Chicago Auto Show auto news

Official: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible kicks out 650 hp, limits top speed

Twenty years ago, Ford debuted the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra at the Chicago Auto Show and introduced the world to its high-performance skunkworks department, known as SVT or Special Vehicle Team.

Today, Ford celebrates SVT's platinum anniversary the only way it knows how: with another Mustang variant. And as suspected, it comes in the form of a topless Shelby GT500.

Just as a refresher, at the 1992 show in Chicago the SVT Cobra put out 235 horsepower from its Vanilla Ice-approved 5.0-liter V8. Twenty years later, displacement has grown by less than a liter, but thanks to some 21st century tech and a massive supercharger, the 5.8-liter V8 in the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible makes the same 650 hp (and 600 pound-feet of torque) as its coupe counterpart, laying claim to the most powerful production V8 in the world.

In addition to the carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission, camshafts and cross-drilled block and heads, SVT fitted its own specially developed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers, along with six-piston Brembo calipers squeezing massive discs up front.

Like the coupe, the Bilstein setup is part of the Performance Package (why it's not included as standard is beyond us) and Ford will also offer a Track Pack that includes an external oil cooler, differential cooler and transmission cooler to keep temps in check when flogging the drop top around the tarmac.

And before you ask: No, the GT500 coupe's 200 mph top speed doesn't carry over to the Convertible. In a rare moment of sanity, Ford's engineers saw fit to limit the GT500 'vert to 155 mph - like the rest of the roofless Mustangs. Hit the jump for the full details.

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Official: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT is one handsome hatch

When you intend to go up against cars like the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Mazda3, it doesn't matter how softly or loudly you speak, your stick had better be impressive. Hyundai believes it has just the thing in the 2013 Elantra GT, which is the updated moniker for the Elantra Touring (and a throwback to five-door Elantras of yore).

The GT is the U.S. version of the European i30, and it's quite a looker if you're a fan of Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design language. Under the hood, you'll find the same 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder as the sedan, sending 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque to the ground via either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. That puts it in the thick of a competitive set that, for Hyundai, also includes the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Matrix, but gives it the best power-to-weight ratio of them all. That's because the Elantra GT is 57 percent ultra high- and high-tensile steel, which helps keep its weight down to a lightest-in-segment 2,784 pounds when equipped with the automatic transmission.

Fuel economy is the beneficiary, with the automaker estimating an EPA rating of 28 miles per gallon in the city and 39 mpg on the highway (32 combined). Hyundai says this is good for a cruising range up to 448 miles.

Driving pleasure will be attended to with a sport-tuned suspension that uses MacPherson struts up front aided by a stabilizer bar, and a torsion bar setup out back. The real pleasures, though, are claimed on the inside, where the Elantra GT is said to provide more cargo room than the aforementioned competition and even the Nissan Juke. The mod-cons are prodigious and include, as standard, a cooled glovebox, heated front seats, 10-way power driver's seat, leather seating surfaces, automatic headlights, Bluetooth and seven airbags.

The 2013 Elantra GT goes on sale this summer. Have a read of the press release after the jump and stay tuned for live pics from our team at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

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Official: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe has the Civic in its Fluidic sights

Hyundai wants its Elantra to dominate the C segment, and that means in all body styles. The just-introduced five-door GT is set to battle the Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza hatchbacks, and this new Elantra Coupe clearly has the two-door Honda Civic in its sights.

The four-door Elantra already wears pretty rakish sheetmetal that carries over nicely to the Coupe, which is actually half an inch longer than the sedan (173.8 inches versus 173.3 inches). The other dimensions are identical to the sedan, and Hyundai cites greater interior room as one of the Coupe's advantages over its competition. By contrast, the Honda Civic Coupe is 0.3 inches shorter than the Elantra Coupe, and the Honda rides on a three-inch shorter wheelbase.

The Elantra Coupe has more power than the Honda Civic Coupe and the manual should get 1 mpg more in the city and 4 more mpg on the highway

There will be two Elantra Coupe trims: base GS or top-spec SE. Both have been tuned for extra sportiness versus the sedan and, as we've come to expect, while Hyundai throws plenty at the GS, the SE gets the truly sporty goods. The SE swaps the 16-inch standard rims for 17-inchers, gets a rear "lip spoiler design element," even more suspension tuning for its lower-profile tires, and only it offers the option of touchscreen navigation and a rear-view camera. Both models, however, will get seven exterior colors, three of them Coupe-only, but inside it's nothing but black or grey.

Pricing should come soon, but for now, enjoy the press release after the jump and the high-res gallery of images. Stay tuned for more impressions live from the Chicago Auto Show floor.

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Chicago: 2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff

More room, more power, more fuel efficiency and more advanced all-wheel drive are the four unique selling propositions for the 2013 Acura RDX. As with the 2013 ILX, the productionized version of Acura's people-hauler is very, very similar to the RDX Concept from Detroit with a new set of wheels and a new paint job.

The 3.5-liter V6 throws 33 more horsepower into the mix versus the previous generation's turbocharged four, and a brand new six-speed automatic transmission helps return an estimated 20 city/28 highway mile-per-gallon rating for the front-wheel-drive model. The AWD version only takes a slight knock from there, getting 19 city/27 highway.

