Dozens of vehicles made their debut at the 2017 New York International Auto Show last week, where the world’s top automakers unveiled their sleekest concept, race and retail cars and trucks to the public.
Several of the cars on display at the Javits Center broke new ground and spoke to the future of American automobiles. This year, efficient gasoline engines, electric cars and other “clean” vehicle technologies added as much distinction to vehicles as horsepower and aerodynamic design.
The following 10 concept vehicles and debuts, selected by Private Wealth, may provide some insight into what the next few years of automobile travel will be like and offer a glimpse into the potential future of car and SUV design.
Koenigsegg One:1
The Koenigsegg One:1 is the world’s first production car to have a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio—hence it’s name. Weighing in at 1,360 kg, with a whopping 1,360 horsepower, the One:1 accelerates from 0 to 186 mph in under 18 seconds. Only seven of these vehicles have been built.
Mercedes GT C Roadster
Don’t let the sophisticated look of Mercedes’ newly minted GT C fool you: The car offers all the performance expected of a luxury roadster. The GT C’s 550 horsepower engine allows the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
Volvo XC60
In a newly released redesign of its XC60 crossover, Volvo scaled down its XC90 SUV to create a smaller, less expensive vehicle that is larger than previous iterations of the XC60. A 400 horsepower hybrid version was also unveiled at the show.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
The Dodge Demon is one powerful car, boasting an 840 horsepower 6.2 liter V8 engine. Though the vehicle isn’t great for carpools—it lacks passenger seats—it can go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, offering a faster ride to the office. Only 3,300 Demons will be built.
Subaru Ascent
The Ascent concept car signals Subaru’s re-entry into the three-row SUV market. Subaru’s last small SUV, the Tribeca, was produced from 2006 to 2013 but sold poorly in the U.S. The production version of the Ascent, which is expected to go on sale later this year, will likely forgo the futuristic touchscreens of the concept on display in New York.
Lexus LS 500 F Sport
Lexus debuted an “F Sport” trim version of its LS 500 sedan that is a mass production compromise of it’s series of cars sporting an “F” trim, which is used for high-performance track cars. While the F Sport doesn’t include all of the frills of a track vehicle, it does boast cosmetic, aerodynamic and technological enhancements on top of the LS 500’s 415 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 engine.
Genesis GV80
Hyundai’s Genesis GV80 Luxury crossover concept moves the clean car debate beyond hybrids and electric vehicles and towards a promising new path: hydrogen fuel cells that emit no greenhouse gases, but instead create water molecules as a by product. Though the vehicle is likely to launch in 2018 with a traditional gasoline combustion engine, Hyundai also plans to bring hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell versions to the market at a later date.
Toyota FT X4
Technically a crossover, the FT X4’s boxy design looks like it might have been brainstormed by Jeep engineers. But a deeper look reveals a concept vehicle stuffed with “gee whiz!” features. In New York, the FT X4 debuted with climate control vents that double as dryers for wet clothes and adventure gear, door handles that are also removable water bottles, cabin lights that can be used as flashlights, a stereo system that can be removed and used as a portable boom box and built-in, insulated boxes for keeping food and gear warm or cool.
Nissan Rogue: Rogue One
In November 2016, Nissan announced that it was releasing a limited edition trim of its Rogue SUV to correspond to the release of the movie “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” For this one-of-a-kind concept on display in New York, Nissan decked out its Rogue SUV in full Star Wars regalia, creating a vehicle appealing to those who love both cars and science fiction geekdom. Unique features include thrusters, blasters, Rebel Alliance logo projectors on the mirrors and an astromech droid copilot—reminiscent of R2-D2.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
After offering hints at a station wagon for years, Porsche expanded its Panamera lineup with the Sport Turismo, a “luxury sport station wagon.” Porsche also unveiled a Panamera Turbo Hybrid. The Turismo wagon will be available in 330 horsepower, 440 horsepower, 462 horsepower hybrid and 550 horsepower versions. The 550 horespower Panamera Sport Turismo Turbo will be able to fit a family of four and all their luggage and accelerate them from zero to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds.
