It’s been about five years since I started developing content related to the New York International Auto Show on Curbside Classic. My initial auto show coverage contained about twenty photos. This latest trip yielded five hundred and fifteen pictures. That means one, or even four separate parts, would be packed with far too much information to absorb, which is why eight sections are now needed to properly detail all the vehicles that were present at the Javits Center this year. And to further improve readability, the 50-70 pictures that comprise one particular section are now themed, which means you’ll know what to expect simply by reading the title of the post.
Will you be able to entirely digest the first of this eight part series while you sit on the toilet and expel the contents of your bowels? I have no idea. But if you were successful in doing so, I will hail the changes I’ve made as my crowning achievement.
Chevy celebrated the Camaro’s 50th anniversary last year, and 2018 brings another one: it’s been fifty years since the inception of Hot Wheels. One of the first cars Mattel introduced was in fact the Camaro, and the initial run of those die-cast models are worth about $2,500 due to their rarity. Which is obviously why General Motors decided to produce some limited edition examples celebrating their partnership with Mattel.
Aside from the convertible, you can also get the Hot Wheels Edition in coupe form. It starts at a not-unreasonable price of $31,500 due to its availability at the 2LT trim level.
I suspect the majority of buyers interested in a Hot Wheels Edition Camaro will opt for a more well equipped model like our featured car. Without options, this convertible has an MSRP of exactly $48,000. Opting for the Hot Wheels Package ($5,000) 8 speed automatic transmission ($1,495) performance exhaust ($895) a front license plate bracket ($40, I can’t believe they charge customers for this) and destination ($995) gets you an eye watering grand total of $56,420.
Is it worth it? I think it might be. You’re getting an exclusive color (“Crush,” which I assume is a subtle nod to the soft drink) combined with a whole bunch of worthy aesthetic upgrades like illuminated door sill plates, a unique suede steering wheel with orange stitching, and a blacked out Chevrolet Bowtie, among other things. Sure, it’s pretty much all cosmetic stuff, but it’s tastefully done, and I have a feeling something like this could have easily gone the other way.
Unfortunately, opting for the Hot Wheels Edition means you’ll be buying a Camaro that’s already outdated, as Chevy announced the refreshed 2019 model several weeks ago. Aside from the exterior changes, other notable upgrades include the availability of the 10 speed automatic on the SS trim and an upgraded infotainment system.
As is tradition, automakers brought whole displays full of swag. Apparently you can buy either Chevy or Camaro branded luggage.
While show attendees swarmed the bright orange Camaro, they completely ignored this Sonic. There’s been a lot of digital ink spilled about Ford’s recent decision to axe every sedan in its lineup. It’s hard to understand the changes affecting the auto industry when you see plenty of late model sedans on the road. That doesn’t disprove the rapid shift to crossovers. And this picture illustrates what I’ve been seeing at the auto show for several years now: sedans and smaller cars are steadily getting less popular and do not make compelling displays at the auto show.
While sedans sputter and die, trucks and sport utility vehicles roar back to life. Ten years ago, not many would have envisioned the midsize truck segment rebounding. And now that the Raptor has demonstrated interest in truly off-road vehicles, Chevy wants a cut of the pie with their Colorado. The ZR2 can go over rocks, which I’m not sure I could have ever guessed if it wasn’t for this very informative display. Also, this thing starts at around $40,000. That’s a lot of money.
Over at GMC, the Sierra was out in all its redesigned glory. Due to arrive at dealerships this fall, the truck will boast some features new to the segment, like the rear view camera system that effectively replaces the rear mirror, which is already available on select GM models. A heads up display, which automakers are now calling “head up,” will also be available.
The big news is the Sierra’s new rear tailgate, which can be configured in six different ways. It’s seven if you count “high profit mode,” but I think that comes standard on every model, and has for many years.
GMC also had this current generation Sierra outfitted with tank treads, which they dubbed the “All Mountain.” Apparently its a corporate tie up with Vail Ski Resort, which is located in Vail, Colorado. Perfect for those who want to ride out the apocalypse far away from any road whatsoever.
