Top 10 Cars of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show
Trucks, tuner cars and even a diesel compact came out to the 2013 Chicago Auto Show this year.
While it wasn’t a worldwide debut, the Nissan GT-R Track Edition made its first U.S. appearance during the show. The car is limited to 150 units and features performance enhancements including better brake cooling, a stiffer suspension and a lighter curb weight thanks in part to losing its rear seats.
It keeps the same 545 hp output, but gets a carbon fiber rear wing and special RAYS wheels. Unfortunately for Nissan, it’s not really new so it can’t make the official “Top 10” list. An honorable mention will have to do instead.
With that out of the way, click below to see AutoGuide.com’s picks for the top 10 cars this year in the Windy City.
It’ll catch your attention, but that might not be a good thing. That is, unless you’re a comic book fan, in which case this is probably a car to lust after.
Kia customized the car in collaboration with Super Street Magazine and DC Comics, but don’t cringe just yet — this one’s for charity. “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign, which is a relief effort to help people affected by famine and drought in the Horn of Africa.
Serving as a demonstration for what Kia sees as a premium crossover, the Cross GT concept car debuted in the brand’s booth.
At the heart of the system is a familiar 3.8-liter V6 and an eight-speed automatic transmission. That’s not all, though. Kia built the car to be a “parallel hybrid” by putting an electric motor between the engine and gearbox for a combined 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.
You can’t drive it, but there’s still something very cool about GRC cars. Maybe its the fact that a 2.0-liter four cylinder makes more than 550 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.
Of course, GRC cars are only supposed to last through about 10 minutes of hard driving before, as Tanner Foust said on the show floor, they become a “time bomb.” That’s because unlike a street-legal passenger car, these things just keep heating up as you drive them , so look out.
Scion brought its FR-S race car to Chicago dressed, tuned and prepped for the track. Just like Tanner Foust’s Fiesta ST GRC, this isn’t a car you can drive, but at the very least it’s an embodiment of how versatile the FR-S really is.
It gets a long list of upgrades including exhaust, coil-over shocks and springs, a big brake kit, Hawk Performance brake pads, air intake and 18 inch wheels. The vehicle also has some custom components including a Centerforce single disc racing clutch, front MacPherson struts and a rear double wishbone suspension.
The fourth vehicle to be specially designed by MOPAR, Dodge’s diminutive compact car is dressed up with loads of special equipment.
Mopar gives the Dart revised steering-gear calibration, lowered suspension and low-profile 40 aspect performance tires, along with a premium brake kit with slotted rotors and a performance exhaust.
It also gets blue racing stripes over its gloss black paint. That color scheme continues in the cabin with blue stitching, Mopar badges and black leather seats.
It looks fast, but is it? Sort of — this is Volkswagen’s fastest-ever beetle. Built with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine as the regular turbo Beetle, this car comes with an extra 10 hp.
An homage to the GSR Beetle from the 1970’s, the exterior features lettering along the doors, and a black-and-yellow color scheme that will be eye-catching at the least. It also gets a big back spoiler and 19-inch “tornado” wheels. Just like the Mopar ’13 Dart, this car gets interior accents that match the body.
The car will go on sale this fall to join other special edition Beetles like the Beetle Coupe Fender Edition.
Modified almost entirely with parts available through Ford Racing, this specially-tuned Focus ST would probably be more at home during the SEMA show than in Chicago. Regardless of that, it’s hard not to be impressed by the fact that such an imposing car can come from a production Ford compact.
Speaking on the show sidelines, Block told AutoGuide that the car was barely built in time to be featured during the show. Unfortunately, that means it hasn’t gone for dyno testing yet, so horsepower figures are still a mystery.
Still, with more components under the hood changed than stock, it’s easy to assume the Focus ST’s 252 hp and 270 lb-ft or torque will be boosted considerably. THose modifications include a new exhaust, intercooler, ecu, downpipe and much more.
Kia surprised the car crowd when it debuted its five-door hatchback version of the Forte compact. While the base-level EX trim isn’t much to get excited about, the SX model comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder with 201 hp.
Styling looks similar to the Europe-only Pro’ceed three-door hatchback and more importantly, it gives Kia an intriguing product that won’t cannibalize customers from parent company Hyundai.
Chicago is often called the truck show by those who know, and this year isn’t any different. Toyota brought it’s next-generation Tundra pickup and puzzled much of the media at the same time. That’s because it has the same engines and the same transmissions.
It gets new sheet metal, a vastly improved interior and a new bed -although how a truck bed can really change is puzzling to say the least.
Finally, the 1794 Edition will finally give Toyota a luxury truck to butt skulls with the likes of the Ford F-150 King Ranch and the RAM Longhorn editions.
It isn’t a performer, and it’s not a very cool car. You won’t be wooing any bikini babes, but none of that matters. That’s because Chevrolet is taking a bold step by offering North American buyers a diesel version of its global best seller – the Cruze compact sedan.
Highway fuel economy is expected to come in at 42 mpg, although those figures have yet to be officially confirmed. Provided things ring in as Chevrolet expects, the diesel version will get the same highway fuel economy as the gas-powered Cruze Eco, but with more range per tank.
With 148 hp and 258 lb-ft, Chevrolet expects drivers to appreciate the extra pull in low rpms. That torque figure can be further bolstered by the car’s overboost function which delivers 280 lb-ft for up to 10 seconds.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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