2016 Topic Hub » Page 81 of 107

2016 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Is Updated for Home-Town Chicago Auto Show

February 17, 2019February 13, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The Chicago Ford assembly plant was both one of the first city-center auto factories outside Detroit, and is now one of the sole surviving plants nearly 100 years later. Located just minutes from McCormick Place where the Chicago Auto Show is held, the Explorer Police Interceptor is a proud home-town hero in the Windy City. The big irony about the Explorer and Taurus cop cars — officially called the Ford Police Interceptor Utliilty and Sedan, respectively — is that the Chicago Police have not used them. You’d think they would want the AWD capability, modern fuel-economy and great tech of …

2016 Volvo XC90 Hits 16,000 Pre-Orders So Far + 38 New Dynamic Photos

February 17, 2019February 12, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The 2016 XC90 is easily the most important Volvo in the last five years. Scoring a hit with buyers is a make-or-break venture for the much-loved Swedish car brand. A simple refresh with new cabin tech, design and exterior upgrades might have secured a 30-percent sales increase all on its out. The previous scenario assumes carry-over powertrains. Volvo has not taken that route. The new strategy is an all-new platform with standard plug-in hybrid tech, a T6 power level and T8 setup with 400-horsepower. If the old gains might have been modest, the new XC90 is looking set to …

2016 Toyota Avalon Brings New Suspension Tuning, LED + Tech Upgrades and Top-line Touring Trim

February 17, 2019February 12, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The 2016 Toyota Avalon is refreshed for Chicago including a number of tweaks to the current style and trim levels, plus a loaded Touring trim to top the model line with sporty dark-grey wheels and grille. All 2016 Avalons benefit from enhanced chassis tuning — with the suspension now delivering a better sport and comfort ride compromise than the current model. Shifted a bit too far toward sporty springs in its 2012 refresh, the Avalon in this generation was never too happy either cruising or handling tight bends at speed. We hope the new model addresses this unhappy handling …

2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept 2

2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept Packs Fresh Splitters, Wheels, and Sills for Chicago

February 17, 2019February 12, 2015 by Tom Burkart

Sweet BBS alloys in gloss-black, splitters all around, a Brembo big brake kit and even a luggage rack atop the trunk for those cross-country trips?! We’ll take them all except that luggage rack, thank-you-very-much! 2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept MAZDA UNVEILS 2016 MX-5 MIATA ACCESSORIES CONCEPT DESIGN AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The only thing better than the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a personalized 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, where the first-generation MX-5 Miata was introduced to the world in 1989, Mazda revealed an MX-5 …

3.6s 2016 BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe Updated With Latest 6-Series Tech and Style

February 17, 2019February 11, 2015 by Tom Burkart

We really wondered about the just-released-in-the-US Alpina B6 for 2015. How would this sync with the overall 635i, 650i and M6 Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe that are all packing barely-noticeable updates? Luckily, the Aplina B6 benefits from these ultra-subtle tweaks for 2016. We recently spotted (what the owner said) was the first B6 GC on the East Coast, after falling hard for the first USA B6 GC at a BMW event in Pebble Beach. 2015 BMW Alpina B6 (current model) The biggest change to spot is that the current car has its LED indicator elements below the main …

2016 Acura ILX COLORS – All Six Shades in Flawless Animated Turntables

February 17, 2019February 10, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The new 2016 Acura ILX A-Spec proves that the TLX was not a fluke — Acura is indeed on a roll. The A-Spec ILX is priced from $32,000 and includes a sportier body kit, sill extensions, a rear spoiler and foglamps in the deeper front bumper. It is also sportier inside with a dark headliner and alloy accents for the pedals. So, which color to choose? There are six shades available, but it looks like Basque Red II is not available for the A-Spec trim. No official word on when the new ILX will arrive in showrooms, but we’d shoot …

2016 Acura ILX A-SPEC Makes Credible, Playful and Chic Audi A3-Fighter

February 17, 2019February 10, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The first-gen Acura ILX did not do it for us. It seemed too much like a lightly-upfitted Civic to really turn heads, and its design never appealed much either. But for 2016, the ILX takes huge advances on the performance, style and tech realms. The new eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic is a peppy and responsive playmate for the 201-horsepower 2.4-liter engine, while even the new design is actually quite cool. ILX is bit more handsome than the Audi A3? What is happening!?! Even the much-maligned Acura single-bar grille is suddenly much cooler, with a sharp and three-dimensional new shape making it …

Update1 – 2016 Mazda CX-5 Goes From Good To Great

February 17, 2019February 7, 2015 by Tom Burkart

The Mazda CX-5 just went from one of the best crossovers available to perhaps the single best under $30,000. The changes for 2016 include a freshened exterior via a more premium dark-grey grille in a smaller shape, dark-accented wheels and more body-colored accents. Stylish new LED lighting in a cool and expressive design are standard front and rear, plus LED main beam headlamps for the first time. These Adaptive LED Headlights are part of a suite of new safety tech for the CX-5 and a redesigned cabin infotainment setup. Mazda MZD, this new tech package has a larger screen and …

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2015 Toyota Camry and Corolla Special Editions + Revised Avalon Set For Chicago Launch

February 17, 2019February 5, 2015 by Tom Burkart

Toyota is really on the pulse of culture and style like never before: the best-selling Camry and Corolla have been tweaked for added coolness just ahead of the Chicago Auto Show. There is also a revised 2016 Avalon on the agenda: with tweaked LED designs, updated chassis tuning and a bit of cabin sprucing all likely. Sporty and enthusiast preferences are reflected in the new Camry and Corolla Special Editions – creating the trendy and chic style that guys and gals like us have used to aftermarket to achieve. But as ever, buying a Camry or Corolla can be done …