Top 10 New York Auto Show Debuts to Watch

The New York Auto Show kicks off Tuesday night with a series of pre-show events followed by the press days on Wednesday and Thursday.

There are certainly surprises coming, but even some of the already-announced debuts are exciting. Here’s what AutoGuide.com is looking forward to most next week.

If the BMW X6 looks sort of like an animal skull on wheels, the X4 is its shrunken head equivalent. BMW realized that by lopping off rear seat headroom and eliminating much of its effective cargo capacity, it could charge a massive premium. Makes sense.

In any case, the same idea is about to be applied to the X3 by giving it a sloping rear end and higher price. The concept version has already been travelling around the international auto show circuit for a long time and the real-world version isn’t very much different.

But that’s not reason not to be excited to see it. After all, it promises to be pretty cool looking if not particularly practical.

The latest BMW M cars first debuted last January in Detroit to very little fanfare. After all, Toyota stole the show with its FT-1 concept. People pretty much ignored the M3 and M4.

This time around, the Bavarian company is planning on populating its booth with beer steins, polka and all the Schnapps anyone can handle. OK that’s not true, but they are bringing the open-air version if the M4. Of course, it uses the brand’s new turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six engine with 425 hp.

We don’t know what Mazda has up its sleeve this year for New York. Their spokesmen are keeping things quiet and are entirely unwilling to offer any sort of hint about what is in the works.

Word is, the MX-5 replacement might make an appearance, although the company refuses to ratify the rumor.

The brand might just do the predictable thing and bring its “Hazumi” concept (pictured) along. That car was first shown in Geneva and is a close preview of what to expect from the upcoming Mazda2.

But lets hope that isn’t the case.

Other possible news from Mazda could include an update on its battle to bring North Americans the long-delayed diesel version of its Mazda6 mid-size sedan. The Paleolithic CX-9 could use some sprucing up, so maybe there’s news in the works about that.

Barring those hypotheses, they could also be about to drop details on a successor to the much-loved Mazdaspeed3. All we know is that Mazda’s U.S. CEO Jim O’Sullivan got very excited last February in Chicago when we asked about plans for the New York show.

Here’s a car that very few people will be able to afford. Still, Mercedes’ ultra exclusive super sedan is a true thing of marvel.

The brand already dropped details of the car in advance of the show, so you can read all about it in our complete pre-show coverage.

But just in case that’s asking too much, its 5.5-liter boosted V8 boast 577 hp and lb-ft of torque. Oh, and it starts at $154,600.

Its true that this won’t technically be a world debut, but it’s the first time McLaren will show its new supercar to auto show attendees on U.S. soil. McLaren said previously that the 650S is basically the car it wanted to build when the MP4-12C was initially released.

It uses the same carbon fiber tub and the same engine, but is more performance capable and adopts styling cues from its more powerful and expensive P1 sibling. Incidentally, that car also uses the same carbon fiber tub and engine, but it’s also a hybrid.

It looks like Dodge is re-thinking the Charger’s styling. The teaser image shown here is what the company released when it announced that both the Charger and Challenger would arrive in New York with changes. In the Charger’s case, it’s a revised body style at the very least. Could there be more lurking under the hood?

Yesterday, Chevrolet’s Corvette Z06 convertible leaked ahead of GM’s planned debut in New York. That doesn’t make it any less exciting. Chevrolet claims that even without a roof, the new Z06 is stiffer than the C6 version, and that came standard with closed cabin structure. Of course, there’s

Just like the McLaren, this isn’t a world debut. Heck, it’s a year-and-a-month-old debut counting by when Alfa first showed the 4C in Geneva. But the 4C’s arrival is arguably one of the most significant events planned for the show because it marks the brand’s long-awaited return to North America.

It’s also worth considering the fact that its 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, carbon fiber monocoque chassis and supercar performance are all available at (presumably) sub-supercar prices. One thing is for sure, it won’t be nearly as expensive as the McLaren 650S. Normal people might stand a chance at owning one, and that’s worth big brownie points at this publication.

OK lets get one thing straight: this isn’t a list of the “most exciting debuts.” It isn’t a list of the best debuts. It’s a list of what to watch and there’s a darn good reason to keep one eye on Toyota at all times next week.

The company is planning a large post-show event where members of the media will race against each other in the FT-1 concept in Gran Turismo. That doesn’t mean much by itself, but the fact remains that Toyota is co-developing a sports car with BMW widely thought to be a spiritual successor to the Supra.

Toyota kept its mouth shut tight about the FT-1 debut earlier this year for Detroit. As important as the Corolla is in a business sense, news about the FT-1 would be a show-stopper.

There’s a rumor going around that Dodge’s much-anticipated “Hellcat” V8 will actually make more power than the 640-hp V10 powering the SRT Viper. Dodge says it has something coming that will set enthusiasts “abuzz.” AutoGuide.com is hoping for less of a buzz and more of a roar.