Takeaways from the Boston Auto Show

The 2016 New England International Auto Show has wrapped up.  It was a big year for new cars and the display stands in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center did not disappoint.  What follows is a selection of noteworthy cars from a variety of manufacturers.

First up is the Porsche Cayman GT4.  Porsche's junior track day car uses the 3.8 liter flat six engine straight from the Carrera S tuned to make 385 horsepower.  It's an increase of 45 horsepower over the Cayman GTS and 35 more than the base 911.  With a price of $85,595, it is by far the most expensive Cayman available.  If you needed any further conviction of this car's desire to be carving up race circuits, the GT4 is only offered with a manual transmission.

 
On the topic of high performance variants, here is a prototype of the 2017 Ford Focus RS.  This is the first RS model ever sold in the United States.  Like the GT4, the Focus RS is manual only.  It is also the only Focus to offer all wheel drive.  It's going to need it to get all 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque from its 2.3 liter turbocharged engine.  With a price around $35,000, it competes directly with formidable cars such as the Volkswagen Golf R and the Subaru WRX STI.

I've already covered the Lexus GS F here in my analysis of Lexus's hoverboard commercial, but this is my first time seeing the car in person.  I have to say it looks fantastic, and if you've seen the gorgeous Lexus LC500 recently unveiled in Detroit, you'll understand why I believe Lexus is a force to be reckoned with. 

It's a new Civic, which is a big deal considering Honda sold over 275,000 of them in 2015.  It also addresses the criticisms of the previous ninth generation Civic, especially regarding the dowdy exterior and the cheap interior trim.  The new model has a wheelbase 1.2 inches longer than before and rides on a platform shared with the next Accord.  New this year is a turbocharged 1.5 liter engine in upper level trims.  So far things are off to a good start.  The 2016 Civic was awarded North American Car of the Year. 

Call me surprised when I wandered by the Chrysler show stand and saw this on display.  The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica was just unveiled to the entire world at Detroit earlier in the week.  I never dreamed it would be at Boston for another year.  The Pacifica is the replacement for the outgoing Town and Country.  The Pacifica name last appeared on a crossover that died in 2008, about when Chrysler itself faced the grim reaper.  New sheetmetal is only the beginning of the improvements.  Chrysler promises class leading aerodynamics, ride and handling, and NVH levels.  Most interesting is a plug in hybrid model with an estimated 80 mpg-e city rating and up to 30 miles on pure electric power.  In total the Pacifica Hybrid should have a gasoline plus electric range of 530 miles.

Chevrolet has a lot to be proud about with the all new 2016 Malibu.  It puts its predecessor to shame in nearly every way.  I was excited to see what three generations of evolution had done to my car.  As you know, I love my Malibu Maxx SS.  Unfortunately, no high performance variant of this Malibu is in the cards, although there is a hybrid model with an estimated 48 mpg city and 45 mpg highway.  After sitting in one, I can comfortable say that I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to place this new one in my garage.

   Finally, here is the New England debut of the all new Lincoln Continental.  It is important to understand that Lincoln is desperately trying to reinvent itself.  Slowly but surely, it is shedding its decades old reputation as a purveyor of tinseled-up Fords.  The MKC and MKX were positive steps in the right direction, but things kick up to another level with the Continental.  In addition to a return to real names, the Continental is the only Lincoln without a direct counterpart in the Ford stable.  The car rides on a stretched Fusion platform and comes with an exclusive 3.0 liter twin turbo V6.  Lincoln places comfort as a higher priority than outright sportiness.  All seats feature heating, cooling, reclining, and massage functions.  A full suite of connectivity features including Ford's latest Sync 3, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto. It's a good showing, and the Continental is a worthy flagship for the Lincoln brand.