New and bigger gas-hogs from Detroit: just can't shake that addiction
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/automobiles/autoshow/in-such-uncertain-times-a-lighter-sha...
Notably, the scales (at this year's car show in LA) tilted in favor of exotic cars and high horsepower — 500 doesn’t even warrant a gasp — a decided shift from the times when Los Angeles was the showcase event for eco-friendly vehicles.
Even as the United States government just confirmed new fuel-economy standards that will require significant improvements by 2025, manufacturers here continued to offer shiny new idols to the gods of horsepower.
Chrysler stuffed a new 540-horsepower Hemi V-8, which it calls the 426S, into its 300 sedan; the power plant was described as an “engineering exercise” that may or may not go into production. The smart money is on a production green light — sooner rather than later — as Chrysler can ill afford to design flights of fancy for which there is no business case.
Chrysler’s SRT performance Skunkworks has resurrected one classic model name, the Super Bee, and come up with a new one that sounds like a classic, the Yellow Jacket, for two new 470-horsepower versions of its Charger and Challenger models. Can the Hemi ’Cuda be far behind?
Chevrolet, while feting owners of its Volt plug-in hybrid here, on the other hand took the cover off a new 580-horsepower Camaro ZL1 convertible.
The Camaro ZL1 convertible is nothing less than the most potent four-passenger convertible General Motors has ever made. With 580 horsepower pouring out of its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, the trophy for that title may be retired with this model. It won’t be cheap: $54,995 when it arrives late next year.
And Ford, not ready to concede pony car horsepower bragging rights to its crosstown rival, introduced a pumped-up 2013 Shelby GT500, powered by a 5.8-liter V-8 making 650 horsepower.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/automobiles/autoshow/in-such-uncertain-times-a...
Even as the United States government just confirmed new fuel-economy standards that will require significant improvements by 2025, manufacturers here continued to offer shiny new idols to the gods of horsepower.
Chrysler stuffed a new 540-horsepower Hemi V-8, which it calls the 426S, into its 300 sedan; the power plant was described as an “engineering exercise” that may or may not go into production. The smart money is on a production green light — sooner rather than later — as Chrysler can ill afford to design flights of fancy for which there is no business case.
Chrysler’s SRT performance Skunkworks has resurrected one classic model name, the Super Bee, and come up with a new one that sounds like a classic, the Yellow Jacket, for two new 470-horsepower versions of its Charger and Challenger models. Can the Hemi ’Cuda be far behind?
Chevrolet, while feting owners of its Volt plug-in hybrid here, on the other hand took the cover off a new 580-horsepower Camaro ZL1 convertible.
The Camaro ZL1 convertible is nothing less than the most potent four-passenger convertible General Motors has ever made. With 580 horsepower pouring out of its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, the trophy for that title may be retired with this model. It won’t be cheap: $54,995 when it arrives late next year.
And Ford, not ready to concede pony car horsepower bragging rights to its crosstown rival, introduced a pumped-up 2013 Shelby GT500, powered by a 5.8-liter V-8 making 650 horsepower.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/automobiles/autoshow/in-such-uncertain-times-a...
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- groups:
- Community, Green, Co-Evolution, Environmental Law
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ampersand
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You'd think the folks who are interested in buying these ever more hyped up muscle cars would be loudly supporting road and infrastructure repairs in the US.
After all, they need someplace to run these monsters. - 6 months ago
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ampersand
