2008 Used Cpo Certified 1.6l I4 16v Manual Fwd Convertible Moonroof Premium on 2040-cars

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Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.

2020 Mini Convertible Sidewalk Edition hits the pavement again

In 2007, the Mini Convertible Sidewalk dropped its top in bitter winter during the Detroit Auto Show to show off its exclusive appearance package. The cosmetic suite makes a return for 2020, again as the Mini Convertible Sidewalk, with more color and design choices courtesy of Mini Yours. The primo choice comes in Deep Laguna metallic, a hue unavailable on other models, set off by patterned hood strips with contrasting edges. Buyers can spec five metallic colors from the traditional palette, too: White Silver, Moonwalk Grey, Thunder Grey, Enigmatic Black, and Midnight Black. For markets that make such perks optional, the Sidewalk Chili equipment package installs LED headlights and fog lights, automatic air conditioning, the interior lighting package, a height-adjustable front passenger seat, the storage package, and driving modes. Sidewalk logos on the side indicator bezels ease identification from afar, so too the 17 inch Scissor Spoke two-tone wheels. Upon closer inspection, the arrow graphics woven into the fabric soft top are another giveaway, as are the brushed aluminum sill plates bearing the word "Sidewalk." The interior's been wrapped in MINI Yours anthracite leather upholstery, stitched with Petrol and Energetic Yellow thread. Braided Petrol piping outlines the seat forms, dark Petrol contours the floor mats, while doors get Petrol and silver accents. A Sidewalk logo sits at the base of the leather-wrapped sports steering wheel. Three engine lineup comes in three gasoline flavors, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 102-horsepower in the Mini One, the same engine with 134 hp in the Mini Cooper, and a 192-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the Mini Cooper S. Mini says the standard transmission will be a six-speed manual; the row-your-own took a break for a spell but is due back in the U.S. next month. The seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch is optional on the Mini Cooper and Cooper S, the DCT with paddle shifters an option on the Cooper S only. We aren't privy to price yet – that comes closer to launch in March. The Mini Convertible Sidewalk will be sold worldwide, but numbers might be limited; the UK, for instance, only gets 150 examples.

Mini reveals it's developing an electric John Cooper Works model

We at Autoblog are extremely fond of the Mini Cooper SE electric car. So we're also excited to learn that Mini is also developing an electric John Cooper Works model. Unfortunately, that's all Mini has actually said about a future electric John Cooper Works model: that it's in development. Anything else about it, such as how hardcore it will be, or what motor it will use, is entirely up for speculation. All we have to go on are photos of the prototype. From the looks of it, the prototype is simply a Mini John Cooper Works (JCW) GP, but with an electric powertrain. The entire body, even the giant wing and funky fender flares, is the same as the uncompromising GP, except for the grille. The grille is the mostly solid example used on the Cooper SE. There aren't any tailpipes on this car either, for obvious reasons. This certainly suggests Mini is planning a mean electric JCW, and not just a slightly stiffer upgrade from the S/SE models. It raises big questions about the motor, though. The gas-powered GP is the most powerful production Mini in history with over 300 horsepower. Only one BMW motor has been used in a Mini so far: the base i3 motor, which makes 181 horsepower. The i3s has a punchier motor that makes 195 horsepower that would probably drop in easily, but it wouldn't seem powerful enough for a GP-type car. Perhaps the iX3's motor, which makes 286 horsepower, could fit? It would certainly be near enough to the GP's engine. Maybe even one of the motors from the dual-motor, 500-horsepower BMW iX would do the job? We'll just have to wait and see, and it's hard to say just how long, since Mini gave no information on reveals. Hopefully it won't be too long if the company is testing minimally camouflaged electric GP prototypes. Related Video: