2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Occupy Horsepower seems to be the sentiment at Ford these days as the Blue Oval seeks elite output for everyman. Earlier this year, we told you the next GT500 was going to produce north of 600 hp, but even we weren’t prepared for the 650 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque announced as the car debuts at the Los Angeles auto show. Is that “God Bless America” we hear?

Engine Overhaul

While punching out the old 5.4-liter aluminum block V-8 out to 5.8 liters, the GT500’s powertrain crew also updated the heads for better cooling, changed the camshaft profiles, added piston squirters and higher-flow fuel injectors, swapped the old supercharger for a larger and more efficient TVS unit that ups boost from 9 to 15 psi, and fitted a larger intercooler. The result is an extra 100 hp and 90 lb-ft compared to the 2012 model. The cooling system was upgraded to dissipate the excess heat, and a carbon-fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, strengthened transmission (with revised gearing), and sturdier rear axle were deemed necessary to cope with the extra grunt. To help the driver cope, the GT500 is equipped with an adjustable launch-control function.

Despite the GT500’s barbaric output, Ford has come a long way from the muscle cars of yesteryear, wherein engineers fitted a bigger, more powerful engine and called it good. A new front fascia is home to the same revised headlights as the other ’13 Mustangs, and there’s a new front splitter. That last bit is important, as Ford says the new GT500’s top speed is in excess of 200 (!) mph. Chew on that, Camaro ZL1. Heck; chew on that, Corvette Z06, with your piddling 198 mph. Overall, Ford says the 2013 GT500 has 33 percent more downforce at 160 mph than its predecessor. With a Mustang joining the 200-mph club, drivers will appreciate standard Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and larger rotors and new pads at all four corners.

For Corners, Too

With 650 hp, no bend in the road will be far away. To address those curves, the new GT500 gets optional electronically-adjustable Bilstein shocks. Part of the Performance package—which also includes a Torsen limited-slip differential and Recaro seats—the Bilstein dampers offer drivers a choice of Normal and Sport modes. If you intend to unleash your Shelby on a closed course, you might want to also opt for the Track package. It adds supplementary coolers for the engine oil, rear differential, and transmission.

The GT500 receives the same exterior revisions as the rest of the 2013 Mustangs and the Boss 302. Those updates include the aforementioned headlights, new LED taillights set in a blacked-out tail panel, and body-colored rocker extensions. A quad-tipped dual-exhaust system and two new forged-wheel designs are unique to the Shelby GT500.

While we have no official word yet on pricing, we’re expecting a hearty bump from the GT500’s current base of $49,605. Considering how much more grunt it has than the 580-hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1—not to mention its 12-horse edge on the $113K Corvette ZR1—even $60,000 for the new GT500 would be one helluva bargain.

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Hyundai Elantra Coupe Confirmed for Chicago Debut

At a media preview today, Hyundai reconfirmed its plans to offer an Elantra coupe. The company even showed it to us, but since we won’t get to share camo-free images until the car debuts at the Chicago auto show in early February, readers wanting a look at the car will have to check out our spy photos. So the news is that the car’s timetable has been shifted slightly: Hyundai originally told us the car would appear toward the end of this year as a 2012 model.

Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik says the coupe “will have a sporty feel with different gearing, as well as a sportier trim,” compared with the Elantra sedan. We take that to mean it will use the same 148-hp, 1.8-liter four as the four-door. Krafcik also reminds us that this is not Spinal Tap. “Think of it as turning the knob from 3.5 to 4.5 on the performance dial. Not up to 10.”

Hyundai expects somewhere around 20 percent of Elantra sales to be two-doors. That figure, however, doesn’t include the Elantra Touring hatchback. The Touring suffix, by the way, may change, as Krafcik will only refer to it as “the five-door.”

Tags: Hyundai, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Elantra Coupe |

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2013 Cadillac XTS Leaked Ahead of L.A. Auto Show Debut

Last night, what appeared to be a production 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan appeared on Cadillac’s consumer website before quickly being taken down. A few hours later, Cadillac officially released the same photo and announced that the large sedan would debut at the L.A. auto show next week. We already knew the XTS would land in L.A., but the photo gives us our first look at the production version; until now we’ve seen only the show car, spy photos, and the new Caddy’s interior. Oh, and we tried out its new CUE infotainment system.

It appears as though the production XTS’s styling will deviate remarkably little from the concept’s—the car seen above sports the same chunky, cab-forward stance and heavy front-end styling as the show car, which now looks as though its body panels may have popped from production molds. The XTS is set to replace the slow-selling STS and the long-in-the-tooth DTS at the top of Cadillac’s lineup. The front-drive XTS rides on stretched Buick LaCrosse Epsilon II bones, and we expect it will be powered by the same 3.6-liter, direct-injection V-6 as is found in the CTS. Stay tuned for the XTS’s big reveal next week.

