While we give props to New York City and Los Angeles on their auto-show prowess, we were not about to leave the Bay Area out of the picture. Why? Because our ‘LLERO on the ground scoped out the 59th Annual San Francisco Auto Show and captured quite a few good looks at some sweet rides. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, so will just let the flicks do the talking.
Toyota Mirai
Ever the company on top of new technology Toyota rolled out a tricked-out version of their hydrogen car offering in the form of the Toyota Mirai. A Back to the Future inspired version appeared at this year’s New York Auto Show, but for the Bay Area Toyota got serious and rolled out an anime inspired model.
Toyota Prius Prime
The Mirai wasn’t all Toyota brought to the show. It also displayed it’s latest version of the acclaimed Prius. Touted as the most advanced hybrid vehicle yet, the 2017 Prius Prime sure looks the part. The exterior remains consistent, yet the interior and tech ups it’s game in a major way. First, it contains color head-up display – in plain English it projects information about your ride on to the wind shield – think Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Second, it learns your routes and breaking habits and will alert you when to stop and accelerate, all with the purpose of saving fuel. Finally, there is the sweet iPad like console, allowing you to swipe, pinch and click your way to a smartphone experience during your drive.
Pagani Huayra
This Italian mid-engine sports car was named “The Hypercar of the Year 2012” by Top Gear magazine. In 2015 it was reported that the Pagani Huayra has been sold out. The Huayra was limited to just 100 units. Conclusion it’s the holy grail of sports cars. Fast, sleek and hard to find, unless of course you made it to the Bay Area!
Lamborghini Huracan
The Huracan was awarded supercar of the year in 2014. Named after the Mayan god of wind, storm and fire the Huracan was the replacement for the Gallardo. At price tag of $200K, you need a god-like salary to afford it…but a man can dream. Or simply admire some good old car porn.
Audi R8 V10 Plus
Audi was touting its latest R8 model as the race care that is street smart. After getting a look at the tech we’d have to agree. The interior is essentially a cockpit that is Google Earth™ enabled so the R8 can help you smartly navigate just about any street. Add in the available Bang & Olufsen® Sound System and you’ll have a soundtrack that complements the engine like nothing else can. We just think it looks sweet.
Acura NSX
Acura has thrown its hat into the hybrid sports car arena, by reaching back to its past. After over more than a decade of absence it has brought back the NSX. The 2017 version differs significantly from its early 2000’s forefathers. Where the original NSX focused on lightweight and naturally aspirated 8,000-rpm power and a manual (or optional automatic) transmission, the new NSX features a twin-turbo engine combined with a hybrid setup, and dual-clutch transmission. Yeah, it’s not your daddy’s NSX!
