A bold, perhaps brash, statement. Yes, Ferrari and Porsche for example make some pretty exciting cars. As a continent, Europe makes some pretty spectacular vehicles. Japan makes some happily off the wall drivers cars too. But, put your considerable prejudices aside and think for a moment.
We live in a world where you can buy a car with 700bhp. Over 700bhp, in fact, for the price of a Porsche Cayman. Yes, you could prattle on all day long about how the Porsche embodies the very essence of a true sports car. How it has a wonderful manual gearbox, a delectable chassis and a finely tuned 6-cylinder engine mounted in the right place. But Seven. Hundred. Horsepower. There really is no replacement for displacement.
The single biggest crowd I witnessed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show was not around the crazy Aston Martin Vulcan, nor the GT3 RS, new R8 or even a bonkers Koenigsegg. No, it was around the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. It was big, green, called a HELLCAT and has 707bhp. Sat right behind it was the current Dodge Viper. A car that is, all things considered, terrible. But just look at it, all fire and brimstone. If Lamborghini used to make cars for bedroom posters, then the US of A has taken up that mantle. Preferably with a picture of a Dodge doing elevenses. Heck, they can't even make them fast enough!
Then we move on to General Motors. GM has had a torrid decade (I would argue 20 years). On the ropes as recent as 4 years ago, they a producing some wonderfully precise cars. No, really. Whilst Dodge are going down the mental power route, Chevrolet and Cadillac are going for handling par excellence.
Enter the new Cadillac ATS-V and CTS-V. They have both been developed around the Nurburgring. Okay, so has every other car these days, but the previous generation CTS-V was considered quite the handler. This latest model, making it's Eurpean début, aims to build upon that. The way the cars behaves around the corners was the chief engineering objective. I have high expectations that it can out-drive a BMW M5. When has anyone ever said that about a Cadillac? The brand to me represents giant, pink, wallowing barges, not record lap times. Then someone couldn't resist going a bit crazy, and shoved a 6.2 V8 under the hood with 640bhp. It can do over 200mph!
It doesn't stop there, as alongside the CTS-V was the ATS-V. The regular ATS is a BMW 3-Series sized car, let down perhaps by a slightly low-rent interior. However, all the reviews have heaped huge praise on the car's driving dynamics. Now sharpen things up a bit (okay, a lot) and bolt two turbochargers on the V6 to give 450bhp. That is 20 more than the equivalent BMW M4. The car also looks a lot nicer than the Beemer too...
To cap it all off, the latest Chevrolet Corvette is the best Corvette ever. Which is completely selling it short. They are building a car that is not only cheaper than equivalent European sports cars, but can actually go around corners. At the top of this range is the, frankly mental, Corvette Z06. Now, it has a lot of power. But, again, GM's philosophy, is driving precision. Heck, you have the choice of 3 aerodynamic packages upon purchase. I don't just mean aesthetic spoilers, I mean 3 levels of actual, real, noticeable downforce levels which dramatically alter the handling behaviour. A deadly serious track car.
It's funny. In a world where we have often laughed at America's pile them high, sell them cheap ideology towards a quick car. With their big engines that produced measly power outputs and live rear axles. Whilst most European and Japanese cars are moving towards hybrid and electric power, safety regulations and environmental pressures mute the experience, we must turn to the USA to provide real drivers cars. They are on an absolute roll right now. The only sad thing is, most of these cars are not on sale in the UK. Over to you then Ford, who are bringing across the latest Mustang with right hand drive no less. I cannot wait.
EDIT: So many good, fast American cars right now, I seem to have forgotten the new Ford GT. May have to dedicate an entire post to that..
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Why not read: 6-Wheeled Mentalist | Kahn Design Chelsea Tractor Co. Huntsman V8 | Geneva Motor Show 2015
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