New cars! We all love seeing the latest cars and the soon-to-be-released models that will take to roads in the year ahead. Most exciting are actual surprises, completely unexpected takes that move a nameplate into a new direction, or even better, something as wholly and shockingly original as the GM Firebird III must have looked to the car buffs of 1959 (or 2026 for that matter. Even after more than six decades, that thing looks bananas).
Now, the NYC show isn’t really about wacky concept drops (boo), and I bet not even one 2027 model is spec’d with F-86 Sabre-style aero brakes as GM proposed for the Firebird III. So let’s consider some more down-to-Earth car desires from the gang:
Thomas Hundal: “The return of the Toyota Paseo Convertible.”
Seconded. What’s not to like?
Antti Kautonen: “A Chrysler New Yorker. It would be a Very Fancy Edition of the Charger with a formal roofline. Preferably with a vinyl top. I mean, anything else than a Pacifica…”
Stephen Walter Gossin is on the same Charger track:
With all of the talk in recent years about Chrysler only selling one vehicle, or possibly being shut down, I’d love to see that storied, old-school-cool brand get a product based on the new Charger platform. A 2027 Chrysler 300 2-door, with a Hemi and fuselage styling that looked like it came right out of 1971, but with modern engineering, would be glorious.
Your turn:
What Do You Wish Was Being Announced At The New York Auto Show?
Next generation Toyota Corolla. seriously. I’m intrigued by concept they showed. but now what??
Manual rwd/awd sport sedans and wagons, from a non-luxury manufacturer
Saab resurrection.
And a lot of what everyone else has mentioned. Specifically orange and brown (Saabs).
I think the consensus among the comments is a return to the traditional auto market where there was a tremendous amount of variety and innovation.
I’d also love to see The Bishop’s take on SWG’s 300.
I wish Stellantis announced anything for Chrysler. Even if it was just the Airflow crossover. I know they share dealerships with Dodge Jeep & Ram so there’s less pressure to have a full lineup, but it’s still sad to see how starved for product the brand is. Stellantis should’ve had a new 300 planned for production alongside the new Charger. Make it a station wagon variant like the Magnum. I’d even accept Chrysler being used as a captive import brand for some of Stellantis’s euro cars, tarrifs aside.
Another thing that I’d like to hear announced at an auto show is that the Autopian has upgraded their servers from the current Commodore 64 that it’s running on, onto something a little more modern like an early 90s Pentium. It’s been years since I’ve been on a website that ran as slow as this site runs and in all the time I’ve been coming here, I haven’t seen any improvements.
That a very lucky person who remains anonymous won the Super mega lottery gazillion dollar jackpot with that very lucky anonymous person being me.
But then you’d have to change your username. Whereas if the winner were me, I could keep mine. 🙂
Scrooge McDuck shows one can be both ultra wealthy AND cheap as hell.
Mid-engined, RWD GR Corolla with retro R5 turbo bodywork. (Tiny engine, already has the rear wheels driven, just slide the engine into the rear seat, and result.)
1. Elon Musk’s newly diagnosed ALS and eczema combo
2. A Ford Flex reboot
3. New sedans, from literally any manufacturer
4. Wagons for the North American markets. They don’t have to be new. They could be euro market models being brought over. As long as they’re not Audis.
I’m going to quote this entire comment because I can’t like it a second time.
<3
1. Chrysler 300, maybe a bit higher to get it out of sedan land
2. Lincoln Bronco: Plush N Rugid, no removable top.
3. VW Karman Ghia reboot
4. Ford Ranger EREV
5. Ford GT EV
6. Camaro based on the ’67
7. Improved Grand Highlander technology/interior
8. Hyundai to reverse the styling on Palisades
9. An EV pod (1+1)
10. A car by anyone that resembles a ’49 Mercury coupe, slammed, ported, chopped (no flames).
Please
GM brings the Chinese-market Buick Electra lineup to North America, starting with the L7 EREV.
Wow! 66 comments and no one said a new Toyota MR-2? In particular, using the GR Corolla engine and sized/priced within spittin’ distance of the Miata.
Not something I have any particular interest in, but a product that could be a big step to keeping Chrysler alive, a new Chrysler Imperial as a 3-row CUV. It’s what people who actually buy new cars want.
A halo Lincoln sedan and PLC combo. A new gen of Continental and Mk IV. Make them EREVs.
I find it interesting that nobody mentioned Tesla.
Regarding the Chrysler Imperial, I always thought that Imperial was a strange name for a car. But when I read your comment I thought about a more badass Chrysler 300 in a CUV Style. Almost like a bold but not Magnumy magnum style. Like a stunner of a CUV.
Re. Tesla: what they’ve announced has been vaporware, lies, unrealistic deadlines, dystopian vehicles, or minor tweaks to old designs, and maybe commenters here reflexively don’t think of Tesla as a company that announces things worth paying attention to?
+1 for the El Camino suggestion!
Genesis G80 two door. A rear wheel drive Challenger smaller than the current Charger with Hurricane power. I love SWGs idea of a two door Chrysler 300.