As for more civilized transportation, the Buick Regal TourX will get you around the urban jungle in style, although it won’t be the easiest to park in a place like Manhattan, as any vehicle with a length of 196 inches needs a decent amount of space. No wonder why people are switching to crossovers like the Terrain, which can hold more people in a shorter length: 182 inches.
But does the Terrain have as much style as the TourX? For me, the answer is no. Wagons deserve to make a comeback. Hopefully they will.
Unfortunately, the Regal is a huge let down inside. A Chevy Malibu wagon priced a couple thousand dollars cheaper? Sure, this cabin would work for that application. But this Regal starts at 29k. I’m not sure the materials justify the cost.
Cadillac’s XTS is still a thing. In a world where sedans that sell in much greater numbers are being axed, I can’t imagine this thing hanging around for too much longer. And it even sells more than the CTS!
And this particular model is a damn V-Sport too! I had no idea these existed. Is there really be a market for something like this, and at a price of $73, 490?
I’m with Car And Driver on this one. It’s a cool powertrain, but not for a boat of this size.
CTS, ATS, XTS, CT6. These are a bunch of uninspiring names that do little to stir the senses. Should Cadillac have followed the path blazed by the likes of Mercedes and BMW? My instinct is to say no, but Lincoln decided to carve out its own niche and so far that effort resulted in mixed success. Long term I think Lincoln is on better footing. The Continental is a lot less risky than something like the CT6, which apparently sits on its own unique platform.
And now you know why Johan de Nysschen is no longer in charge of Cadillac. Don’t get me wrong: this is a very cool vehicle. But any model that struggles to sell 1,000 units in a given month is a dead car driving.
I assume “first ever” will soon become “last ever.”
It’s a shame, really. Because the engine in the V-Sport sounds pretty great: a 4.2 liter twin turbo V8 with an estimated output of 550 horsepower and 627 Ib-ft of torque, mated to the new 10 speed automatic. This is a powertrain that should be in more than just a full size sedan. And in order to recoup the development costs, it probably will be in the future.
It’s taken GM quite a while to develop a compact luxury crossover, but they’ve finally done it with the XT4. When it arrives later this year, it will compete with the likes of the Lincoln MKC and Lexus NX. I imagine if this came out four years ago, there would not have been a shake up at Cadillac in April.
Art & Science is alive and well. I went from liking it, to loathing it, to liking it again. It’s like one of those comedy sketches that takes a bit and runs with it way past its natural conclusion.
For example, this classic, which features Pierce Brosnan being uniquely terrible at sketch comedy.
More swag! And that’s it for GM.
Midsize sedans are an endangered species these days, but the main players aren’t cutting any corners on their redesigns. Nissan decided to make the 2019 Altima a bit bolder and add some new features to the long running nameplate.
I’ve always felt Nissan repeatedly tried to recapture the glory of the third generation model with each subsequent redesign. Now it appears they’ve finally decided to break with the past and forge ahead with a new look. It’s a little bit derivative of the Maxima, but who cares? It’s not like full size sedans really matter anymore anyway.
Aside from the available all-wheel drive for four cylinder variants, the big news surrounding the next generation Altima is the variable compression engine that will be the range topper for the entire lineup.
Yes, you heard right: Nissan is putting a variable compression ratio engine in the Altima. Infiniti already has one in the new QX50, and it will basically replace the 3.5 naturally aspirated V6 in certain applications.
In the Altima, buyers will be getting a 2.0 turbo with 248 hp and 273 Ib. ft of torque. Not bad numbers, especially if the powertrain can demonstrate substantially improved fuel economy.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Altima fares against the new Accord and Camry. I imagine it will do quite well if Nissan continues to undercut both in price.
Just like the Sonic, absolutely no one was interested in the Sentra. Seriously. It’s normally impossible to get a shot without people at the show, but the immediate area around the Sentra was a ghost town.
Jim Klein checked out the new Leaf back in October, and he had favorable impressions of the car. I concur. I think the second generation is a huge visual upgrade over the original, and its price point and range make a lot of sense.
Sentra hatchback? That’s what the Leaf looks like. And I mean that as a compliment.
