Detroit Motor Show Opens To Public With New Ford GT, VLF Force 1, And Self-Driving Audi On Display

The 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is underway, and car enthusiasts can expect to see some spectacular automotive sights.

The new Ford GT is on display, this time in white. Produced by Ford Performance, the elite branch of Ford’s operations, the new GT features a twin-turbo, 3.5L engine that can produce more than 600 horsepower. The car will be priced around $400,000, reports MLive, with a limited production run, and only 200 expected to be sold in 2016. The GT is made from lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminium, which combine to form what Ford describes as an “optimum tear-drop shape” and an “aircraft-inspired fuselage.”

Audi revealed their H-tron Quattro, a concept model that features a new hydrogen fuel system and autonomous technology. According to Auto Express, the H-tron is powered by a 110 kW hydrogen fuel cell and has a performance ratio of one kilogram of hydrogen per 100km (62 miles). The system produces 308bhp and 550Nm of torque, can reach 0-62mph in less than seven seconds, and has a top speed of 124mph.

The concept vehicle has a video camera, radar, laser scanner, and ultrasonic sensors, plus Audi’s latest ZFAS computer system to guide its autonomous capabilities. The H-tron can drive itself up to 40mph, let drivers take their hands off the wheel in short bursts, park itself, and navigate traffic jams automatically. In the cabin, there is a panoramic curved OLED screen in place of dials, a touch-sensitive steering wheel, internet connectivity, and tablet-style screens for rear-seat passengers.

The H-Tron provides some positive publicity that Audi will find welcome, a couple of weeks after its brand new R8 was involved in a customer test accident. In December, the 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus belonging to an Audi dealership in Watford, England, crashed as a prospective customer took it for a test drive, an nightmare incident that would’ve had car dealers checking their motor trade insurance. In slippery conditions, the car flipped over with extensive damage sustained to the roof and engine bay, but the front end was completely destroyed. Fortunately, both driver and passenger were reported to be safe.

The second generation of the popular R8 was introduced at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, with notable changes to the exterior and interior. Hitting 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, via 610 bhp and 920 Torque, the R8 V10 Plus will sell for $200,000.

Also, on show is the Force 1 from VLF Automotive — a joint venture of manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal, auto engineer Bob Lutz, and auto designer Henrik Fisker.

The $268,500 supercar boasts a Mopa 10-cylinder, 8.4-liter engine, and a lightweight Gorilla Glass windshield — typically used for smartphone screens — which helps enhance the car’s acceleration, braking and fuel efficiency. With 745 horsepower, the Force 1 has a projected 0-to-60 time of three seconds and a top speed of 218 mph.

The interior is fitted wth a mixture of leather and suede upholstery, paddle-shift automatic is optional, and between its seats, the Force 1 has a holder for a pair of wine bottles, which can be exchanged for fire bottles when on the track.

VLF plans to build 50 examples of the Force 1 and aims to sell out by the end of 2017. The supercar appeared despite legal threats from Fisker former employer, Aston Martin, who demanded that he withdraw the Force 1 from the auto show or change its design to differentiate it from his past designs.

Lexus also used the show to present the company’s new flagship car — the LC5000 — A sleek coupe, showing that Lexus can do sexy as well as practical. The petrol-electric will use a new technical approach to transform Lexus hybrid sportiness, and features a 5.0-litre V8 as the base engine. The LC5000 has a projected $100k price, and will go on sale in 2017.

[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]