Last night the LABS619 team attended the annual New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City to peruse the upcoming trends in the industry for 2016.
As one of the world’s premiere automotive showcases, NYIAS boasts over four floors of displays from manufacturers throughout the world featuring their newest offerings and concept vehicles.
But while the show attracts thousands of novice car enthusiasts annually, Felix Velez (CEO and Founder of LABS619) had a very specific reason for attending this year – getting in touch with the latest model muscle cars for the upcoming MMC Competition being presented by LABS619 this summer.
Velez said it was a good show with a nice display of cars as usual– particularly the Dodge/Chrysler section, which featured a color-coordinated array of muscle.
Favorites included the Dodge Charger Hellcat featuring a 6.2L V8 engine and the 2016 Chevy Camaro, which also has a 6.2 option along with their 2.0 4-cylinder and 3.6 V6 offerings.
Muscle VS Eco
The throwback look and power of muscle cars is an industry trend that was seen at the SEMA Show back in November as well.
But there is, of course, still a booming eco-friendly and hybrid explosion going on which was also visible at many of the manufacturers displays at NYIAS.
Velez likened the muscle/hybrid juxtaposition to an instance of history repeating itself when America first flexed its muscle with (now) classic cars like the Camaro and Mustang.
“We’re seeing now what happened back in the 70’s,” Velez said. “When the Japanese introduced their models – smaller, more efficient, less pollution. It’s a good thing if it works.”
One thing apparently not working for Japanese manufacturer Toyota is their Scion line, whose impending death was announced earlier this year.
2016 will be the last year Scion models are manufactured under that marque – and it was evident from their sparse showing at NYIAS this year.
“Their display last year was so super and big,” said Velez. “This year it was reduced.”
So with these two big industry trends in mind, what about some sort of eco-friendly/muscle hybrid car in the future?
Not likely, says Velez.
“You either want to be green or you want to get dirty,” he said with a smile.
Special Exhibits
This year’s NYIAS also featured a special Trans Am exhibit – a classic muscle car whose rebirth was foretold with at SEMA in 2015, marking the trend towards power noted by Velez.
Even the New York Police Department featured some mixed muscle in their display.
“They had a state car there which was a Hellcat with the Hemi in it,” said Velez.
Next to the new muscle power were vintage vehicles in the NYPD exhibit featuring police cars throughout the year sure to bring back childhood memories for many.
“It was good to see [the classics] because those cars were good cars,” Velez said. “Today they still use them.”
Sign up for more
Velez said the themes noted in this year’s show are sure to have a significant impact on LABS619 events for the upcoming season. Followers and friends are encouraged to sign up for the LABS619 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest events.
In the meantime, there’s still time to check out NYIAS if you’re interested in seeing some cars up close and personal yourself. The show runs through Sunday, April 3rd.
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