Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata SE

When the first-generation Mazda Miata debuted way back in 1989, the reveal took place at the Chicago auto show. Given the city's honored place in Miata lore, it's little surprise that the intervening years have seen a long line of special-edition Mazda roadsters zip through McCormick Place.

This year’s Chicago-bound special edition is based on the Power-Retractable Hardtop Grand Touring model; it will be available in two exclusive colors—Crystal White Pearl and Velocity Red—and all of them will have a contrasting black roof. The car reminds us a little of the minimalist and sinister Super 20 concept from the 2010 SEMA show, as it loses the chrome trim on the grille and door handles of PRHT GT Miatas and adds black side mirrors and dark-finished 17-inch wheels. (Too bad this car couldn’t adopt the Super 20’s first-gen door handles and nonretractable lid. Or roll cage. Or racing modifications. Or—well, maybe the resemblance is only passing. We just want a Super 20. Bad.)

The SE doesn't pack any powertrain upgrades—the standard 167-horse, 2.0-liter four is on offer here, paired with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. (The 2.0-liter produces 158 hp with the auto.) But the Premium and Suspension packages will be standard along with piano-black interior trim, aluminum pedals, black roll-bar trim, and black heated leather seats with contrasting gray stitching.

Only 450 of the 2012 special-edition cars will be sold in the U.S. starting at the end of this month. Examples with a manual transmission will run $32,020; the unfortunate souls who order an automatic will be charged an additional $450.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: Kia Track'ster Concept

There must be something about the Soul hatchback that compels Kia to use bizarre punctuation. Take, for example, the Soul’s + and ! (Plus andExclaim in our language) trim levels, and the topless Soul’ster conceptfrom three years ago. This Track’ster is the company’s second apostrophe-laden Soul-based concept: It’s a 250-hp, all-wheel-drive hatchback that sacrifices the normal Soul’s rear doors and rear seat in the pursuit of track-readiness. The somewhat tough-looking concept makes its first appearance at the typically pickup-truck-heavy Chicago auto show.

The Track’ster’s basic shape was carried over from the Soul—the front end and sloped roof are vaguely familiar—but much of the rest is unique. The concept rides on a wheelbase that’s nearly an inch longer than the Soul’s, and its fender flares contribute to an additional five inches of overall width. It hides its size increase well; the extra width and lengthened front doors make it appear more compact and sporty than the five-door Soul.

The Track’ster’s best angle might be the rear shot, which features two booster-rocket exhaust outlets and taillights that illuminate from behind the hatch’s glass. Out front, Kia stuffed a pair of giant LED fog lights into the corners of the equally oversized lower intake. The headlights look like squared-off versions of the current Soul’s, and between them is a rather conventional-looking take on Kia’s corporate grille. Scoops and vents adorn both sides of the front and rear bumpers, each front fender, and both rocker panels just ahead of the rear wheels. Speaking of, they’re custom 19-inch HREs wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 rubber.

Inside, there are just two deeply bolstered seats covered in grippy suede. In place of the absent rear seat, there’s a special parcel tray with has spots for track gear like helmets, racing suits, and tools. In keeping with the Track’ster’s racy theme, there are dash-top readouts for oil temperature and battery voltage.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

Ever value-conscious, Hyundai is looking to save money on badges for its latest five-door Elantra. Why else change the name from Elantra Touring to the revived Elantra GT moniker? The new hatchback makes its debut at the 2012 Chicago auto show alongside a two-door Elantra.

Name change aside, the second-generation Elantra five-door is again an Americanized Hyundai i30. Hyundai points out that the Elantra GT will have more passenger and cargo room than all of its five-door competitors, save for the recently enlarged Subaru Impreza. It fails to mention, however, that those numbers are down from the last car. That’s partly because the new i30—and, as a result, this GT—loses its upright, wagon-style rear end; it’s shorter in length and height, rides on a shorter wheelbase, and is slightly wider than the car it replaces. Seats-folded cargo capacity is down by 14.3 cubic feet to a still-competitive 51. All told, it’s a lot more attractive than the outgoing car and fits in well with the rest of the Elantra lineup.

