhouse” evocatively situated where the Brooklyn Navy Yard constructed mighty warships 75 years ago. The event’s epic lavishness even extended to custom-made, Cadillac-branded seat covers for the water taxis ferrying invitees across the East River from the Ritz-Carlton hotel in lower Manhattan, while a buffet touting Lobster Tails, Wagyu Tartare, Jambon Iberico, Sea-Salted Baby Colorado Lamb Chops and Cold Poached Wild King Salmon with American Caviar Cream further affirmed GM’s bankruptcy era austerity is ancient history. The same applies more-crucially to the CT6’s ambitious product brief, putting the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8 in its cross hairs through such high-tech touches as pedestrian-recognizing night vision and a high-res streaming video rear view mirror that digitally eliminates the blind spots created by headrests and roof pillars.

Cadillac Brand President Johan de Nysschen hosted consecutive Brooklyn Navy Yard and Javits Center world debuts of the “First-Ever CT6” 100 years after the brand unveiled its first V-8 cars at the 1915 National Automobile Show in New York’s Grand Central Palace. This new large sedan is equally advanced, with a light-but-stiff body structure combining 13 different materials using cutting edge assembly techniques that have 21 patents pending.

Cadillac Brand President Johan de Nysschen — qualified to opine by his previous Infiniti and Audi gigs — asserted the CT6 had “the most advanced body structure in the world,” thanks to “state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly techniques” that allow traditionally-disparate aluminum and steel assemblies to be combined “in a reliable, durable and repeatable manner using proprietary welding and joining technologies” running the gamut from spot, arc and laser welding to self-piercing rivets and high-strength adhesives. The payoff is a BMW 7-sized sedan of 5-Series mass, and — as showcased on the cutaway chassis seen in Brooklyn and at Javits starting Wednesday — some truly beautiful internals such as high-pressure die-cast aluminum suspension mountings, whose ultra-stiff, egg crate-like honeycombs allow the use of more-compliant springs that still deliver spirited handling in concert with active rear wheel steering, instantaneously-adjusting magnetic dampers and optional, torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive. Once the CT6 goes on sale in December, its 8-speed automatic transmission can be mated to a 2.0-liter, 265 hp turbo four; an all-new 335 hp, 3.6 liter naturally-aspirated V-6; or a 400-hp twin-turbo 3.6 claimed to be the first-ever V-6 with economy-enhancing cylinder deactivation, on top of which a plug-in hybrid was also announced at the mid-April Shanghai show. Johan de Nysschen also confirmed to a colleague of this correspondent that an even-larger V-8 Cadillac, likely designated CT8 or CT9, is “pretty much ready” and will be “totally world class” as well.

This intriguing cutaway of Cadillac’s new CT6 sedan draws special attention to the high-pressure die-cast aluminum suspension mountings, whose egg crate-like structure allows the use of softer-riding springs that still deliver world class handling in concert with active rear wheel steering and magnetic fluid-filled dampers.

When Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra hosted an encore reveal of the Continental Concept at the Javits Center, he positioned it as being “something different from an aggressive machine” like the quasi-Teutonic CT6, quietly emphasizing “elegant beauty and smooth, effortless power” plus amenities that help busy owners “every day in their daily lives,” as exemplified by elegantly-curved E-Latch door handles “you don’t have to pull or slam” and “the way the driver’s seat accounts for the different angles at which you rest your left and right legs.” First-class air travel was the often-cited inspiration for a right side rear seat that fully reclines and deploys a footrest once the front passenger seat is motored forward at the touch of a switch, and the same was also said of the magnetically-secured Venetian leather zipper cases stowing slippers and vanities on the backs of each front seat. Other fitments in this spirit included satin headlining, polished “starburst” stereo speaker grilles, shearling wool carpet and a full-length, halo-lit center console fitting a fold-out computer desk and built-in champagne chiller, as well as a “SmartGlass” ceiling whose tinting can be manually darkened to block out 99% of UV rays and reduce cabin temperatures up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

Floor-length evening gowns are a much-rarer sight at the New York show than they were 40 or 50 years ago, but Gail & Rice agency models Caitlin (left) and Mandi (right) rocked ‘em old school as the stately Lincoln Continental Concept had its world debut at the 2015 edition. The production version launching next year will have a big role to play in Lincoln’s plan to triple global sales to 300,000 units by 2020, especially as wealthy Chinese buyers adore chauffeur-driven cars with long wheelbases and lavish interiors

