Top 5 coolest cars at the 2014 New York Auto Show

Even though our focus tends to be on classic cars, we wanted to drop by the New York International Auto Show to see what was new in the car world. We’re happy we did.

There were a number of amazing cars introduced and on display for us to see; some were new and others were revisions of current models. Here is our top 5 list of the coolest things we saw at the show:

1. Mazda celebrated the 25th year of the Miata at the New York show and did it with a fun display of Miata cars, including some of the first production cars, all the various concept cars, and a nice group of historic Miata race cars. Original Miata project manager Bob Hall was on hand to answer questions about the car’s birth. Mazda also unveiled its 25th anniversary Miata. The company plans to build a total of 100, and each will include a numbered plaque and special limited-edition watch made by Tourneau.

2. Dodge made a big splash with the introduction of the revised Challenger. At first glance the car might look the same as the old one, but there are numerous detail changes, including the nose and the return of the classic Challenger racetrack-pattern rear taillights. In addition, horsepower and economy have been increased – a statement you never would have heard when the original Challenger came out in the 1970s. We especially love the new green color.

3. Alfa Romeo was back at a U.S. auto show for the first time in years and showed off its gorgeous pocket supercar, the 4C. The car will go on sale at the end of second quarter, with a price tag at just over $50,000. We’re ecstatic to see Alfa back in the U.S. with a real production car, and we think it will give the Porsche Caymann some serious competition in the marketplace.

4. Mercedes-Benz launched its new S63 AMG Coupe, the first S class Mercedes coupe available in years. The car’s proportions are just about perfect. It reminds us of the old AMG Hammer of the 1980s, and we fell in love at first sight. The S63 AMG Coupe will be a nice alternative to the BMW M6 and nicely fills that hole in the Mercedes lineup.

5. Bentley Motors announced its return to GT racing in North America and showed the car that will be running in the Pirelli World Challenge Series. We can’t wait to see it on the track. The detail of the Bentley logo on the racing steering wheel is a nice touch.