It was supposed to be the year of the green revolution. And, indeed, high gas prices and concerns about global warming have been pushing consumers away from gas-guzzling pickups and gargantuan SUVs into smaller, more economical alternatives. Environmentalists around the globe cheered.
But the automotive consumer is a fickle beast and, in the midst of all this conservation, there's been a stubborn streak of classic motorhead machismo, the car companies introducing - and the motoring public welcoming - some very hedonistic wheels. So, just as Mini introduced its E all-electric version of the iconic little car, parent company BMW was peddling the all-new X6 with twin turbochargers.
Similarly, while General Motors' Chevrolet Volt is still the darling of the alternative fuel set (Chris Paine, he of Who Killed the Electric Car? fame, is a fan and spokesman), GM took the wraps off its monster-motored Cadillac CTS-V, not to mention the even more outrageous Corvette ZR1.
There were even some vehicles that managed to reflect this bi-polarity all by themselves. Cadillac updated its hip hop-oriented Escalade SUV for 2009, but with a hybrid powertrain, its "greenness" boldly proclaimed in huge letters along its flank. Ford's answer to the fuel crisis, its EcoPower set of powerplants, all boasted turbochargers but then universally reduced the size of the engines - V8s are to be replaced with V6s and sixes with four-bangers - to compensate.
Soothsayers looking for a definitive tack on the future direction of the automobile remain more confused than ever. The only sure thing I can say is that the following were the highlights of my automotive year.
Late to the party, not to the finish line: So, it may be a little out of step with the times. And, yes, it sucks back hi-test like Christian Slater slamming back premium on his first night out after rehab. But, my, oh my, if you love performance automobiles, you're going to absolutely love Cadillac's new CTS-V.
Faster in every meaningful way - acceleration, top speed and around a race track - than BMW's previously unchallenged M5, this ultimate Cadillac boasts a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, 556 horsepower and sprints to 96 kilometres an hour in just 3.9 seconds. But those are just the appetizers for the number that really has everyone's tongue wagging - seven minutes and 59 seconds.
That's how long it takes this latest mega-Caddy to circumnavigate Germany's famed Nürburgring race track. Virtually every manufacturer's preferred test track, the Nürburgring is a tortuous 20.8-km affair with hundreds of corners. But what's really important to those who follow this sort of thing is that the CTS-V's 7:59 clocking is 14 seconds quicker than BMW's mighty M5. It's one thing for a North American car to outmuscle its European competition; it's quite another for the lowly colonial to best its German competition on a twisty road as well. But the best part? The CTS-V's suggested list price of $68,500 is $40,000 less than that of the M5 it trounces. Hmm, maybe the domestics haven't forgotten how to make a world-class car after all.
for more http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=6e9941fd-47f0-44b5-9e3b-21e270e53fde
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