I’d like to hear that Tremec was NOT discontinuing production of the last manual transmission built in North America.
I don’t even care if they didn’t mentioned any specific brands or models. Just tell us that last manual will continue to be built for years to come because without it, it makes building a manual car that much more difficult for the US market. Yeah, they can be imported or even produced in-house, but giving automaker executives even the tiniest excuse, and they’ll opt out of a manual option. Then wonder why sales are below expectations.
A new version of the Honda Fit…(sigh)
And an Si Version with manual transmission!
There are dozens of us. Dozens!
Kei like truck and van. Cheap and cheerful vehicles for work and fleets. Something under $20k for the masses. Maybe a panda car just for laughs and hope they show up in cities.
Suzuki coming back to the US and Canada.
Immediate global sale of the Hyundai Crater with no changes
Complete sidenote: I was at a museum awhile back that had a few of the Motorama cars on display, including the Firebird III. I couldn’t remember what the logo on the fin meant, and asked a docent. He gave me a half-assed answer that I knew wasn’t correct, and when I tried to talk to him about it, he wouldn’t engage with me. I tried to do a web search for info on it to no avail.
I was so irritated about his demeanor to me (as someone with a degree in museum studies AND an automotive nerd I was irritated x2). I spent the next few months researching and creating the Wikipedia article for the General Motors Air Transport division…just to spite that cranky boomer.
Thank you for doing that. As someone once said, we built a modern Library of Alexandria based only on nerds’ need to correct each other.
You’re welcome! I thought it was such a fascinating topic that needed documentation. It also brought me to the Willow Run wikipedia entry that also needed a bunch of work, so that was the subsequent couple of months work.
Turns out I don’t hate research and writing, I just hate research and writing for the sole sake of getting a grade in school.
So many things… I wish they would allow Kei cars, that we would have a global safety standard so that forbidden cars would available for import now. I wish we had more small cars in general. Bring back the Fit! Or just import the Jazz! I also want to see more bolt-in EV conversions for existing cars. I want regulations and extra taxes on large trucks. I want cars I can actually see out of. Especially out the rear! I want station wagons AND luxury minivans. I want buttons. I want screens that blend in to the dashboard and don’t look like an ipad was just hastily attached. I want every car engineer to be required to fully take the car apart and put it back together again twice so they have some real idea of what mechanics have to deal with. I want headlights that don’t blind everyone and suck at the same time. I want cars that smile and don’t look angry. Mostly, I want driver tests to be way more strict, because most of the people with driver’s licenses shouldn’t have them. And for those people, I want fully autonomous cars, because sometimes, I like to drink (like tonight, in case you can’t tell), and then I want to get home safely.
> I wish they would allow Kei cars, that we would have a global safety standard so that forbidden cars would available for import now
I wouldn’t hold my breath. Different markets have wildly different conditions to operate under (size and condition of roadways, even the existence of roadways in many places), availability of safety features outside the car (e.g. street lights, guard rails, etc), economic realities (safer cars are more expensive to make and operate (heavier so less mpg) all else equal and most countries’ populations can’t afford cars as expensive as Americans can), and cultural tolerance for types and magnitudes of risk to drivers, bike riders, pedestrians, etc).
A global safety standard would almost certainly be too low for Americans to stomach or too high for other countries to care, so there wouldn’t be much of an incentive for international regulating bodies to cooperate.
What do I wish were being announced there? That Alpine caught the EV heebie-jeebies and has decided to not only continue making the current A110 but also sell it in America. If only. Happy March 32st!
A station wagon for us poors!
Like an Accord or Camry wagon?
Sure! I mean I’d welcome basically anything, since I know I’ll never afford the AMG’d or M’d options that remain and the Outback is ruined. Even if Genesis makes that Wingback, I feel like they’re trying to compete with those super pricey ones anyway. Also RIP Volvo wagons.
Honestly any wagon as long as it’s not an Audi and it’s an actual wagon, I.e. low to the ground like a sedan. I.e. something Subaru and Volvo no longer make.
or a civic or corolla wagon
Chevy Trax.
Go look at one in person and tell me it ain’t a slightly raised wagon. And since you can get one in the mid $20s, they’re definitely for the poors. That’s probably why they’re selling a ton of them.
As the owner of a 2024 Trax LS (without the roof rails) I can attest to it being a small wagon. It’s only 3″ taller than our 2015 Cruze 2LT RS. Our out-the-door price for the Trax was $22,905.
Not bad! Could use a longer butt and less height but it’s on the right track(s).
Genesis putting the X Coupe and X Convertible into production this year.
Perhaps unpopular opinion but large(ish) coupes. Bigger than a Miata/BRZ, more practical than a RWD Mustang. Thinking along the lines of G6 Coupe, Monte Carlo, Accord Coupe, Sebring, Solara, etc that are capable enough to be a daily driver in all seasons (fwd or awd) and don’t have to be high hp rockets but just potent enough to be fun and certainly less boring than the current mix of crossovers.
I’m there w/ you.
See above.