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Performance cars overpower the Detroit Auto Show

At precisely the stroke of noon on Monday, the 2016 Acura NSX rolled on stage at the Detroit Auto Show amid plumes of smoke and dancing lights. The sounds of the powerful engine revving soared to the rafters. It was the second coming of Acura's iconic sports car, and the reveal had all of the expected trappings. Afterwards, champagne corks popped and the bubbly flowed. It was noon in Detroit, but for the green-car movement, it seemed like the clock had struck midnight. That's an exaggeration, but performance was the overwhelming theme of North America's most important show. Ford – which has helped lead the way in smaller displacement engines and early adoption of hybrid powertrains – had more than 1,500 horsepower on stage one point after it revealed the GT concept, the new F-150 Raptor and the Shelby Mustang GT350R. The NSX is technically a hybrid (it has three electric motors), but with 550-plus hp, there's no doubt this Acura was bred on the track. The theme continued throughout the show at nearly every stand. Alfa Romeo showed off the 4C Spider, which is the open-air version of a car that purports to be the spiritual successor of the high-performance 33 Stradale from 1967. On Tuesday, Cadillac is scheduled to reveal the 640-hp CTS-V with the V8 transplanted from the Corvette Z06, and the Lexus was expected to roll out its own V8-powered beast, the 467-hp GS F. For enthusiasts – especially enthusiasts with money – these are halcyon days. But make no mistake, all of this power has a purpose. Ford product chief Raj Nair said the Blue Oval uses high performance cars to develop technologies, like aerodynamics and materials, which are then shared across its lineup. "It's another proof point about how serious we are in developing innovation through performance," he said. Ford, which is rolling out at least 12 performance cars by 2020, said the sporty cars attract younger and more influential buyers to its fold, which can help burnish its image beyond adding sales volume. Toyota is taking a similar approach, senior vice president Bob Carter said, noting the Lexus RC coupe draws people into showrooms and gets them excited about the brand, even if they don't end up buying one. "They provide an aspiration and a halo that provides the attention that gets you noticed in a cluttered market," he said.

Toyota Supra and BMW Z5 coming in 2018 from Austria

A German automaker and a Japanese one get together to jointly develop a new sports car. So where do they build it? In Austria, of course! This according to a newspaper based in Graz, where contract manufacturer Magna Steyr is also based. BMW and Toyota have reportedly been working on a joint sports car program for a while. Toyota's version is expected to revive the Supra name and spirit, while BMW's is to replace the aging Z4 roadster and potentially wear a Z5 badge. Details are still up in the air – or on tight lockdown – but we can expect both to feature six cylinders mounted up front, driving the rear wheels through a proper manual transmission. Now Kleine Zeitung reports that both versions will be built on their behalf by Magna Steyr, and that they'll launch in 2018. The contract manufacturer already builds the Mini Countryman and Paceman for the BMW Group, but the Paceman is being discontinued, and the next-generation Countryman is slated to be moved in-house – following the lead of the Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Aston Martin Rapide. Though the Graz facility still builds the Mercedes G-Class and is soon slated to begin manufacturing for Jaguar Land Rover, the Mini crossovers' departure leaves Steyr with leftover capacity. BMW intends to fill some of that with assembly of the 5 Series sedan, but the joint sports car project ought to fill in the rest. This would mark the first time that Magna Steyr would build a car for Toyota – or any Asian manufacturer for that matter, after a previous contract with Infiniti fell through. It wouldn't be the first time the two have collaborated, though: the Kleine Zeitung report indicates that the FT86 Open concept (in the gallery below) was built by the Austrian workshop, which has expertise in crafting convertibles as well. Steyr has done the roof assemblies for the Mercedes SLK and Opel Astra TwinTop, as well as complete production of the Porsche Boxster and Saab 9-3 Convertible, to name just a few. Expect BMW's version to offer some sort of folding roof mechanism, but it's too early to speculate on the prospect of a convertible Supra. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Z5: Spy Shots Related Gallery Toyota FT-86 Open Concept: Geneva 2013 View 13 Photos News Source: Kleine Zeitung via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL BMW Toyota Convertible Coupe Performance bmw z5

Toyota, Lexus dominate KBB's Best Resale Value Awards

Toyota and Lexus stormed the 2014 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, winning a combined 18 categories including best brand and best luxury brand. This marks the third year in a row that both automakers have won the Brand and Luxury Brand resale value awards. In all, Toyota won 11 categories and Lexus won seven.
Honda made a good showing, as well, winning two segments (Accord Plug-In Hybrid and Civic Si) and putting one car on the top-10 Best Resale Value list (CR-V). Chevrolet did even better, winning two segments (with the V6 Camaro and the Corvette) and placing three cars on the top-10-overall list (again, the Camaro and Corvette, plus the Silverado 1500).
The other winners came from Jeep, Dodge, Infiniti, Subaru and Audi. To give you a clearer picture of the Toyota and Lexus domination, their 18 mentions represents more than half of the 34 awards (including the top-10-overall list).