In place of the small diesels and gas engines offered in the European i30, the U.S.-market GT uses the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder as our Elantra sedan; it makes 148 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, while a six-speed auto is optional. Hyundai estimates that either transmission will achieve 28 city mpg and 39 on the highway in EPA tests—both measures are 1 mpg lower than the Elantra sedan’s. This is one place where the GT has a big edge over the 2012 Elantra Touring, which was rated at maximums of 23 mpg city and 31 highway.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe may not need much explanation; it’s basically an Elantra sedan with two fewer doors. On the other hand, it’s hard for us to say why Hyundai has decided to enter the shrinking segment of front-wheel-drive coupes—especially with the Veloster andmore-powerful Genesis coupe already on dealer lots. Perhaps Hyundai’s sleek new two-door will steal a few sales from the Honda Civiccoupe and even the Elantra’s corporate sibling, the Kia Forte Koup.

Take a close look at the pictures, and you’ll notice that the coupe’s front fascia has been tweaked ever so slightly to differentiate it from the sedan’s, with changes to the lower part of the grille and the fog lamps. The Elantra sedan already has a coupe-like shape, and that roofline works well on the two-door version. The big crease, running the length of the doors on the sedan, looks far more stylish on the Elantra coupe, as does the whole wedge-like profile. The lower rear diffuser has been painted black, and we’re relieved to see it hasn’t been executed in as overwrought a manner as Forte Koup’s. Relatively conservative buyers won’t be offended here—even if they opt for the SE model, which adds a modest lip spoiler on the trunklid.

The dual- and quad-doored versions of the Elantra are nearly identical underneath. They have the same 106.3-inch wheelbase, the same overall width of 69.9 inches, and the same height of 56.5 inches. The only major exterior dimensional difference is that the coupe is 0.4 inch longer than the sedan. (Scintillating stuff, we know.) So they’re really, really similar and those sedan-like dimensions should make the Elantra coupe very spacious. The two-door beats the Civic coupe and Forte Koup in both interior volume and cargo space.

Powertrain options are directly carried over from the Elantra sedan. That means buyers get a 148-hp, 1.8-liter inline-four with a less-than-awesome 131 lb-ft of torque. These numbers put the Elantra coupe ahead of the Civic coupe, behind the wimpiest Forte Koup—that car gets a 2.0-liter standard; a 2.4 is optional—and mid-pack for the segment in general. A six-speed manual transmission is available—and necessary if you want to maximize fuel economy—while a six-speed automatic is an option. Self-shifting coupes are estimated at 28 mpg city/39 highway, while Hyundai says the stick version should get 29/40. These fuel-economy ratings are just about identical to those of the sedan.

The Elantra coupe will be as well-equipped as its four-door bro. A touch-screen nav system with a rearview camera is optional, as are leather-trimmed seats, keyless entry and start, a power sunroof, and dual-zone climate control. SE models get a sportier suspension tune.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2013 GMC Acadia

For automakers, the prospect of freshening up a successful model can be daunting. Focus on only the minutiae, and your efforts may go unnoticed by the buying public; change too much, and you risk alienating your core customer base. Considering that 2011 was the most successful sales year for the Acadia since its 2007 debut, we understand why GMC made few obvious changes in this restyle.

For the latest incarnation of this three-row crossover, the softly rounded nose and recessed grille of the outgoing model have been replaced by a comparatively upright three-slot affair with sharper creases. Standard diffused LED running lamps make their first Acadia appearance and are paired with both the standard projector-beam and optional HID headlamps. Aft, a new taillight treatment echoes the look of the front lamps. The rear glass gets a wraparound look that appears to have been donated by the now-defunct Saturn Outlook, and it’s capped by a new spoiler. As with the outgoing Acadia, wheels come in either 18- or 19-inch varieties, although the designs have been updated.

Power in all Acadias comes from the same 3.6-liter V-6 used in the 2012 model, all 288 of its horsepower now routed through a “next-generation” six-speed automatic said to have better shift response and improved drivability. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive remains an option. Mileage remains unchanged at 17 city mpg and 24 highway for front-drivers or 16/23 when equipped with AWD.

As seems to be the trend these days, the Acadia’s interior now employs so-called “upgraded soft-touch materials”—this was easily the most needed improvement on the otherwise-competent and comfortable crossover. The upgrade is complemented by ambient red lighting on the dashboard and a standard rearview camera. High-zoot SLT models get aluminum accents on the center console, doors, and dash because nothing says “I’ve made it” like random applications of an alloy material.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2012 Chrysler 300 Mopar

Chrysler’s Mopar parts division turns 75 years old this year. To celebrate, the company has begun gifting itself customized products, including the Mopar-ized Chrysler 200 Super S and Dodge Charger Redline that appeared at the Detroit auto show. Among the latest birthday presents is this limited-edition Chrysler 300, which has been built up mainly from parts available in the Mopar catalog. The 300C-based sedan will be shown off at the Chicago auto show before 500 examples go on sale this summer.