The interior isn’t terribly high quality, but that is also a fault of the Bolt. You’re paying for the powertrain with these cars. Everything else takes a backseat. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that. My beef is with the transmission gear selector. At this point I’m a bit peeved that Congress hasn’t done more to regulate shifters. I know there are more important issues that the government needs to tackle, but people have died because of these unintuitive systems. And this particular one isn’t even worthy of a video game peripheral.
Nissan carved a niche out for itself by pricing its cars a bit below everyone else. This propelled the Rogue to the top of the sales charts. But that doesn’t tell the whole story, because Nissan lumps the Rogue Sport in with the regular Rogue. These are two different cars, and in international markets the Rogue Sport is known as the Qashqai. Not entirely honest, is it?
Dishonest sales reporting aside, how does the Rogue Sport succeed on the merits? Just fine, actually. Interior quality is solid, even if the aesthetics aren’t incredible. And the black trim is a magnet for fingerprints, although it’s nothing that a microfiber cloth couldn’t solve with a quick wipe. The little crossover looks good too, which is saying something for this segment, because a lot of the designs look awkward.
This isn’t a terribly thrilling picture, but you’re going to want to scroll back to it after you read about the next vehicle.
The rising popularity of crossovers means we’re seeing newly created segments gain traction. Is there a limit to how many crossovers an automaker can sell in one particular segment? We’re about to find out. Case in point: the Nissan Kicks. I guess someone at Nissan really liked that song by Foster The People? It’s a weird name.
The Kicks is basically a sub-subcompact crossover. Does that mean it’s smaller than a Rogue Sport? Not really. It’s about three inches shorter than a Rogue Sport, an inch and a half thinner, and the wheelbase is exactly one inch shorter than its bigger brother. Historically, such similarly sized dimensions generally meant that an automaker would look at the specs and decide there was only room for one of these products in their lineup. But Nissan clearly has a strategy here.
And what is that strategy exactly? The Kicks starts about $3,000 below the Rogue Sport. It also doesn’t have an available all wheel drive system. Cheaper price. Less features. And of course parts sharing, as evidenced by this steering wheel, which is the same one in the Rogue Sport.
The Kicks also differentiates itself by virtue of its cheap interior. Really cheap. This picture is focused on the shifter because when I attempted to play around with it, the entire section surrounding it moved as well. It really felt like it was about to fall apart or crumble into pieces. It’s an impressively brittle interior. I suspect Nissan realized they needed a crossover to sell to subprime borrowers who wouldn’t be caught dead in a Sentra or Altima, so they created a substantially downmarket model to appeal to them.
In addition to the Kicks, Nissan also builds vehicles for more affluent folk. Here is a Pathfinder in its uh, natural habitat? No, that would be the JCPenney parking lot.
Is this Titan in its natural habitat? No. That would be the Dick’s Sporting Goods parking lot.
Ok, that’s more like it. I can picture an Armada owner towing a boat like that. Of course I can also picture it sitting near the local little league field as well.
I will conclude part one with this blurry picture of the cargo area of a Pathfinder. I thought it was pretty cool that Nissan also makes rubber mats for the seat backs. My friend, who accompanied me on the trip, owns a current generation Pathfinder and really liked the idea of rubber mats for the seat backs because he once transported some heavy bulk items when the seats were folded down, which resulted in them getting permanently scratched. Makes sense, which might be more than we can say about the Kicks in a couple of years.
Great coverage, and a great writeup. You can really see what GM is trying to telegraph, and it shows that Ford is not the only ones who plan on dropping most sedans in the US market. Ford keeps the Mustang, Chevy the Camaro. I wonder how it will affect Cadillac and Buick. They do have SUVs, but is that their specialty or is it a stopgap before being phased out?
If Nissan really wants to shake up the market, bring over some Renault crossovers. Drop the variable compression engine in them. Offer Japanese funky with French funky as an option (can you imagine if the Juke was redesigned in France?). And they can do it via Mitsubishi dealers. Think about it, it throws a lifeline to everyone involved with minimal costs and risks.
