2007 New York Auto Show
After the European love fest in Geneva, it's been nice to get back to normal at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Not that there's anything wrong with ridiculous concept cars that don't look anything like production models, but the cars debuting here in New York are much closer to what you'll soon be seeing in dealerships.
There's no particular theme to this year's show in New York, so the various world debuts have ranged from sports cars to people movers. So far, the most prominent unveil has been the 2009 Ford Flex. It's an all-new seven-passenger crossover designed to fill the void left by Ford's now-defunct Freestar minivan.
Nissan unveiled a new coupe of its own in the form of the Nismo 350Z. Specially modified for track use, the outlandish-looking Z sports a range of suspension and body upgrades for hard-core enthusiasts. Honda had something for track junkies as well with its new S2000 CR. The "CR" stands for "Club Racer" and Honda gave this S2000 everything a weekend gearhead could want.
In addition to the two new coupes, Infiniti unveiled its first compact SUV. Dubbed the Infiniti EX Concept, the production version will slot below the current FX35 in the lineup. Toyota brought a new SUV of its own in the form of the LX 570. As the biggest SUV in its lineup, the full-size LX should benefit greatly from its new drivetrain, which includes a 381-horsepower V8 and a six-speed transmission.
In what turned out to be one of the bigger surprises of the show, Hyundai unveiled its Concept Genesis sedan. Designed to push the Hyundai brand into its most expensive segment yet, this premium sedan is expected to push well past the $30K barrier when it eventually goes into production.
