2016 Toyota Tacoma Bows With New Powertrains in Detroit

2016 Toyota Tacoma Bows With New Powertrains in Detroit
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Arrives in America
2016 Acura NSX Finally Revealed
Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Boasts New ‘Ring’ Record
Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS Does Retro Just Right
Watch the 2016 Acura NSX World Premiere Live Streaming Online

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Toyota is notorious for unveiling "new" vehicles that use the same engines as their predecessor. Luckily for perspective Tacoma buyers, that isn't the case this time.

Revealed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the new 2016 Tacoma will be available with an all-new 3.5-liter V6 Atkinson cycle engine that uses Toyota's D-4S technology, featuring both direct and port fuel injection. Based on the 3.5-liter V6 in other Toyota applications, the engine is expected to produce roughly 300 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque.

There will be a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine available with the truck as well. Power from both engines will be sent through a new six-speed automatic transmission while the V6 can be paired to a new six-speed manual.

2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

Five trim levels will be available on the Tacoma, all of which can be had in two- or four-wheel drive. From bottom to top they are: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road and Limited. All of the trucks receive new suspension tuning and the increased use of high-strength steel in the frame, through the TRD Off-Road get the most enhancements. Those include an automatic limited slip and locking rear differential, hill start assist, crawl control and multi-terrain select system which allows drivers to to choose loose rock mode, sand mode or mud mode.

And to make sure you capture all of the fun, every Tacoma now has a standard GoPro mount located near the rear-view mirror.

Styling on the new midsize truck is mostly borrowed from the Tundra, with available wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 18 inches. Out back, a new locking tailgate has been fitted that features 'Tacoma' stamped directly into its sheet metal, another trick from the Tundra's playbook. A new tri-fold tonneau cover is also now available.

The insides of the truck get an overhaul as well, with the list of new features including wireless device charging, a push-button ignition, leather seat upholstery, a power moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, a new touchscreen audio unit and blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert. Toyota also says the truck is quieter on the inside thanks to the use of enhanced seals, a multi-layer acoustic windshield, sound-absorbing headliner and a floor silencer pad.

Have questions about the new 2016 Tacoma? Post them here at we'll put them to the truck's chief engineer during a live stream at the Detroit Auto Show.

GALLERY: 2016 Toyota Tacoma Live Photos

GALLERY: 2016 Toyota Tacoma

GALLERY: 2016 Toyota Tacoma Official Photos

Discuss this story at our Toyota Forum

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Arrives in America

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Alfa Romeo's lightweight 4C convertible made its world premier today at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

Like its coupe sibling, the 4C Spider is based on a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and uses a 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mounted behind the passenger compartment. It delivers 237 hp, which in combination with 258 lb-ft of torque is more than enough to offer powerful acceleration thanks in large part to how little the car weighs.

"With a removable carbon fiber hard top the 4C Spider takes the Coupe's supercar level of performance and technology and 'opens it up' allowing the driver to experience the incredible 4C from an entirely different perspective," Fiat North America boss Reid Bigland said.

2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The car still relies on a six-speed twin-clutch transmission, but some small changes will arrive along with the convertible model. Alfa Romeo will offer a new "Akrapovic" dual-mode exhaust system with center-mounted tips at the rear with carbon fiber pieces surrounding the mouths. That exhaust will be available as an option late in the model year after the 4C Spider begins arriving in North America this summer.

In coupe form, the 4C is an especially focused performance vehicle with almost nothing but base essentials in the cabin and that is true with this car as well. It gets two composite framed sport seats, a stereo head unit, buttons to select the drive direction and a switch to pick the drive modes. The steering wheel is devoid of buttons and there isn't even power steering, not that it's necessary with the 4C.

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2016 Acura NSX Finally Revealed

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After years of anticipation Acura has finally revealed its new NSX supercar at the Detroit Auto Show with plenty of details.

Unfortunately those details don't include the one particular statistic fans are most desperate for: horsepower.

True, a car is far more than just a three digit number. The original NSX proved that, challenging Ferraris of its era with just 270 hp. Still, engine output is plenty important.

What is known is that the NSX is confirmed to have a mid-mounted twin-turbo V6 engine mated to the brand's new sport hybrid Super Handling AWD. That hybrid system includes three electric motors with a rear-drive motor located between the engine and transmission while the front axle gets twin electric motors that allow for left-to-right torque vectoring.

UPDATE: Acura has said the car will make more than 550-hp!

2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The transmission is a new nine-speed dual-clutch automatic that Acura claims will offer "synapse-quick" gear changes with rev-matching downshifts.

Acura is insistent that the driver will take precedent in its new "human-centered supercar," with the car responding to the will of the will of the driver.

"Our commitment was to create an all-new NSX that is true to the heritage of NSX; a supercar that delivers a new driving experience, one where every part of the vehicle is respectful of the smartest part of the car, the driver," said Acura senior VP Mike Accavitti. "The soul of a car is the emotional connection it makes with the driver. With the NSX, that connection will be intense and immediate."