As an earlier Continental Concept constructed for the 2002 auto show circuit made liberal use of 1960s JFK Lincoln styling cues, I was one of many wondering why the 2015 version seemed more Bentley-like with its bulging quarter panels and circular wheel openings. It also struck me as premature to dispense with the Zephyr-evoking “split wing” grille that’s been used as a brand identifier for just three years, replaced here with an elongated, Bugatti-like horseshoe surrounding Lincoln logo-shaped cooling slots and an illuminated center star. When I asked him one-on-one where traditional Continental DNA was most evident, Lincoln Design Director David Woodhouse replied “the Blue Rhapsody color is one connection to the old Lincolns. The Continental used in the James Bond movie GOLDFINGER was the same color, and it was also used for the Mark II’s (1953) development renderings” as Honolulu Blue (its name back then) was William Clay Ford’s favorite color and other members of “the Ford family ordered their Lincolns in this color as well.” He also stressed the Concept’s interior “is unusual in that it’s finished in this color too instead of a lighter, contrasting shade. It’s hard to shoot and light a dark interior like this, but well worth it for the results - it’s richer.” I also appreciated his directing my attention to the ten Lincoln stars incorporated into the LED headlamp clusters, and hoped this clever little flourish would be retained on the production Continental reaching dealers in a year-or-so.

The most improved auto at New York’s 2015 show was the 2016 Chevy Malibu, which fully addresses the current model’s lack of style and rear seat space with a longer wheelbase and sleek new fastback body. “You guys killed it,” GM product chief Mark Reuss declared to the development team members witnessing the world debut at Javits, adding “this is the best mid-sized car I’ve seen in my career coming from my company.”

Chevrolet was actually the busiest U.S. brand in terms of 2015 New York show unveilings actually staged inside the Javits Center, following up its world premiere of an all-new 2016 Malibu at 9:45 am Wednesday, April 1st with a much-altered Spark minicar 25 hours and 10 minutes later. As the current Malibu, debuted at the 2011 New York show, was widely criticized for boring styling and a cramped rear seat that weren’t fully-rectified by a rush redo just a year after it went on sale as a 2013 model, it was truly inspiring to see its successor stake a claim as the most-improved car of the 2015 exhibit. Given a blank slate “Epsilon II” platform that will also underpin the next-generation Chevrolet Impala, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal and Opel Insignia, the 2016 Malibu greatly benefits from a 3.6-inch wheelbase increase, a 300-pound weight reduction and tauter overhangs teamed with a slick six-window fastback, dynamically-creased body sides and a Teen Driver monitor allowing parents to receive a “report card” on their child’s behind-the-wheel behavior and even mute the stereo until their seat belts are fastened (“I wish this technology had been around when my son was learning to drive,” proclaimed GM product chief Mark Reuss). The Korean-made Spark simultaneously launched in New York and Seoul the next morning is similarly enhanced for ‘16 with a stiffer body boasting a 1.6-inch lower profile, slimmer roof pillars and more-aerodynamic and attractive frontal styling. Its Ecotec four-cylinder engine makes 16% more horsepower after a displacement bump from 1.2 to 1.4 liters, and the upgraded seats and interior surfaces are complimented by new safety kit like a standard reversing camera and optional Forward Collision, Lane Departure and Side Blind Spot Alert Systems.

It could be posited that the New York show’s importance to Asian automakers was reflected in how lunch at press days was served by Subaru on Wednesday and Mitsubishi on Thursday, assuring extra interest in their respective announcements of a major U.S. expansion of the STi (Subaru Tecnica [sic] International) performance parts operation and a more-refined and aggressively-restyled 2016 Outlander crossover. Scion, sandwiched between the Subaru and Mitsubishi stands in the Javits North pavilion, took full advantage of the spillover by showing off its $16,000 iA sedan (sharing a frugal, spirited Skyactiv engine with the Mazda2) and $20,000 iM five-door hatchback (basically an Americanized version the European Toyota Auris). Lexus took to the Level 4 Galleria for Wednesday’s world debut of a “more emotional” fourth-generation Lexus RX crossover (newsworthy as the model accounts for a third of Lexus sales and commands a 25% share of a segment counting 16 other competitors), after which its corporate parent Toyota occupied the hall for Thursday’s intro of a new RAV4 hybrid using electric motors instead of a driveshaft to power the rear axle.

The 10th Generation, 2016 edition Honda Civic - previewed at the 2015 New York show by this muscular, metallic green Coupe Concept - was engineered in Ohio and styled in California, marking the first time the Japanese carmaker’s North American operation has taken charge of this crucial model’s global development.

