The Race Cars at the New York Auto Show

In progress now until Sunday April 3, the New York International Auto Show is chock full of current models, recently launched prototypes, supercars, classic cars, and the latest in alternative fuel and transportation. Plus – race cars: the striped and halo-ed eye candy that is the object of the admiring glances of many attendees. There were several new reveals in racing at NYIAS. The first to be revealed was Honda’s Civic to be driven in Red Bull Global Rallycross by OMSE teammates Joni Wiman and Sebastian Eriksson. While it was on the show floor for the media days, it sadly disappeared before the show opened to the public. Honda does have the 2015 Rahal Dallara Honda IndyCar on view.

Perhaps the most stunning, however, was the Acura NSX GT3 twin-turbo V6. We should hopefully start seeing it in the wild in 2017 racing in Pirelli World Challenge and Blancpain Endurance Series. The NSX is on the show floor for the entire show, as is the Acura TLX GT race car.

Ryan Millen’s RAV4 rally car was also on the floor with the trucks during media days, but Toyota pulled a bait & switch. There is a RAV4 with Millen’s livery, but it’s clearly a factory model, sans roll cage, SPARCO seats, and all of the other gear of the real deal. Still, if you go on the public days, you can squint and pretend. Toyota is the host with the most, though, with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Camrys on the main show floor, and the pace car for Watkin’s Glen.