While it may look remarkably like the NSX concept that first debuted in 2013, the car has actually grown and is now three inches longer and one inch wider, while the cabin sits slightly forward. Compared to the original NSX the car is three inches longer and five inches wider.

The car's weight also remains a mystery, though like its predecessor (the world's first car to use a completely aluminum body) the new NSX makes use of advanced materials. The car's central floor structure is made of carbon fiber, while the rest of the body is a space frame design made of aluminum and ultra-high strength steel. The body panels are made of aluminum and a new lightweight material known as sheet molding composite (SMC).

As a result of these components as well as efforts to concentrate the car's drivetrain components centrally and low to the ground Acura claims the NSX will have the lowest center of gravity of any car in its class.

SEE ALSO: 2005 Acura NSX vs Alfa Romeo 4C

But if you're still looking for stats; power hits the ground through 245/35Z R19 front and 295/30Z R20 rear ContiSportContact tires, inside which can be found six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers with carbon ceramic brakes.

Another trait of the original NSX that engineers worked to maintain was its everyday ease of use. The Human Support Cockpit "provides exceptional driver control, visibility and packaging, but further advanced to meet the extreme performance expectations of a modern supercar," NSX interior designer Johnathan Norman said.

As a result, the NSX won't just deliver an intuitive driving sensation but will also offer excellent forward visibility, intuitive controls, class-leading ergonomics and seats that are easy to get into and out of. Whatever those exact specs are, they'd bore you into a coma, but actual owners are certain to appreciate them.

Replacing conventional gauges is a full TFT display screen, while located low on the dash is a Integrated Dynamics System control knob with settings for Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track modes, each of which adjust gasoline engine and electric motor response as well as the characteristics of the transmission, chassis and engine sound.

Quiet mode activates a short-distance electric only driving mode, while the car will also offer a launch control setting, making the most of its electric motors and all-wheel drive.

The final spec that's left unexplored is the price with no dollar value given. . . yet. An MSRP will soon be announced, however, with Acura accepting orders in the summer and deliveries later in 2015.

GALLERY: 2016 Acura NSX Live Photos

GALLERY: 2016 Acura NSX Official Photos

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Boasts New ‘Ring’ Record

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There is a new king in the land of fast SUVs and it's the 2016 Cayenne Turbo S.

Able to turn a lap of just 7:59.74 minutes at the famed Nürburgring, the Cayenne Turbo S doesn't just break the eight minute mark but also becomes the fastest production SUV to ever lap that course.

At the forefront of this performance is a 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 pumping out 570 HP and 590 lb-ft. of torque. That's an increase of 20 HP and 37 lb-ft. compared to the 2014 Turbo S and should be good enough for a 0 to 62 MPH blast in just 4.1 seconds. Top speed is also a very un-SUV-like 176 MPH. There's an optional sport exhaust system for those who want to hear the full force of turbocharged V8 engine that uses a sound symposer to feed extra V8 goodness into the cabin.

2015 Detroit Auto Show Complete Coverage

But an engine alone can't break the eight minute mark on the Nürburgring. The Cayenne Turbo S comes standard with composite ceramic brakes that are squeezed by an unbelievable pair of ten-piston calipers up front. The suspension utilizes Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control that actively works to reduce body roll when cornering.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus will further help the Cayenne Turbo S clip apexes by braking the inside rear wheel to help rotate the SUV faster. Finally, Porsche Traction Management is also included that sends the majority of power to the rear wheels, but will split more to the front when needed.

The Turbo S rolls on 21-inch wheels and features a few exterior tweaks to differentiate it from regular Cayenne Turbo models. The Cayenne Turbo S is expected to on sale later this spring.

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Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS Does Retro Just Right

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Porsche is celebrating 50 years of selling the 911 Targa this year by offering a higher-performing GTS model on display for the first time this week.

Like other 911 GTS variants, the Targa comes with an uprated version of the company's 3.8-liter flat six that makes 430 hp, or a 7.5 percent increase over the Targa 4S that this model improves on. It stop speed is just above 184 MPH and is capable of running from 0-62 MPH (100 km/h) in 4.3 seconds with Porsche's seven-speed PDK transmission.

This car's front end looks more aggressive with an additional opening for the auxiliary center radiator. It also gets headlights with black inner structures to help set it apart in the model range. As with the other 991 generation Targa, the rear glass panel raises to allow the roof panel to tuck away underneath it automatically.

2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The package also includes gloss black 20-inch 911 Turbo S wheels with center locks and "GTS" badges on the doors. Porsche's decision to offer a GTS version of the Targa 4 adds yet another model to the already crowded 911 lineup, bringing the total number that will be on sale in 2015 to 20.

Porsche adds black Alcantara seat inserts and arm rests and for the GTS model along with a SportDesign steering wheel rim, roof liner and shift knob.

Watch the 2016 Acura NSX World Premiere Live Streaming Online

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After two years of waiting it's finally here.

Almost.

Set to be revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show, watch the world premiere of the new Acura NSX supercar on our live stream below.

Car Reviews

Monday, 12 January 2015