Detroit Auto Show 2016: the cars, news, and excitement of NAIAS – The Verge

The wonderful, unexpected return of the luxury coupe

2016-01-15T11:57:11-05:00

If you want to win the hearts of cynical car journalists at an auto show, dazzle them with the unveiling of an unexpected luxury coupe concept. Buick, the GM brand that's struggled with its old-guy image over the past few decades, opted to use the stage of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) this week to make a powerful statement about its identity. Last Sunday, Buick unveiled its vision for a luxury concept coupe - the Buick Avista, a classic two-door looker.

The "coupe," a term with French origins, refers to a two-door body style and dates back to the turn of the 20th century. It is typically smaller and more svelte in prop …

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The US Department of Transportation is trying to fix self-driving rules before they break

2016-01-14T13:30:02-05:00

US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx took to the Detroit Auto Show today to announce a series of initiatives around autonomous driving, seemingly designed to ease concerns that overly restrictive regulations would inhibit automakers and suppliers from effectively testing and producing self-driving cars. Participants in the press conference today include GM, Ford, Tesla, Volvo, Fiat Chrysler, Delphi (which is working on self-driving components for a number of major automakers), and Google.

Foxx says that within six months, his agency will work with states, manufacturers, and others to develop a "model" state policy for autonomous cars …

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The 2016 Detroit Auto Show in pictures

2016-01-13T15:38:52-05:00

The first major auto show of the year is in Detroit, which is appropriate considering that the Motor City is the spiritual home of the automobile. (Then again, you could argue it's inappropriate because Detroit winters are no joke, but it's still always worth the trip.) As usual, a nice cross-section of the industry came to play at the 2016 show - little electric hatchbacks, big sports coupes, and basically everything in between.

For all of our coverage of the show, start with the StoryStream here. And when you're done with that, come back and check out some of our favorite photo from in and around the glitzy, glamorous NAIAS floor.

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Detroit Auto Show 2016: the most interesting cars of the show

2016-01-13T12:42:33-05:00

With another North American International Auto Show in the history books, it's time to look back and reflect (which, admittedly, is difficult to do when our brains are still reeling from CES just a few days ago). Detroit was a surprisingly exciting affair, with a trio of major luxury sports coupe announcements - the Buick Avista, Lexus LC, and Infiniti Q60 - plus the public debut of the BMW M2. The Chevy Bolt, shown first at CES, was still a big deal at NAIAS, attracting throngs of media for the entire two days we were there. And Hyundai launched an entirely new brand!

Let's get into it with our team on the ground, Jordan Golson, Sean O'Kan …

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With the LC 500, it’s time to show Lexus some respect

2016-01-12T12:25:32-05:00

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This is The Harper Spin, a weekly column from seasoned auto critic Jason H. Harper. He's raced at Le Mans, crushed a car in a 50-ton tank, and now, he's bringing his unique style to The Verge.

Lexus is the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world. No matter what the company does, it never seems to get any respect.

The company revealed the LC 500 sports coupe yesterday at the Detroit Auto Show. This two door, which has two small rear seats, has been in the works since the LF-LC concept was presented in Detroit four years ago. It will go to production as a 2017 model.

As usual, some critics will probably discount the spindle grill and ov …

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Lincoln hopes to reinvent itself with the new Continental executive sedan

2016-01-12T11:18:21-05:00

Lincoln unveiled the production version of its Continental executive sedan at the Detroit Auto Show this morning. The presentation was heavily focused on lifestyle and the experience of driving the car, rather than on performance specs and niggling details like the price.

It all started with a jazz band featuring a truly stunning female vocalist who, rather unexpectedly, blew the doors off the joint. Tech companies take note, it was a massive improvement over the dub wub wub wub wub that infects the press conferences of CES.

Lincoln then spent most of the press conference showcasing the interior - especially the technological bits. The Con …

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GM just trolled Tesla in the most subtle way possible

2016-01-12T10:05:31-05:00

At NAIAS this week, GM released battery and motor specs for the upcoming Bolt EV. Reader's Digest version: 60 kWh battery, 200 horsepower. That's cool.

GM also released a new batch of press photos to go along with the announcement. Look at that photo above.

Now zoom in:

That's the intersection outside Tesla's Palo Alto facility. GM literally used Bolt test mules to pull off a trollish drive-by photo opp of the industry's hottest electric car company.

Elon Musk loves a good, well-timed jab, and this is about as well-timed as they come: Musk is expected to unveil the Tesla Model 3, an affordable electric that'll compete with the Bolt, this …

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Acura’s Precison Concept is weirdly beautiful up close

2016-01-12T09:07:48-05:00

Acura's concept car at this year's Detroit Auto Show, the Precision Concept, is basically a textbook for Acura's new design language, which means you're going to see many of the elements on this car in new, real Acura models in the very near future.

It's good news, then, that the Precision Concept looks kind of great.

The proportions of the car lend it a "four-door coupe" feel in the same vein as cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS and BMW 6 Gran Coupe: long and low. The rear suicide doors almost certainly won't make it to production - nor will the "floating" rear seats that are supported by buckets connected to the side sills - but many of th …

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Acura’s Precision Concept looks nothing like an Acura

2016-01-12T08:15:02-05:00

Few automakers need a breath of fresh, creative air as much Acura does. Sure, the upcoming NSX helps - but the rest of the lineup (read: the part that normal people can afford), peppered with boring blocks of angular metal, just doesn't inspire much emotion.

That's where the Precision Concept comes into play, introduced at NAIAS in Detroit today. It looks almost nothing like an Acura, and there are very, very few design elements that evoke any Acuras that are currently on the road. As the name implies, this isn't a real car - rather, it's a design study that gestures toward "a bolder, more distinctive future" for the brand's upcoming models …

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This is the Lincoln Continental, a plush luxury sedan for backseat drivers

2016-01-12T00:01:03-05:00

Ford Motor Company has long struggled to reclaim the pizazz that made its luxury marque, Lincoln, among the most beautiful nameplates of the mid-century. It's a storied brand that dates back to Henry Ford's son, Edsel Ford, who had a very different philosophy than his strictly-business father. Edsel, not Henry, founded the Detroit Institute of Arts. He led the company's efforts to build a war arsenal in World War II. He commissioned the first Lincoln Continental concept as his personal car to show off on his 1939 Florida vacation. Edsel set the tone for a Hollywood-style glamour takeover of the auto industry: Elvis Presley, Liz Taylor, and F …

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