Performance cars rev up at show

Recovery sends traffic to powerful, fuel-efficient autos

Chevrolet Corvette Stingrays are displayed Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car was honored earlier as the North American Car of the Year.
Chevrolet Corvette Stingrays are displayed Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car was honored earlier as the North American Car of the Year.

DETROIT - The message from automakers unveiling performance cars in Detroit this week is that people still want to have fun when they drive.

Despite the industry’s attention to fuel economy, the Corvette Z06, a trio of BMWs and the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG small sport utility vehicle are designed to primarily make drivers enjoy the ride.

A recovery in discretionary income is giving consumers reason to spend more on cars. And despite occasional spikes, gasoline prices have averaged about $3.50 to $3.60 nationwide for the past three years, a level to which more and more drivers have grown accustomed.

“Now we have the opportunity that people are going to buy the cars they really desire, that they really want,” said Jake Fisher, automotive testing director for Consumer Reports,on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show.

Fuel efficiency and price are major factors in car-buying decisions, but the improving economy is reinvigorating the market for high-powered cars. And it makes for some striking juxtapositions at the auto show, such as an all-electric version of Volkswagen’s compact VW Golf sharing the stage with the Golf R, which features a 290 horsepower, 2.

0-liter turbocharged engine.

“They’re putting in the power,” Fisher said. “It’s not just the cars that people need.”

A common theme among the performance cars shown in Detroit, though, is that power doesn’t have to mean pain at the gas pump. Even in its performance incarnation, VW estimates the Golf R’s highway fuel economy about 31 mpg with the six-speed manual transmission, up from 27 mpg.Still, that tiny Golf R propels a driver from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

“The performance vehicles of today aren’t your big, V8 gas-guzzlers of the past,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s head of the Americas. He notes the interest in performance goes beyond traditional sports cars. Ford sells performance derivatives of the Fiesta subcompact and Focus small car.

Ford’s iconic performance car, the Mustang, is at the show. The newest version was revealed at a series of events last month. Mustang buyers will have three engines to choose from, including a 5.0-liter V8 with 420 horsepower, as well as some more fuel-efficient options.

Past shows have had plenty of performance introductions, both production cars and concept vehicles. Just last year in Detroit, Chevrolet took the wraps off its next-generation Corvette Stingray; on Monday, the car was honored as North American Car of the Year. The win was followed by Chevrolet unveiling a new edition of the Stingray, called the Z06, with 625 horsepower.

Aaron Bragman, the Detroit bureau chief for the website cars.com, said the new Corvette is an “extraordinary performance value,” much like the current version. No prices were released for the Z06, but the previous version sold starting about $75,600 while a Porsche 911 or Dodge Viper starts about $100,000. And such cars help build interest among younger drivers, he said.

“Not everybody wants a family sedan,” Bragman said.

Even mainstream cars have performance versions that are selling well. Chrysler is coming out with a high-speed version of its new 200 midsize sedan.And companies known more for affordable offerings, such as Kia, or more conservative designs, such as Toyota, have joined the performance fray.

Kia showed a concept GT4 Stinger sports car with a focus so big on performance - packing 315 horsepower - that it was conceived without an audio system, with the idea that the sounds from under the hood and exhaust will be enough for the driver. And Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, unveiled a prototype of the performance-focused TLX that will appear in a production version around midyear.

“In the car category, performance is often misinterpreted as mindless pedal-to-the-metal testosterone,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of American Honda Motor. “In reality, outstanding performance becomes possible when … technology enables you to experience the physical sensation of being in total control of exhilarating performance.”

Higher-end brands, such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, are keeping the performance cars coming. BMW’s two-door, four-seat, rearwheel-drive 2 Series Coupe packs up to 322 horsepower. And BMW’s new 2015 model M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe both offer lighter, more-powerful engines that produce 425 horsepower while cutting fuel consumption and emissions by nearly 25 percent.

Small SUVs are a growing part of the market, stealing sales from midsize cars. Mercedes is showing off the GLA45 AMG, a small SUV that uses a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four cylinder engine with 355 horsepower. The engine promises acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Information for this article was contributed by Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher of The Associated Press.

Business, Pages 25 on 01/15/2014

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