Tags: Cadillac, Cadillac XTS |

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Hyundai Shows Teasers of 2013 Genesis Coupe, Announces Korean-Market Model to Debut November 12th

It looks like we are close to seeing the refreshed 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the buff. Hyundai announced the updated Coupe would debut November 12th in Korea and released a few teaser images of the car on its Korean blog. Spy photos of the 2013 Coupe taken this past summer showed the car wearing Hyundai’s new familial front-end styling, which integrates various elements from the latest Elantra, Accent, and Veloster. None of that appears to have changed in these official photos, but the shots reveal a few more details that we hadn’t seen before.

The spy photos we ran a few months ago were dark, blurry, and grainy, which made it difficult to pick out the new Genesis Coupe’s stylistic nuances. Hyundai’s (much clearer) photos show off a lot of subtle creasing on the Genesis Coupe’s hood and fascia. The hood strakes, specifically, look a lot like those on the outgoing BMW 3-series and toughen up the Genesis’s front view noticeably. The wheels on this Korean-market “380 GT” model—which is roughly equivalent to the 3.8 R-Spec trim we get here—look like larger versions of the up-level rims available on the Veloster. Finally, the shape of the taillights is unchanged, but the detailing is new and matches the upscale headlight elements. We think the updates make for an even better-looking Genesis Coupe, but we hope that rear spoiler is optional.

The cosmetic tweaks likely won’t be the only updates the 2013 Hyundai Genesis receives; the interior will be mostly new (you can see for yourself here) and a few mechanical updates also are in the cards. We expect the coupe’s current 3.8-liter V-6 engine will be replaced by the 333-hp, direct-injected 3.8-liter that was recently added to the Genesis sedan’s engine lineup. It’s not yet clear whether the Genesis Coupe also will poach Hyundai’s new eight-speed automatic from the Genesis sedan, or keep its current six-speed unit. Interestingly, the November 12th debut listed on Hyundai’s Korean blog is nearly two months ahead of the 2013 Genesis Coupe’s anticipated North American unveil at January’s Detroit auto show.

Tags: Hyundai, Hyundai Genesis coupe |

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Subaru Set to Debut Advanced Tourer Concept at Tokyo Auto Show

The biennial Tokyo auto show always presents a handful of unique and eye-catching concepts. Few are even remotely feasible, but that just makes the weirdest ones even more interesting. The Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept, however, is one 2011 Tokyo debutant we would love to see make production in some form, in part because it is a wagon and in part because it plain looks good.

Subaru is calling the ATC a "grand touring car of the future," albeit one that is roughly as "grand" as any Impreza-size car can be. Does it preview a wagon variant of the Impreza, which is currently offered in sedan and five-door forms? Subaru says that, as a company, it "has shown the most strength in the sports wagon category," and that the ATC "demonstrates Subaru's direction toward the future." So, maybe. Hopefully.

Greetings, ATC. Audi You Do?

Bracketed by a pair of slab-sided front fenders is a face that even an Audi stylist could love (and possibly find rather familiar)-hexagonal grille, A3-like LED lights, and all. The concept flaunts its unbridled wagonness with a chunky D-pillar, but we don't expect the double-gullwing doors on any production Subaru ever, no matter how grand it may be.

An all-glass roof allows ample lighting to the ATC's four-place interior, which features a wide variety of wood and metal finishes. Among the more frightening interior innovations is a monitor in the middle of the steering wheel with which the driver can adjust audio, climate, and cruise-control settings, as well as view maps, the internet, and even TV. Rather than ponder a future of automotive autopilot, we'll suggest Subaru put that monitor back in the dash.

Powering the all-wheel-drive ATC is a 1.6-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection version of Subaru's new boxer-four. Subaru made no mention of power for either the engine or the claimed hybrid system, except to say that the engine's output is similar to "current leading turbo engines." To us, that means horsepower and torque in the neighborhood of 180. The third member in this powertrain is a CVT-Subaru plans to replace most (if not all) of its automatic transmissions with rubber bands in the future. Overall, the company says the ATC should better the fuel economy of its existing products by up to 50 percent.

Preview of the WRX/STI?

With its road-scraping stance, aggressive front end, and huge wheels, the ATC could be seen as a preview of the next-gen WRX and STI. The pair will be built on a bespoke platform but may not be much different in size from the Impreza. At the very least, expect many of this car's stylistic elements, as well as its powertrain, to appear on and in future Subarus.

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2013 Lincoln MKS Hood Revealed Ahead of L.A. Debut

We had but one major styling-related query after seeing spy photos of the 2013 Lincoln MKS: What will the hood look like? Consider that burning question answered, courtesy of the above image. Lincoln posted this teaser to its Facebook page in advance of the car’s L.A. auto show debut.

It’s clear from the spy photos that the rumored-to-be-dead waterfall grille will stick around but get a redesign with finer and more plentiful slats. The hood apparently was jealous of the flowing-H2O look and has adopted the philosophy. We’re expecting the 2013 MKT crossover to debut in L.A. with a similar nose job.

Our MKS spy photos also show new headlights as well as taillights with C-shaped LED elements. Based on changes made to the MKS’s Ford Taurus platform mate, the Lincoln should be getting some chassis and powertrain updates, as well as a reworked interior featuring the latest version of MyLincoln Touch. We’ll be seeing the camo-free MKS in L.A. next week.

Tags: 2011 L.A. auto show, Lincoln, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT |

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