New York motor show 2016: Our star cars

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3 mins read

24 March 2016

The New York show has offered up its 2016 batch of cars heading for the US domestic market and beyond, with the typical flair and expanse that can be expected from the host city, and nation.

The Autocar team has picked its favourites from the show, and a round-up of all the action can be found in our show report and gallery.

New York motor show 2016: our show stars

Steve Cropley - Toyota Prius Plug-in

Always been impressed by Toyota’s ability to see the future, and here they’re doing it again — with a car I want to drive as soon as possible. Spectacular economy’s almost a given; what I like is the promise of extreme refinement and the wall-to-wall “new stuff” in the cabin. And who knows? I might even get used to the looks.

Matt Burt - Lincoln Navigator concept

In the USA Lincoln is undergoing something of a renaissance, and it needed to make a major statement to announce its presence at the New York show. With its dramatic gullwing doors, extending entry steps and futuristic six-seat interior, the imposing Navigator concept fulfilled its brief of turning the heads of showgoers.

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Mark Tisshaw - Jaguar F-Type SVR

The Jaguar F-Type SVR slipped under the radar at its world debut in Geneva, but not so in New York where Jaguar opened up about the technical details. The thoroughness of the engineering job cannot be underestimated, nor can the fact the F-Type has been made into a 200mph car when it wasn’t originally designed as one. Some feat, that.

Rachel Burgess - Genesis New York concept

In a world flooded with BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 models, it’s a welcome arrival for the pretty New York concept - precursor to the G70 - the brand’s compact executive saloon. The concept ticks all the boxes on the styling front, but whether it can make a genuine impact on this hotly contested sector remains to be seen.

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Greg Kable - Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe

SUVs are big news at the moment. However, none in New York attracted more attention among showgoers than the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. It’ll never sell in huge numbers, but as an image leader for the rest of the GLC line-up, it plays an important role.

Andrew Frankel - Jaguar XK-SS

Not so much a car, as the announcement of a car. Jaguar’s decision to recreate the nine XKSS chassis that went up in smoke in Browns Lane in 1957 may have been predictable, but it is designed to provide the perfect shop window for its ambitions to not only sell new cars, but restore old ones too.

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Darren Moss - Audi R8 Spyder

Sometimes all it takes to make a car look even better is to take its roof off. Case and point - the Audi R8 Spyder. For me, this is the car the R8 was always meant to be, utterly stunning and powerful in equal measure. Oh, and it’s got 5.2-litre V10 engine too...

Sam Sheehan - Mazda MX-5 RF

I’ve yet to meet anyone in New York who doesn’t like the design of the Mazda MX-5 RF, and it seems most of you agree too – the MX-5 has been our most retweeted car of the show. A star of New York and a star for sports car design, especially in this price bracket.

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Doug Revolta - Nissan GT-R

More power, styling tweaks and a better cabin are all welcome additions to the facelifted Nissan GT-R, and it also acts as a tantalising reminder that the next-generation model is on the horizon. Could the subtle tweaks for this model hint at more radical changes for the new model? It’s an exciting prospect.

Jimi Beckwith - Mercedes-AMG E 43

Filling a gap in the market has never looked better. The new E-Class was always a good place to start, but the entire new 43 range offers a level of sporting subtlety that the AMG 63s lack. I assume they'll also offer a modicum of frugality compared with their 63-badged brethren, in addition to those alloy wheels.