Honda turned even more heads with a muscular, lime green metallic concept version of the 2016 Civic coupe, heralding how its North American R&D unit is heading global Civic development for the first time (enthusiasts also rejoiced when told the 306-hp Type R and charismatic 5-door hatch will be coming to the U.S.). Nissan, usefully, had a half-dozen pre-production Maxima sedans on hand for the eighth-generation model’s world premiere by company President & CEO Carlos Ghosn, who said its “four door sports car” status would be re-asserted via a “V-motion” face, undulating flanks and a “floating” roof panel clothing a 2.2 inch-longer and 25% more rigid body that still manages to shed 82 pounds through the increased use of high-strength steel. The “command central” cockpit’s driver-angled displays and fatigue-fighting “Zero Gravity” front seats were reportedly inspired by an F-18 Hornet jet the designers examined at the U.S. Navy base in Pensacola, Florida, while an optional Driver Attention Alert system “learns” the owner’s habits and warns of drowsiness with an audible beep and a coffee cup dashboard icon.

Nissan loyalists have been looking forward to the all-new, eighth-generation Nissan Maxima ever since it was fleetingly-previewed in a Super Bowl ad. When this Tennessee-built “four door sports car” commences sales in June, a choice of five basic trim levels without options should increase the odds that customers will find their desired configuration on the dealer’s lot.

Even if the Nissan Maxima promised plenty of entertainment at its $32,410 starting price, the five-block-long Javits Center offered ample space and opportunity to admire far more dedicated, costly and delectably-impractical sporting machines. Porsche Cars North America President Detlev von Platen, proud to credit New York buyers with the brand’s first U.S. sales in 1950, courted Cayenne and Panamera-hating purists with a new Boxster Spyder where a stick-shift is the sole gearbox choice and weight is minimized by fitting a basic manual soft-top while air conditioning and a stereo become optional at its $82,100 MSRP. Alfa Romeo’s exhibit teamed its exciting new 4C Coupe and Spider with a carbon fiber show chassis and a Concours-caliber historic display comprising a 1933 8C 2300 Monza open cockpit racer bearing Scuderia Ferrari’s team shield; a fiberglass-bodied 1965 TZ2 competition coupe that was one of just a dozen built by Carlo Chiti’s Autodelta to a design by Ercole Spada of Zagato; and an aluminum-bodied, Scaglione-designed 1968 33 Stradale sporting “butterfly” doors whose windows curved futuristically into the roof. McLaren’s first-ever New York auto show press conference witnessed the world debut of its $185,000 “entry level” 570S, which earns its name from a mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 making 570PS or 562 hp. The Woking, England company’s centrally-sited stand also featured a 1997 F1 GT “long tail” that was one of only three built around a 6-liter BMW V-12 making 627 HP; Chris Gate, a McLaren stand crew member who also pointed out all the BMW switchgear surrounding the central driver’s seat, recalled “there were a couple of guys crying on seeing it arrive as a poster of it was in their childhood bedrooms.”

BMW’s history displays at the 2015 New York auto show included this 1970 Alpina 2002ti fortified for racing with side-draft Weber carburetors, flared fenders and three-piece alloy wheels. After it was originally campaigned by Competition of Torrance in 1971-2 West Coast SCCA events, BMW repurchased it after 24 years of post-retirement storage and restored it with Alpina’s help in 2014.

Elio Motors has moved into GM’s old Shreveport, Louisiana plant to initiate production of this 3-wheeled, 3-cylinder, front-drive city car promising 84 MPG and a $6,800 starting price. Seating the passenger behind the driver, Paul Elio explained, “doubles the mileage because there’s less car moving through the air. We’ve had people as big as 435 pounds and 7-foot-4 inside.” It’s another plus that the cycle-style fenders are plainly visible from the driver’s seat, where it’s also possible to rest one’s elbows on both window sills simultaneously.