I seem to remember Saab experimenting with a variable-compression engine before GM swallowed them. Anyone else?
Agree with the comments about the Altima, the 3rd generation was a real breakthrough but after 15 years it is hard to tell the different generations apart. The Sentra? As far as I am concerned, Nissan had a great car with the 91-94 model but while the 2000-2006 car brought Nissan’s compact into a larger class…from 2006 til ? they have done a truely crummy job with the styling and image of the Sentra.
Nissan has a (shortish) history of fielding several vehicles in the same size class, as in Juke, Cube, Sentra so nothing new there.
Since mid-sized trucks are making a comeback, Nissan is LONG overdue for an update of the Frontier.
I currently have a 97 Sentra five speed 341,000kms racked up it runs and drives great, its the second high mileage Sentra Ive had other one was a 93 and both go and drive just fine they really got it right in that era.
I would like to respectfully point out that, at least in the western US not ALL Pathfinders or Titans are hanging out in mall parking lots. Go 50 miles off pavement in Death Valley or the Mojave Desert and you will see plenty of trucks and SUV’s. Though more likely Jeep, Toyota or Ford than Nissan. And the Colorado ZR2 is actually a pretty sincere, serious attempt at a true factory offroad truck, with some good design features that have previously been only available on Wranglers or from the aftermarket. Time will tell if it will be successful against the Tacoma as the offroad pickup of choice.
Man, does Chevrolet ever have the number of the market demographic for those Hot Wheels Camaros. I can just see guys who were nine years old in 1968 now nearing retirement with grown children and a paid-off house spending the money for the full-size versions of the cars that they played with as kids.
Well, that, or a Bullitt Mustang…
Yeah, and even if you’re 6 foot tall, you’ll truly feel like a little kid, what with that high belt-line and all…
I still like it, especially that awesome orange and black interior! – Full disclosure, I was 8 years old in 1968 and played with a lot of Hot Wheels, and I am 6 foot tall. My Dad is now 80, but when he was 75, he really wanted a Camaro for the reasons you state. He couldn’t get over the high belt-line either and bought a 2014 Mustang instead. He’s a little shorter than me.
As cool as that Camaro looks, I think I’d rather go for the new Bullitt Mustang coming out for 2019.
I’m 5’9″, the current gen Camaro is pure misery for me. When I’d sit in the driver seat of a car at 8 years old my thought was “wow, I wish I was taller so I could drive this thing!” If that was the feeling Chevrolet was trying to convey, congratulations, I feel like a child. Ironically it looks like a child’s toy now, and the last thing I wanted as a child was a car that resembled an overwrought 1/64 toy I already had. Call me boring but I wanted toys that resembled REAL cars. I never liked hot wheels near as much as I did Matchbox or better yet model kits(which I always built “stock” given the choice).
I’m not particularly into the new Bullitt either, the color is way off, as if there’s lime green in the metal flake, and the distinctive bits over a GT aren’t really worth the premium. The 01 and 08 Bullitts seemed more in tune to the movie car, and the greens were right.
My Dad is also 5’9” Matt, and that was his assessment of the Camaro.
Yeah, I had many more Matchbox cars than Hot Wheels, but liked them both, and agree wholeheartedly with leaving it stock when I was building models. I still feel that way with my ‘07 Mustang. The only aftermarket goodie I have on her is the sequential turn signals.
As to the Bullitt.. the ‘08 is my favorite, but I’m a little biased to that flavor of that generation.
Correction… my favorite Bullitt Mustang is the original ‘68 ?
I feel the same way, I’m 6’2 and I sat in one and couldn’t believe how big it was inside. I didn’t feel that bad about the interior….Until I looked back and saw the blind spot was this little window that was about the size of a slice of pizza. That was the point I realized just how detrimental the belt line would be if I had to drive it day in and day out.
Did you notice too the forward view out the windshield isn’t even good? The A-pillars are predictably huge(I struggle to think of a modern car where they aren’t, so I’ll give it a pass) but the roof actually seemed to obstruct some view, which I have never encountered in any car before, not at my height.
