The Chicago Auto Show opens to the public this weekend, and the biggest car makers are showcasing their latest models and the newest technology.
With movie star good looks and a bonafide racing heritage, Ford chose Chicago to unveil the 2020 edition of its super car: the Ford GT.
"We have taken the engine and increased its power to 660 horsepower," says Dave Perciak, Director of Ford Icons. "We have improved the cooling by installing new intercoolers and new cooler ducts."
Only about a dozen of these GTs will be built by hand, and if you buy one, you have to sign a contract promising not to sell it for two years.
Among these models is the special edition Liquid Carbon Ford GT.
"It is going to be extremely exclusive, but it is for production," says Perciak. "It's not just a show car."
Also making it's Auto Show debut in Chicago: the convertible version of the Corvette Stingray, which was named Motor Trend's "Car of the Year."
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But not every performance car will be powered by a big gas engine, like Ford's newest member of the Mustang family: the Mach-E All-Electric SUV.
"This is not just a science experiment," says Jason Mase, Marketing Manager for Electrified Vehicles at Ford. "It's not just a fuel sipper."
Mase describes the Mach-E as an SUV with pony car roots.
"If it's going to be a Mustang and wear the pony, it's got to have performance so we have a GT model that goes from zero to 60 in three-and-a-half seconds," says Mase. "That's as fast as a Shelby 500 with a supercharged V8. You can get that kind of performance out of a battery electric and that's something we wanted to deliver."
Porsche too is looking to electricity to power its next generation of cars. As seen on the Auto Show floor, the electric Porsche Taycan emits zero emissions.
That is exciting to Joe Koening with the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition.
"What we are focused on is helping people reduce emissions and improve air quality," says Koening. "(This) also helps reduce problems from lung cancer, asthma and so forth. It has real benefits to people."
The Auto Show kicks off this Saturday and runs through Monday, Feb. 17. Advanced tickets are available online on the Auto Show's website.