This special-edition 300’s black-and-blue theme isn’t completely new—it will be familiar to fans of the Mopar ’10 Dodge Challenger and theMopar ’11 Charger—but this is the first time it and the full Mopar treatment have been applied to a Chrysler. We will say the hematoma-inspired paint scheme looks more at home on the Dodges, however. As befits Chrysler’s more luxurious image, the rest of the Mopar 300’s visual upgrades were kept subtle and classy. Instead of the bold graphics, spoilers, and hood scoops on the Mopar Dodges, the 300 gets thin “Mopar Blue” stripes along its beltline and down the middle of its scoop-free hood. Black 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, a black grille and front fascia inserts, and black-trimmed headlights complete the darkened treatment. A handful of Mopar badges, including “Mopar 75” pieces on the front fenders, round out the exterior upgrades.

The 300 gets some, uh, internal bruising, as well. The black interior features more blue highlights throughout, including inserts on the leather seats as well as stitching on the chairs, the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the shift lever. Piano-black trim pieces adorn the steering wheel, instrument panel, and door panels. Finally, there’s a serialized plaque and Mopar sill plates to remind occupants of the 300’s limited-edition status.

The Mopar 300 also gets a unique suspension tune; the front and rear spring rates are 42 and 23 percent stiffer, respectively, than those on the 300C’s sportier Touring suspension setup. There are no underhood modifications—the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 makes the same 363 hp as any run-of-the-mill 300C—but the sedan’s straight-line performance should be improved by a higher final-drive ratio. The stock 3.06:1 rear diff was swapped out for a 3.91:1 unit; Mopar claims this drops the 300’s 0-to-60 time into the low-five-second range. That represents a sizable improvement over a stock 300C, which made the trip to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds in our testing. To better haul the 300 down from speed, Mopar fitted high-performance brake pads at all four corners. The aforementioned 20-inch wheels are wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires instead of the Firestone Firehawk all-seasons worn by other 300Cs equipped with 20s.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Chicago Show 2012 Highlights: 2013 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible

Ford dropped an automotive bomb when it introduced the 650-hp, 200-mph 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 coupe late last year at the L.A. auto show. Seemingly overnight, the bar by which all muscle machines are measured was reset—tough luck, 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1—and no one outside of Ford has even driven the thing yet. The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible debuting at the Chicago auto showdoes the same for softtops, but lacks the coupe’s top-speed claim to fame: Because of the non-rigid roof, Ford will continue to limit the GT500 convertible to 155 mph.

But the GT500 convertible can bask in the coupe’s “Omigosh it has how much power?!” limelight. The droptop comes packing the same 650-hp, supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 engine as the coupe, so the two will share the Most Powerful Mustang crown. The mill, which is bored out by 0.4 liter from last year’s 5.4-liter aluminum V-8, also receives updated heads, camshaft profiles, and injectors, as well as new piston squirters and a new TVS supercharger. The coupe’s new carbon-fiber driveshaft and up-rated clutch, transmission, and axle carry over to the 2013 convertible as well—they’re needed to help it cope with the additional power. Larger brakes front and rear—with new six-piston Brembo calipers in front—also make the move to the softtop model and help slow the Shelby from the extra-legal speeds it’s sure to reach. And like the coupe—spotting a trend yet?—the roofless GT500 can be had with a Performance package, which includes SVT-tuned, electronically adjustable Bilstein dampers with driver-selectable stiffness settings. The coupe’s Track package won’t be available here, which makes sense since the lighter, more rigid hardtop is the more natural choice for lapping duty.

The topless Shelby GT500 also wears the same slightly refreshed styling as the coupe, and, by extension, the rest of the 2013 Mustang lineup. That means the nose is blunter than the outgoing car’s, and it gets new headlights, LED taillights, and body-color rocker-panel extensions. The convertible inherits the 2013 coupe’s numerous aerodynamic improvements, too, even if they won’t be contributing to the higher top speed.

Ford has yet to announce pricing, but we’re expecting some increase over the 2012 GT500 softtop’s $54,605 sticker. The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 convertible has been put on notice.

Thanks to: Car and Driver