America’s favorite sports car was well represented at the 2009 Miami Auto Show, aside from the Stingray concept car, Chevrolet had plenty of Corvettes on display. There were a pair of the new Grand Sport models with their wide body stance, gills in the front fenders and bespoke rolling stock; giving Corvette enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the finer points of the lineup at a fraction of the price. The 505 HP Z06 model was also on hand, wearing a new set of ten spoke rims for this year to go along with the 427 cubic inch fuel injected LS7. The only thing better than a 7.0 Liter Corvette C6 with its carbon fiber body work and hyrdro formed chassis according to GM’s design department is even more carbon fiber and an acrylic window in the hood. The window lets onlookers admire the ZR-1’s intercooler that sits on top of the supercharged 6.2 Liter LS9 small block that delivers a maximum output of 620 HP and 595 lb-ft of torque and 200+ MPH.
Resting in the shadows of the award winning Converj concept car, Cadillac was showing off a piece of their production car finest, another award winner, the Cadillac CTS-V. The dark grey super sedan took Top Speed’s car of the year award last year thanks to its practical four door layout and ability to take up to five from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds because of the 556 HP 6.2 Liter supercharged V8 sitting under the power bulge in the hood. The mid size sport sedan will be defending the honor of General Motors later on this week at New York state’s Monticello Motor Club as GM’s knight in shining armor because of King Lutz’s challenge.
When Ford was faced with the option of producing another tire shredding SVT Lightning or something completely different, they opted for plan b; and we are just glad that they brought it down to Miami. Instead of a supercharged work truck that can blow the doors off of most sports cars in a straight line, the SVT group chose to build an off road version of the F-150 that would be competitive in the Baja 1000 right out of the showroom, and actually ended up earning a spot on the podium. What they came up with is the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. The new truck combines extreme off road capabilities with an aggressive on road package that should only get better in 2010 when Ford puts the more powerful 6.2 Liter V8 version on sale at the beginning of next year. and we are eagerly awaiting its arrival.
One particular highlight of the 2009 Miami Auto show was the HKS Hyundai Genesis Coupe that was built specially for the 2008 SEMA show. Now while Hyundai is stepping up their game for this year’s show with a mid mounted Tau V8 powered Genesis Coupe being prepared by none other than Rhys Millen himself, and while the new car is supposed to be a bit of a sleeper, the HKS creation is anything but such a thing.
The Tskuba Red coupe wears a Kenstyle bodykit that gives the Korean car an aggressive blend of Japanese style without going over the top in the traditional ricer fashion. Devoid of big wings and way too much camber; like most high end creations it is the details that you don’t see that makes the HKS creation so nice. For instance the hood mounted front spoiler goes almost unnoticed, just like the ghosted in graphic that identifies this car as an HKS creation. The grille opening has been enlarged and the front bumper opens up wider, framing the Mobis front mount intercooler nicely and making the new Coupe seem much more stable. Out back the oversized quartet of tailpipes look like it could have been lifted straight off of a Nissan GT-R, while the new rear end compliments the front end nicely, making the Genesis Coupe look much more planted on the ground.
The HKS Genesis Coupe rides on a set of 19 inch Volk Racing rims, some of the finest aftermarket wheels available anywhere. Housed inside of the upgraded rolling stock are a set of multi piston Brembo brake calipers that are ready to bring the Coupe to a hasty halt. That is because thanks to every part from the HKS catalog that ranges from the HKS GT Turbo upgrade to HKS Hipermax III fully adjustable coil over suspension is made to make this tuned Hyundai Genesis Coupe go as good as it looks.
Fox Marketing and Artisan Performance teamed up to create this subtle yet aggressive Lexus IS-F for last year’s SEMA show, and almost a year later the Sunset Orange Pearl paint on this wide body IS is still shining brightly. The subtle part involves the numerous bodywork modifications that enhance rather than rethink the lines of the V8 powered factory tuned sedan, making it look even more muscular in the process. The aggressive aspect is applied to the eight cylinder engine we mentioned earlier that gets upgraded with a full blown twin turbo kit that the tuners expect to be good for over 600 HP. No matter which angle you look at this Lexus IS-F from you can’t help but be overwhelmed with the subtle details that set this IS apart from ordinary four door luxury cars.
The Subaru WRX STi is always a nice sight to see, and the Japanese automaker had one such example sitting front and center at their exhibit at the 2009 Miami Auto Show. Although Mitsubishi had one of their latest sleeper EVOs on hand at the show, Subaru was displaying the standard version of their high performance in house tuned hatchback. The STi tuned Impreza is highlighted for its 300 HP turbocharged 2.5 Liter flat four cylinder engine and symmetrical all wheel drivetrain that earned the car multiple World Rally Championship titles. After speaking with some Subaru representatives earlier on this year, we learned that they have accepted their fair share of criticism for numbing the 2008 model and promise that the 2009 STi is as razor sharp as ever. There is also the issue with the new STi’s hatchback only body style, but rest assured fans of the traditional four door sport compact version, the car will be making a comeback very soon.
You might have seen this sleek C6 based concept in the big screen blockbuster Transformers 2 and was previously known as the Corvette Centennial Concept, however now we can call the Stingray by its true name. Full of cues from a bygone era like the split rear window that dates back to the original 1963 StingrayCorvette. The concept made its debut earlier this year in Chicago, but it looked as good as ever sitting in South Beach. This concept came in a close second for concept vehicle of the show, but was only edged out slightly by its Cadillac cousin’s roof mounted solar panel. However the Stingray is absolutely stunning and the word is that the next generation Corvette will draw its inspiration from this concept.
Quite possibly the only thing better than a boosted 911 is an all out track car, and that is exactly what the Porsche GT3 is. Taking advantage of a high revving naturally aspirated power plant, the GT3 is connected to the driver in a way that most other performance machines can only dream of. Racing driver Patrick Simon reviews the awesome new 435 HP Porsche 997 GT3 for the German car show DSF Motor, and although we still don’t speak German, it is always reassuring to see someone who is so animated about an automobile. The 911 GT3 is powered by a 3.8 Liter horizontally opposed six cylinder engine that develops 20 HP more than its predecessor and for the first time takes full advantage of the Porsche Stability Management program. The new GT3 accelerates from a standstill to 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds and reaching 100 MPH in just 8.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 194 MPH.
One of Germany’s premier motoring magazines, Autobild, recently took Porsche’s latest 911 Turbo model to Estoril circuit in Portugal for a little fun on the track. Although we didn’t understand much of the German commentary, the new boosted 911 is synonymous with the words performance and beauty in any language. Besides, anytime you can get the legendary racing driver Walter Rohl behind the wheel good things are bound to happen, especially when you consider the 3.8 Liter flat six complete with a pair of Variable Turbine Geometry snails that is capable of producing a maximum output of 500 HP and a peak torque of 516 lb-ft that allows the rear engine super car to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in only 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 194 MPH.
We have been eagerly anticipating the even more powerful Audi R8 ever since words were first spoken about the Lamborghini rivaling 5.2 Liter FSI V10 powered four ring super car. Fortunately for us, the German luxury car builder brought this bright white example to the 2009 Miami Auto Show for all of South Florida to see. The R8 V10 will be powered by the same 5.2 liter V10 as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. The engine is rated at 525 HP, which is 105 more ponies than the V8 version but still about 27 HP less than the Gallardo. Officially known as the Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro, It can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds. When equipped with R tronic semi-automatic gearbox, it reaches 125 MPH in another 8.1 seconds and can reach a top speed of 196 MPH while selling for nearly $180,000.
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