The longer wheelbase and wider track equate to more room inside, and additional levels of luxury have been added features like Keyless Access, Pandora and an available power rear liftgate. There's plenty more information on it in the press release after the jump, and we'll have live shots from the Chicago Auto Show soon.

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Chicago: 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

The 2013 Acura ILX is here, and it will be one of the new first-responders to address the perception of Acura's weakened health. It might just be our eyes, but the transition to Acura-spec wheels and paint job makes this look much more of-the-family than the concept shown in Detroit. However, the production lines remain true, minus some of the chrome showy bits from the concept.

Motivation will be provided by either a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder working through a five-speed automatic, a 201-hp, 2.4-liter with a six-speed manual, or the first Acura hybrid with a 111-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder getting help from Integrated Motor Assist and a CVT, good for fuel economy estimates of 35/38 miles per gallon, city/highway. Follow the jump for a press release with more information, and look out for live pics from our team at the Chicago Auto Show.

Continue reading 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

Official: 2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff

More room, more power, more fuel efficiency and more advanced all-wheel drive are the four unique selling propositions for the 2013 Acura RDX. As with the 2013 ILX, the productionized version of Acura's people-hauler is very, very similar to the RDX Concept from Detroit with a new set of wheels and a new paint job.

The 3.5-liter V6 throws 33 more horsepower into the mix versus the previous generation's turbocharged four, and a brand new six-speed automatic transmission helps return an estimated 20 city/28 highway mile-per-gallon rating for the front-wheel-drive model. The AWD version only takes a slight knock from there, getting 19 city/27 highway.

The longer wheelbase and wider track equate to more room inside, and additional levels of luxury have been added features like Keyless Access, Pandora and an available power rear liftgate. There's plenty more information on it in the press release after the jump, and we'll have live shots from the Chicago Auto Show soon.

Continue reading 2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff

Official: 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

The 2013 Acura ILX is here, and it will be one of the new first-responders to address the perception of Acura's weakened health. It might just be our eyes, but the transition to Acura-spec wheels and paint job makes this look much more of-the-family than the concept shown in Detroit. However, the production lines remain true, minus some of the chrome showy bits from the concept.

Motivation will be provided by either a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder working through a five-speed automatic, a 201-hp, 2.4-liter with a six-speed manual, or the first Acura hybrid with a 111-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder getting help from Integrated Motor Assist and a CVT, good for fuel economy estimates of 35/38 miles per gallon, city/highway. Follow the jump for a press release with more information, and look out for live pics from our team at the Chicago Auto Show.

Continue reading 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

Official: 2013 Nissan 370Z goes evolution, not revolution

Nissan will officially debut its 2013 370Z tomorrow at the Chicago Auto Show, and the changes fulfill the dictionary definition of "subtle." The new 19-inch wheels and Euro-tuned shocks on models with the Sport Package are the big news, but details like vertical LEDs, 18-inch wheels on the non-Sport Z, two new colors and a red reflector out back add just enough signals to make a difference to model-year-conscious buyers.

The refreshed 2013 370Z will come in coupe, convertible and NISMO trims, with the latter iteration getting more speakers for its Bose audio system. Oddly, though, that same trim does not get some of the changes for the new model year, including the Euro-tuned shocks that will debut on the Sport Package.

The 3.7-liter V6 with 332 horsepower carries over, as does the same 3.7-liter with 350 horsepower in the NISMO, and the new Z goes on sale in June. Check out the press release after the jump, and stay tuned to get more images and info from our team at the Chicago Auto Show.

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Official: Kia releases second Track'Ster teaser ahead of Chicago debut

Kia has officially dropped new teaser for its Chicago-bound Track'Ster concept. Word has it the new hatch will be based largely on the company's Soul five-door, though with a few notable tweaks. For starters, designers scrapped the rear doors for more of a hot hatch look. A new front fascia looks to be part of the recipe as well, and odds are the Track'Ster will rock suitably outrageous wheels befitting a true concept.

But will it come to production? It's hard telling. As you may recall, the Soul has been a go-to favorite as a concept platform in the past. Kia showed off the beach-going Soul'ster concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and while the vehicle generated enormous buzz, the economic slowdown put a stop to any production plans. Still, with corporate cousin Hyundai rocking the Veloster, there may be room in the Kia stable for a performance hatch.

The Track'Ster Concept will make its official debut later this week.

Official: Mazda bringing special edition MX-5 Miata to Chicago

Flashback to 1989, and you'll recall the Mazda debuted the very first Miata under the lights of the Chicago Auto Show. Because of that, Mazda has had a tendency to debut many a special edition Miata at the Chicago expo, and this year will be no different.

Limited to just 450 units here in the Untied States, the 2012 Mazda MX-5 Special Edition takes the top-trim Grand Touring model a step further with a new black-only power retractable hard top - the first time a non-body colored hard top has been available - as well as new 17-inch gunmetal wheels, black exterior accents, black heated leather seats and piano black interior trim. Two new exterior colors - a special white and red - will be offered, and the car can be had with either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda makes no mention of powertrain upgrades for the MX-5 Special Edition, but the normally optional Premium and Suspension packages will come as standard equipment. This means buyers will be treated to goods like Bluetooth, Sirius satellite radio, Bilstein shocks and a sport-tuned suspension. Pricing and detailed specs will be released as part of next week's Chicago festivities, but for now, follow the jump for Mazda's initial press release.

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