Anaheim, CA — The Anaheim Convention Center was home to the Orange County International Auto Show on Thursday, October 3rd. Auto brands such as Ford, Toyota, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati and others, were in attendance displaying their newest models.
The banquet rooms were filled with cars of all shapes and sizes so I decided to key in on the sports cars on the events’ first day.
As I walked through the entrance, the first sports car I encountered was the Ford Shelby GT 500. Ford produced its fastest Shelby model ever thanks to a new seven-speed clutch transmission developed by Tremec. It allows the new GT500 to sprint from 0-100 mph back to zero in only 10.6 seconds.
As I made my way to the Chevrolet section of the auto show, I came across the new 2020 Corvette Stingray. This year’s model will feature a retractable hardtop roof for the first time ever in the model’s history. The 2020 model also features the first dual-clutch in Corvette history, giving drivers much faster shifts.
Not a fan of the bulkier sports cars? Well, the next sports car on display was the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. The 2019 model features the first 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine which bumped the engine up to 181 horsepower, the highest in the model’s history. Longtime fans of the Miata will enjoy the roadster’s new level of quickness.
One of the fastest new cars on display at the auto show was the 2020 Audi R8 Spyder. This model of the R8 has a 562 horsepower v-10 engine that gives the sports car a crazy amount of acceleration. The 2020 R8 can do 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds!
Now all the sports cars at the auto show were nice but almost all ran up the budget. However, it was the 2020 Kia Stinger GT that wound up being the most pocket-friendly sports car in attendance with a starting price of $44,000.
A four-door sports car may turn some people away but for others, it’s an opportunity to share the fun with others. For a little more, buyers can choose the ‘Dynamic All Wheel Drive’ (D-AWD) option which provides drivers with the three different levels – comfort, sport and drift – of handling.
The 2020 Toyota Supra was also in attendance at the show giving car fanatics that feeling of nostalgia. The Supra was discontinued in 2002 but 17 years later, we are brought the fifth generation.
Unlike other Supras, the new model was a collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The car’s features are based on the Z4 model and for the first time in the model’s history, no manual transmission is offered. Nonetheless, the Supra’s 3.0-liter in-line V-6 engine can push the car from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds, the fastest in model history.
The Orange County International Auto Show will continue on for the rest of the weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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