The final round of New York auto show press conferences preceding Thursday evening’s charity gala and Good Friday’s public opening are traditionally devoted to small start-ups that are always up to something original. The trek to Elio Motors’ tiny, first floor booth beside the FDNY’s 150th anniversary exhibit was rewarded with the novel sight of a three-wheeled, three-cylinder, front-wheel-drive commuter car with Creamsicle paintwork, cycle fenders, twin tandem seating and a promised starting price of $6,800, with the goal of building 250,000 annually at GM’s old Shreveport, Louisiana plant by the first half of 2016. Having previously worked on crash simulations and finite element analysis for the automotive supplier Johnson Controls, company founder Paul Elio decided to create his own econocar because “most people can’t afford to buy an F150 pickup and a Prius. For most folks this will be an ‘and’ purchase instead of an ‘or’ purchase,” especially as “the cost can be added to your gasoline purchases in installments instead of taking out a car loan.” He also added every component “comes from a who’s who of global suppliers already building the part, such as glass from Guardian and airbags from Takata. Comau, affiliated with Fiat, will handle automation and welding at the factory,” while “Pep Boys will handle servicing at 800 locations from day one” after the buyer takes delivery from a network of company-owned stores that can install custom options in just nine hours. Elio also claimed his venture is “the second most-successful crowdfunding campaign in Internet history,” garnering 41,000 reservations worth $280 million retail. Only time will tell, of course, if he’s a 21st Century Walter Chrysler or a web age Preston Tucker!

Here are some more highlights from the show:

The finest heritage display at the 2015 New York International Auto Show was indisputably Alfa Romeo’s, which placed a 1933 8C 2300 Monza beside a 1965 TZ2 competition coupe. The opposite end of the stage touted a 1968 33 Stradale and a display case enshrining a steering wheel and jacket used by the racing immortal Tazio Nuvolari

BMW North America’s 40th anniversary as the brand’s U.S. distributor was fondly recalled at Javits by this whale-tailed 3.0 CSL “lightweight” that was one of five factory-campaigned on the IMSA circuit in 1975 and 1976. Skilled driving by Hans Stuck, Sam Posey, Brian Redman, Ronnie Peterson, Dieter Quester, Benny Parsons, Peter Gregg and David Hobbs snared victories at Sebring, Laguna Seca, Riverside, Daytona, Lime Rock and Talladega

Porsche Cars North America President Detlev von Platen, premiering a new Boxster Spyder at the 2015 New York auto show, declared “the audio system is the exhaust and the A/C is the open roof” unless the two amenities were ordered as options. Standard kit at $82,100 includes a track-sized steering wheel, a lowered suspension and a weight-saving manual soft top so the 375 hp flat-six manages 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph.

Aside from hosting the respective World and North American debuts of the “entry level” 570S and light-weight but still road legal 675 LT, McLaren’s exhibit at the 2015 New York auto show featured a 1997 “long tail” F1 GT that was one of only three built around a 6-liter BMW V-12 making 627 HP. This car is still owned by its Woking, England-based builder, while the other two were sold to enthusiasts in the U.S. and Japan.

The McLaren 570S globally debuted at the 2015 New York International Auto Show derives its name from a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 making 570PS or 562 hp. Its $185,000 price positions it as an “entry level” volume model expected to average 2,000 sales annually world-wide.

Jaguar’s “80th Year of the Cat” commemoration at the 2015 New York auto show witnessed a Union Jack umbrella ballet by the Wagner College Dancers, enhancing the unveiling of a more spacious and aluminum-intensive XF midsize sedan where the rear-drive models shed 132 pounds and all-wheel-drive versions are 265 pounds lighter; optimal 50-50 weight distribution is another dividend of this diet.

The FDNY’s 150th Anniversary exhibit at the 2015 New York auto show featured this one-off, H&H-bodied 1959 Mack B-20 searchlight truck powering eight portable lights through a 10-kilowatt generator and 2,000 feet of cable.

History-loving New York auto show spectators were delighted to discover the LeMay Museum’s 2015 display stayed in Javits’ South Concourse beyond the first public weekend when it previously closed. New exhibits included Stephen Plaster’s 1951 Hudson Hornet Convertible from Lebanon, Missouri and a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe sent from Pennsylvania by Allentown Classic Motor Car Inc.

OLD CARS WEEKLY readers seeking a bird’s eye view of the 2015 New York International Auto Show of the sort once reserved for Javits Center pigeons should go to http://www.autoshowny.com/sights/videos/ for a pre-opening fly-over filmed with a custom-designed drone fitting 12 inch rotors and a 15mm super speed wide angle cine lens shooting 4K footage that’s twice the resolution of HD. As the display touted nearly 1,000 vehicles spread across a million square feet, the 92-second clip is billed as one of the largest indoor drone shoots to date. “We’re always looking for new ways to highlight the excitement of the Auto Show,” said New York Show Chairman John LaSorsa. “Using drones,” he added, “helps capture the experience of the Show and bring it to life outside the walls of the convention center. It’s also a great way for us to showcase the innovative spirit of the Show and its exhibitors.”