Well, maybe it’s because I was a grown up 11 year old in 1968, and my kids are grown but my house isn’t paid off, but I’d run not walk from that Camaro. Now a Bullitt Mustang, on the other hand ….
Very nice and informative.
It appears that Chevy has axed the Impala. That’s sad because it sure is a fine car, but due to market changes, I can understand.
You mentioned that shorter vehicles that can hold more people and stuff is one of the reasons for the sedan’s demise. Well, if the OEMs can take what Ryanair tried to foist on the public several years ago, why not design an even shorter CUV with saddle-type seatint where you virtually stand up?
Now that would be a hoot. Imagine a four-door smart car in the same length as the current one!
I’d like to see a photo retouch of that.
Has Chevrolet finally ditched that gold-filled bow tie emblem? Well, except on the Camaro’s window sticker.
I kind of like that Regal TourX wagon. (Cue joke about getting it in brown with a diesel and a stick).
That variable compression system is absolutely fascinating. It will either be one of those fabulous things the everyone wonders why nobody thought of it sooner, or will be a complete disaster once the miles pile on. I have no idea which.
Last I checked the black bowtie is a $180 (WTF!!! x 180) option across the lineup. People complain about Porsche’s option prices but jeez. I guess on a lease it only adds $5/month so it’s totally justifiable…
They must be counting on people not having the smarts to add up all those extra $5/month options.
The other day I did a “build your own” for a new Silverado. If memory serves, there were like 6 (yes, 6) ways one can get their bowtie. Illuminated was my favorite.
How much was the illuminated one? MB asks around $550 or so for theirs… Maybe next year someone’ll have one that sprays confetti or blows bubbles in the shape of the logo as you sit at a traffic light.
I was wrong, it was only three.
The confetti blower comes for 2019 and the kaleidoscope illumination is on the drawing board for 2020.
So where will this end?
The best man at my wedding swapped his bow tie for one with flashing lights before he got up to give the speech.
Maybe we could have a Chevy bow tie with flashing lights? Maybe one mounted on a spring that goes in and out, and spins round and round? 🙂
I had no idea.
For $180 I’ll fix your gold bowtie with this…
Exactly. I won’t pay for a new 2018 model vehicle with a brassy gold logo and I certainly won’t pay an additional $180 for a different color one but I’m not going to paint it either. So, off to a different brand I would go. Just make it an outline again, maybe that was (to me) the most redeeming feature of the third-generation Cavalier which I thought had that (simple bow-tie outline in plastichrome)
The Impala is currently being run in Hamtramck Michigan. The Impala is also assembled in Oshawa, as is the XTS. Both Oshawa cars run, on what was formally the Camaro “Flex’ line..
As of yesterday the plant was still producing both cars. Unfortunately, the plant is one shift.
The future of that line, is anybody’s guess ?? I’d be willing to bet we will see a 2019 version of both vehicles. The burning question would be , “for how long ? “
“Johan de Nysschen is no longer in charge of Cadillac“
I didn’t know this, but I’m kind of glad. I’m in an area of a big city that should be major Cadillac turf – lots of Tesla’s, Audi’s, BMW’s, the occasional Jaguar, etc but I almost never see a Cadillac. When I do, it is always black, and I can never guess what model it is, since they all look alike. I really do like that headlight treatment though and I think they’re handsome cars.
Perhaps with de Nysschen gone, they’ll start some advertising to convince me why I should trade my 5-Series for one.
Very nice job, I’m looking forward to the next seven and completely understanding how large an undertaking this is, I applaud you!
You’ve taken the first picture I’ve ever seen that makes the Nissan Armada look small. 🙂 Last week I had the opportunity to look at and compare a loaded 2017 model literally next to a 2017 Infinity QX80 (in the CarMax parking lot, no I am not buying either or anything for that matter). The inside to my eyes is IDENTICAL besides the clock (Infiniti has the little analog one, the Nissan gets a generic LCD one). Even the exterior has more parts in common than not. I went back and forth while standing between them with all the doors open. Overall the Nissan looks like a great value, comparatively speaking. But that boat, I don’t see an Armada towing it. In the US, it needs at least an F-450… In the Netherlands a Kia Cee’d would do the job. 🙂
That GMC truck reminded me that last week I saw a JMC truck in the local parking lot. Big chrome letters on the grille of a generic-looking light-ish pickup. Chinese, of course.
