Will This Car Be A Hit鈥?

NAIAS, the North American International Auto Show is a big deal in the car world. Many of the world鈥檚 car manufacturers debut important new cars as well as concepts at the show every year, and 2016 was no exception. Lexus鈥?current design language has many detractors, but I think the stylists finally nailed one. The upcoming LC 500, due as a 2018 model, is a luxury coupe in the larger Grand Touring theme. Powered by a version of the high-zoot V8 used in current F-series cars, the LC will have 467 hp and 389 lb-ft of torque to get you moving quickly, and a new 10-speed transmission will row you through the gears. The interior is finished in high style as well, with luxury materials as well as updated electronics. I鈥檓 not including the 2017 E-Class due to its beauty, as the exterior design changes are very restrained. However, one might argue that the E is Mercedes鈥?bedrock model, thus the relevance of this debut. Fortunately for the MB folks, the interior redux is top shelf, bringing the E-Class cabin up to the design level of the recent C and S-Class updates.

The tech will be top-shelf as well, with the latest and greatest safety and infotainment gizmos. The car maker from Sweden is on a roll. With the huge success of the new XC90 SUV and a few concept car hits at recent auto shows, the Volvo arrow is pointing firmly upward. The 2017 S90 employs a sleek and stylish new exterior, along with the interior design language shown to such great effect in the XC90. And let鈥檚 not forget that excellent Sensus infotainment system. The S90 will use the same powerplant from the XC90 as well, which has proved to be a winner. I like this car鈥?a lot鈥? One of the great automotive monikers is returning for the 2017 model year. Lincoln鈥檚 iconic flagship sedan debuts new marque design queues and looks sharp and stately. The powerplant is a twin-turbo V6 good for 400 horsepower and was tuned to give what Lincoln describes as 鈥渆ffortless鈥?performance. Interior luxury design was guided by substantial research with brand customers as well as non-automotive luxury brands. Will this car be a hit鈥? Like Lexus, Infinity is another manufacturer that has missed the bullseye with their car design, but that may be changing. The unveiled 2017 Q60 Coupe may have turned the corner for Lexus鈥?design team, as this is surely their best work in recent memory.

You feel the road via a sport steering wheel designed specifically for the Cayman GT4. The Cayman GT4 will make its world premier this March in Geneva. While it鈥檚 fairly unusual for a manufacturer to release details on a new model so far before its premier, Porsche probably felt they needed to control the story with this release vs. More importantly, while it鈥檚 not a limited edition (like the the 918 is) the Cayman GT4 is a limited production model. This means that Porsche will build as many as the public wants while it鈥檚 available. We鈥檙e just not quite sure how long that will be. The last significant time Porsche did something like this with anything other than a 911 was with the Boxster Spyder. Its production ran for 1.5 years and it鈥檚 thought that somewhere near 2000 were delivered worldwide. Given the utility of the Cayman GT4, and coupe vs. Cayman will be much higher than the Boxster Spyder. If you鈥檙e interested in purchasing the Cayman GT4 you can talk to your dealer as early as you want. First deliveries should start at some point in July.

With the release of the Lamborghini Urus, the 2019 Porsche Macan no longer may be the best-performing crossover on the road, but it鈥檚 the most nimble, and changes for 2019 only make it better. It also offers lively turbocharged engines backed by a willing 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. We give it an 8 out of 10 for performance. Any more and you鈥檒l need a sports car. The Porsche Macan shares its platform with the last-generation Audi Q5. While the Audi has moved on to a next-generation architecture, the tweaks the tried-and-true underpinnings of the structure it鈥檚 had since its 2015 release. Fine with us because the Macan is the most agile and fun crossover on the market. Porsche cut some unsprung weight from the front suspension, widened the front wheels, chose new tires, installed new engine mounts, and revised the spring and damping rates as well as the anti-roll bars. It was all in the name of improved ride quality and steering response, and more neutral handling, and it worked.