The 12 Coolest Cars at the 2024 New York Auto Show (2024)

Genesis declared its intention to create a new performance-focused lineup with the near-production GV60 Magma concept on Monday. Alongside the sporty crossover, the Korean luxury brand brought its X Gran Berlinetta concept to New York. It was created for the Gran Turismo video games, but this was our first time seeing the supercar in the flesh, and it wowed with its vibrant orange paint and incredibly low-slung bodywork. Other cool details include the exposed front wheels poking through the hood and the fighter-jet-style co*ckpit.

Traveling back in time, the hulking presence of this Lamborghini LM002 dominated the exotic-car display. Only 301 examples of the "Rambo Lambo," as it came to be nicknamed, were built between 1986 and 1993, and this is one of 60 LM/American editions sold exclusively in the U.S. to finish out the production run. These were differentiated by chrome bumpers, a unique interior, and OZ alloy wheels, and the LM002 derived its 444 horsepower from the 5.2-liter V-12 engine originally found in the Countach.

Next we fast-forward into the future with the Karma Kaveya. This slippery coupe from boutique California-based Karma Automotive is an electric statement due in late 2025. Karma is planning two versions—one with rear-wheel drive and 536 horsepower and one with all-wheel drive and 1000 ponies. The svelte bodywork is fashioned from carbon fiber and is shrink-wrapped around an aluminum space frame.

Along with its bright-orange sports-car concepts, Genesis showed off its vision for electric luxury with the Neolun. This smoothly styled concept certainly has a hint of Mercedes-Maybach GLS, but it goes for a subtler look featuring lighting that sits flush with the body and relatively restrained chrome ornamentation. The cabin is where the Neolun really shines, with lush purple upholstery complemented by a classy wooden floor. This concept should heavily influence the brand's upcoming large EV SUV, expected to be called the GV90.

Tucked away in the convention center's basem*nt we found one of the coolest supercars of the 1990s, the Jaguar XJ220. As evidenced by the build plate on the inside door, this XJ220-N is the third of three racing chassis built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which had a hand in developing all XJ220s. Prepped for Group N racing, the car rides on gold BBS wheels, has a stripped-out cabin, and is significantly lighter and more powerful than the standard XJ220. The non-N versions of the sleek supercar packed a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 churning out 542 horsepower. The XJ220 even briefly held the title of fastest production car before being eclipsed by the McLaren F1, and only 272 were built.

The Rimac Nevera represents a new age of supercars, with its quartet of electric motors sending a walloping 1813 horsepower to all four wheels. This allows the Croatian-built rocket to zip to 60 mph in a claimed 1.74 seconds and through the quarter-mile in just 8.25 ticks. Rimac also claimed to have set a 258-mph top speed in 2022, and the small automaker proved its legitimacy by securing investment from Porsche and absorbing Bugatti as part of a joint venture in 2021.

The RS 2.7, considered one of the greatest classic Porsche 911s of all time, was a surprise showing among a display of old-school Porsches at the show. The RS was created to hom*ologate the Group 4 GT race cars for competition, and it wore wider wheel arches and the now-iconic ducktail spoiler. It also packed a fuel-injected flat-six that was enlarged to 2.7 liters, producing 210 horsepower and becoming one of the quickest sports cars of its era. In total, Porsche made just 1580 examples.

The Javits Center's basem*nt featured a large display of classic Japanese sports cars, and this 1997 Toyota Supra Turbo 15th Anniversary Edition caught our eye. This example appears to be entirely stock, from the curved rear wing to the chrome five-spoke wheels. The 15th Anniversary model was essentially only differentiated by gold fender badges, but seeing a unmodified Supra among a sea of customized Mk IVs was special enough.

While the Macan EV may not be quite as exciting as the rest of the cars on this list, it was our first chance to check out the Macan EV in the flesh since its reveal in January. The electric take on Porsche's popular SUV looked sharp and featured Porsche's typically excellent interior fit and finish. The screens looked crisp and the studded toggle switches on the center console were satisfying to the touch. We look forward to driving the Macan EV soon, in both 402-hp base spec and 630-hp Turbo trim.

And now for something completely different. This Stutz Blackhawk was the product of a late-'60s revival of the Stutz Motor Company, which had built impressive sports cars from 1911 to 1935. Styled by the legendary Virgil Exner, the reborn Blackhawk was built from 1971 to 1987 with a wide array of American V-8 engines, originally using Pontiac Grand Prix underpinnings. The Blackhawk cost $22,500 in 1971, equivalent to roughly $175,000 today, and attracted a slew of celebrity owners. The first Stutz built in 1971 was purchased by none other than Elvis Presley.

We know, this is the third Porsche on the list, but we just had to include it, especially after experiencing the visceral wail of its 518-hp 4.0-liter flat-six engine at Lightning Lap. This is the special "Tribute to Carrera RS" edition, which sports a white paint job with Python Green accents, including the lightweight magnesium wheels that are part of the Weissach package. That package also adds carbon-fiber anti-roll bars, plenty of exposed carbon fiber, and magnesium shift paddles.

To mix things up, we'll finish with this Honda S2000. Widely considered one of the most enjoyable sports cars of the 2000s, the rear-wheel-drive S2000 weighed less than 2800 pounds and had a 240-hp inline-four that revved all the way to 8300 rpm and was hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission. This example was one of the most attractive modified cars in the aforementioned Japanese-car display, with an aggressive-but-not-overdone body kit and lovely white wheels. There's something for enthusiasts of all persuasions at the New York auto show.