On this day in 2015, the annual North American International Auto Show closed following more than a week of exciting debuts. At the show, spectators and press were treated to the public debut of a number of vehicles. Should you have attended you may have witnessed the unveiling of cars such as the 2016 BMW 6 Series M6, 2016 Cadillac CTS-V, 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, 2015 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG, 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel, 2016 Range Rover Td6 and the 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country. There are a few interesting cars on the list, but not much to write home about. Of course, if you saw them pull the cover off of the 2017 Ford GT or the 2017 Acura NSX you’d like prefer to drive one of those home.
The first generation Ford GT is a two seat, mid-engine sports car that hit the market for the 2005 model year, paying homage to the original Le Mans winning Ford GT40. After a run of 4,038 cars that ended on September 30, 2006, the plug got pulled. But that’s not all she wrote. Development of a second generation GT soon began under a veil of secrecy. Very few people knew of the car’s development, resulting in massive awe upon its unveiling at NAIAS in 2015.
The new Ford GT, which came to market for the 2017 model year, is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6 connected to a seven speed Getreg dual clutch transmission. Originally rated at 647 horsepower, 2020 model year GTs and newer saw an increase to 660hp. The car runs the quarter mile in 0.8 seconds at 134 mph and can hit a speed of 170 miles per hour in just over 21 seconds. Ford planned to produce around 1,350 Ford GTs before production ended in 2022.
Another revitalized sports car that debuted at the 2015 NAIAS was the Honda/Acura NSX. It debuted following a ten year hiatus since the first generation NSX (1990-2005) ended production. The updated version is powered by a 3,493 cc twin-turbo V6 connected to a nine speed dual clutch transmission. The car has a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.9 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 191 mph. Less than 3,000 units were sold before production ended in 2022.
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