New York show had surprises

The 2026 New York Auto Show looked, at a glance, like two different events under one roof: a cautious industry pitching practical, wallet-friendly electrified cars on the main floor, and a quieter, exuberant scene of bespoke performance cars and off‑road rigs tucked into the Javits basements. (nationaltoday.com) The show opened at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on April 3 and runs through April 12, folding dozens of manufacturers and a test track into a compact, ten‑day program. (autoshowny.com) On the main floor, exhibitors emphasized affordability and flexibility: small electric models, plug‑in hybrids, and more conservative EV rollouts aimed at buyers who still worry about price and range. Automakers have been scaling back splashy, headline-grabbing debuts and instead focused on models that match what customers actually shop for. (nationaltoday.com) Downstairs, the mood was different. The basements hosted the R2XPO custom area, a camp‑Jeep off‑road course, and displays of classic restorations and heavily modified cars where builders could show parts, suspension travel, and wild styling without the corporate press‑day gloss above. The result was a show that felt split between industry caution and gearhead impulse. (autoshowny.com) Two machines that mostly avoided the center of attention made that contrast literal. Karma Automotive’s Amaris sat quietly in a corner, a low two‑door grand tourer whose electric performance breathes through an extended‑range setup rather than a big standalone battery pack. Karma markets the Amaris as an EREV — an electric drive that gets most of its power from batteries, with a small internal‑combustion generator to recharge the batteries on the road — and bills the car at roughly 708 horsepower with production penciled in for late 2026. (karmaautomotive.com) (autoblog.com) EREV means you drive on electric motors like any EV for most tasks, but when the batteries run low a gasoline engine runs to recharge them, extending range without the big weight and cost of a huge battery. That tradeoff appeals when buyers worry about charging infrastructure or sticker shock but still want instant electric torque and silent cruising. (karmaautomotive.com) The other under‑the‑radar headline was a Porsche 911 GT3 RS fitted by Manthey Racing. Manthey’s kit leaves the GT3 RS’s 4.0‑liter flat‑six and its 518 hp intact but adds an array of aero and chassis changes — canards, roof fins, a massive carbon‑fiber wing with a drag‑reduction system, and semi‑active coilovers — that the company says generate more than 1,000 kilograms of downforce at about 285 kph (177 mph). The conversions are designed to make an already extreme road car behave like a race car while remaining street‑legal. (autoblog.com) Seen together, the Amaris and the Manthey 911 tell the show’s story: manufacturers hedging between practical electrification and the durable appetite for performance and craftsmanship. The Amaris is slated to enter production in the fourth quarter of 2026. (karmaautomotive.com)