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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.

2016 Chevy Camaro to drop 200 pounds

The sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro makes its grand debut on May 16 at a big celebration on Detroit's Belle Isle. Until then, Chevy's strategy seems to be showing off the pony car's new components piece by piece. With the exhaust headers and front end already on display, the Bowtie is now giving a glimpse at some of the upcoming model's aluminum components. The Camaro is going on a diet for its latest generation, and Chevy claims that the switch to the Alpha platform and other new components shed over 200 pounds compared to the current model. That will put the pony car at around 3,500 pounds. The lower weight will contributes to better fuel economy, quicker acceleration and more direct handling, according to the automaker. Among the changes are aluminum front and rear suspension assemblies (pictured above) that weigh 21 percent less than the current units. Also, Chevy promises in its announcement "links on some models feature an intricate, structurally optimized design made with a rigid composite material that's even lighter than aluminum." In addition to these improved parts, the Camaro uses the lightweight metal for the beam that supports the instrument panel to save 9.7 pounds more. The only two pieces reportedly carrying over to the latest design are Chevy's bowtie and SS badges, and at least one engine in the range is known to be a version of the 6.2-liter LT1 V8. With over a month until the next Camaro's debut, we might get a glimpse of even more of the car's new parts in the coming weeks. Related Video: 2016 Camaro Does More with Less New model is at least 200 pounds lighter than current car 2015-03-30 DETROIT – For the all-new, 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, the team was challenged to improve the handling, acceleration and fuel economy of the award-winning current model. To meet all three objectives, the team focused on a singular mission: reduce mass. By obsessively searching for opportunities to save ounces, the team pared more than 200 pounds off the Camaro compared with the fifth-generation model. As a result, the Camaro does more with less, according to Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer: "We kept the cornering confidence and control that make the Gen 5 Camaro 1LE so fun to drive, and added a greater sense of agility," he said. "The new Camaro brakes harder, flicks into corners more quickly, and drives out of the corner faster.

2016 Chevy Volt arrives with 50-mile EV range, 41 mpg [w/ video]

Let's start with the numbers. The 2016 Chevy Volt will have an all-electric range of 50 miles from a new, 18.4-kWh lithium battery. It will get 41 miles per gallon (combined) once the battery runs dry and have 102 MPGe. Oh, and it has five seats, sort of. To compare, today's four-seat 2015 Volt has a 38-mile range from a 17.1-kWh battery in a powertrain that offers 37 mpg and 98 MPGe. So, across the board, there are notable improvements. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk story. General Motors will unveil the new Volt at the Detroit Auto Show later today, but it's been talking about how this new version – the first major plug-in hybrid vehicle to get a serious redo in the modern era – was crafted with reams and reams of data from first-gen Volt customers. At a preview event for journalists last week, GM executive chief engineer Pam Fletcher told Autoblog that these owners "gave us the recipe" to make the second-gen model. At the top of the request list was more range (check), more "fun-to-drive" behavior (check?) and a smoother and quieter experience (we'll assume a check here, given that the new 1.5-liter four-cylinder – the first North American application of this new engine family – should offer more power with less noise than the previous 1.4-liter, four-cylinder powerplant). Other customer-driven changes in the new Volt include a different place to store the charging cable (in the side of the trunk instead of under the load floor) and a new brake system with improved blended regenerative braking feel as well as driver-selectable regen levels. The requested 50-mile range comes from a new, lighter battery that has increased capacity from fewer cells (192 vs. 288) and a simplified control architecture. Along with the new battery, the electric drive unit is a two-motor deal that is up to 12 percent more efficient and 100 pounds lighter, while also being "tremendously smaller," notes Fletcher. It offers 294 pound-feet of torque and a maximum 149 horsepower of "motoring power" delivered to the wheels. GM says it has worked hard to reduced the amount of rare earth materials in these motors, and one of them doesn't use any at all. The new powertrain offers improved acceleration times, as well. The 2016 Volt can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 8.4 seconds, a seven-percent improvement, while the 0-30 mph time has been improved by 19 percent, down to 2.6 seconds. The new Volt is more conventional looking, but certainly not completely ordinary.