JP, I saw the bowtie on the ZR2 truck above.
Edward, most excellent coverage! Taking and cataloguing all those photos is a lot of work to be sure, and obviously a task you enjoy.
I have a dislike of the Nissan Rogue. Not a hatred or anything, but it stems from the stupid snowman commercials that they use. In the Great White North at least. I also have an issue with the English language. You see, the word “Rogue” spelled a such, produces a hard “G” like you would hear in words like Vague or Hogan. However, switch the U and the G, and you get Rouge, with a soft G like in the word Beige. It seems to me the Rogue spelling should produce a pronunciation like “Rog-you”; I see no English rule that makes it a hard G. To further confuse matters, a name like “Roger” produces a soft G “dejh) sound if you will. It also does that in a word such as Dodger, by using a preceding D. So, for me, Roger should be pronounced like “lager.” Any wonder the language is so hard to people to learn, especially as a second language.
Please pardon my rant of the English language. We return you now to your regular automotive programming.
OTOH, “Qashqai” looks like the result of a cat-on-keyboard error.
I hear you on the language, English is difficult and best learned as young as possible.
Rogue and Vogue are pronounced the same, there is some thought that Rogue has its roots as French or at least Breton Celtic so that might make sense.
Lager is a German word, Roger is English. Once you take into account the origin of the words, the different pronunciations (or way letters are pronounced in english) perhaps make more sense.
But I’m sure there are plenty of examples disproving that as well….Either way, I’m not a fan of the Rogue name either, although the vehicle isn’t really significantly worse than the others in its class. Maybe Nissan should have done something else to lump it with the Pathfinder (a great name). Not sure what, Tenderfoot? No, probably not. Scout’s already been used, maybe Webelo? 🙂
They could’ve avoided this pronunciation palaver and called it Nissan Crim, as, stripped of any romance, that’s what a rogue is. (And Nissan can sure make cars stripped of any romance, but I digress).
The photo of the Pathfinder has the title Rogue Dogue 2 (a rog-oo dog-oo two?); what could it mean? The start of a new and even more meaningless, not to say lazy, nomenclature system? The Cadillac Schmadillac? The Ford Bored? The Audi Doody?
ROFL!!!
Great write up and thanks for taking time to take photos, writing and sharing with us your experience. Am looking forward to coverage of the other carmakers.
In my opinion, each year designs are getting more worse and obnoxiously outrageous.. They look like either Hot Wheels or Tonka Toys or Transformers.
Just who designs these cars and trucks? 18 year old kids? Or do the designers poll their kids on what is “cool” and incorporate them, regardless of the practicality?
Then there’s the electronic/computerized bells & whistles. Are drivers nowadays so dumbed down that they can’t do anything without an electronic device to tell them how to drive?
I’ve got two cars getting long in the tooth and I need to replace one in particular soon. I just don’t see anything — either in a sedan or pickup truck that looks sensible to my eyes.
I want to bitchslap the guys who designed and approved the Camaro design. It’s like,” It’s not ugly enough! More grill, more vents, more squinty headlights!” I see a new (since it came back from the dead) Camaro and I just shake my head. I saw several old Camaros and Firebirds on Tuesday, when it was over 80 here and thought, “How can they not get it?”
Interesting, re: your last photo. I’ve finally joined the SUV ranks, having purchased my brother’s 2011 Highlander as a camper tow vehicle. It’s got 95,000 miles and being a Toyota, still in excellent condition. Since it’s going camping, I’ve decided it needs an all weather mat for the rear hatch area. The advantage of buying a seven year old car that sold in big numbers is that there is a lot of on line advice on things like rear cargo mats. Turns out, and I learned this just before reading your post, Toyota Canada sold a cargo mat that was split and hinged so that it could cover the backs of the third row seats per your photo. The US market had to make do with an awkward two piece affair until 2014 or so when they started making the Canadian mat available across North America.