Photo by OSX via Wikipedia
Remember when your choice of a performance luxury coupe was limited to an E36 BMW M3 or, well, that’s pretty much it? You don’t have to cast your mind back all that far – 1996. Sure, at this time you could buy a Lexus SC300/400 but they were still very much Toyota Soarers, and as such, not very luxurious. There was also the venerable Jaguar XJS, but by 1996, it was a whopping 21 years old. A 21 year product cycle! Of course you have Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but those can generally be classified as “sports cars” and aren’t necessarily within the realm of affordability for most of us.
Only in 1997 did we see the new Jag XK8 and XKR that provided any semblance of true competition for the M3, with the Audi TT following the year after, then five more years passed before the Infiniti G35 was introduced. Believe it or not, the 2011 AMG C63 was the first time we saw a performance coupe from Mercedes-Benz in the US since the 560 SEC was discontinued in 1991 after a 12 year production run, which Jag looks at and scoffs.
Fortunately, times have changed and we’re presented with a glut of new performance luxury coupes. Having owned a G35 Coupe, I have a soft spot for cars that go fast yet also offer some swanky accoutrements. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, several new models debuted or were featured, so I thought I’d take a look at the wealth of options out there for enthusiasts after my own heart. For sake of simplicity, we’ll abstain from featuring the likes of supercars though they are technically performance luxury coupes. Sorry NSX.
Acura Precision Concept
Brand representatives for Acura state that the Precision Concept “literally will shape the direction of all future Acura products,” which doesn’t mean much of anything in terms of likelihood that it’ll ever be produced, but if nothing else, Acura’s future looks sharp. By that I mean both actually cuttingly sharp, with creases and angles prevailing over sumptuous curves, but the resulting product is attractive, if not a little derivative of Cadillac’s Art and Science design language.
We’re breaking the rules a bit by including this on the list as it’s technically a “four door coupe,” which is a term I resent in its essence, but its potential impact on Acura, a luxury brand long bought if you wanted a fancy Honda and never cared for things like excitement or speed, is immeasurable. If the company can inject some stimulating design and perhaps some performance and their excellent SH-AWD system into more of their cars, we might actually want to buy an Acura that wasn’t last produced in 2001.
Buick Avista
Covered briefly in our story about American luxury brands getting their groove back, the Avista is simply a stunning looking vehicle. Designers hit all the right notes, from beautifully sloping roof and window line meeting curvaceous hips in the rear of the car to the aggressive front fascia and striking blue paint job. Buick really hits all the right notes in the looks section and, according to Car & Driver, makes the right notes in the sound section too.
That’s thanks to the Camaro-sourced twin turbo V6 that delivers 400hp through an 8-speed auto to the rear wheels. Though it’s still just a concept and we’re not sure if this modern-but-better Riviera revival would be a real step forward for the brand still trying to escape its old, long shadow. The Avista is actually a car that would have the public reciting lines from the company’s commercials – “Wow, that’s a Buick?”
Lexus LC500
We’re venturing dangerously close to “sports car” territory with the LC500, but some of us see this car as the potential atonement for the seriously disappointing RC-F, which was heavy, slow and not that engaging to drive. With 467 HP from a V8 and a 52/48 weight distribution, hope remains that the LC500 won’t end up being another front-heavy understeering pig. Placement of the engine behind the front axle, like Nissan has done in its FM platform is a good step in the right direction.
The LC500 takes Lexus’s recent design language and turns the knob up to 11, producing a somewhat polarizing design, which I find attractive, but understand when others tell me it reminds them of an angry Predator. As a kid who grew up with a Supra poster on his wall, I wanted so badly for the RC-F to fill that void and prove that Toyota could still make a great sports car for everyone (the LF-A more than proved they could make a great supercar). With an anticipated price of around $100k, the LC500 still isn’t it, but looks closer.
Cadillac ATS-V Coupe
Picking up where the CTS-V coupe left off, the ATS-V coupe provides an alluring alternative for BMW M drivers who like a bit of diversity on the roadways and more angular automotive design. With 464hp of American muscle on tap, the ATS-V is seriously fast and, by all accounts, handles to match the sharpness of its styling creases, and I think it looks far better than the CTS-V coupe ever did.
Much like Buick, Cadillac has been undergoing a brand revolution for several years and their V cars have gone a long way toward changing opinions and certainly attracting attention both in the showrooms and at stoplights. Though it may not be as light as its Bavarian competitors, it makes up for it in grunt and structural rigidity, achieving a .93 lateral G load. At north of $63k though, the Caddy won’t be bringing that speed and handling to the masses until it hits the secondhand market.
Infiniti Q60
I am an unashamed Infiniti fan, even if I think their new Q-based naming convention is one of the stupidest moves in the history of alphanumerics. Every enthusiast I know or regularly speak to has trouble remembering if the QX70 is bigger than the QX60 (it isn’t). But the Q60 (smaller than both the Q50 and Q70, incidentally) looks SO good. I always liked the G35 better than the G37, since I thought the bolder, straighter lines were more attractive than the flowing curves of the second generation coupe, but Infiniti has evolved that curvaceous form into something seriously beautifully aggressive.
The engine, a twin turbo V6 developing 300 or 400 horsepower still sits behind the front axle, distributing weight evenly and delivering it to the rear or all wheels through an 8-speed auto. I loved driving my G35, it was dynamic, made a great noise and always went where I pointed it, sending back ample feedback to know when I was reaching the limit of its grip. With the Q50, Infiniti debutedtheir Direct Adaptive Steering system, which was largely panned for giving the driver little hint about the car’s grip or direction. Mercifully, Infiniti took this criticism to heart and has retuned the system, providing now six variable settings to better suit the driver. While a certain element of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” still exists, here’s hoping the Q60 does not dash my dreams of a proper G35 coupe successor when I drive one later this year.
BMW M2
In 2015, Car and Driver dropped the BMW 3 series from its annual 10Best list for the first time in, well, forever. And it wasn’t because it had gotten drastically worse, but rather because BMW started producing a car that matched all of the reasons the car was ever included on the list in the first place, but in a smaller, lighter and less expensive package. That was the M235i, which was a fantastic enough car to deserve an M badge, but not be called an “M car,” if that makes sense.
This all changes for 2016, though little about the car actually does. The engine is slightly more potent, there are a couple of different transmission choices including a manual and dual clutch auto, and some styling tweaks, but the car remains a short, potent little package. It’ll hit 60 in 4.2 seconds, and runs less than $52k to start. That’s not pocket change, but you’re getting quite the pocket rocket.
Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S Coupe
The Mercedes AMG C63 was always a pretty insane car. They put their largest engine in their smallest car and gave it traction control to try to help buyers preserve their rear tires, though that was probably in vein. For the new car, they’ve taken the old one, stretched it wider and longer, made it prettier, and thrown in the motor from the AMG GT-S. The results are a more subtle package than the outgoing C63, but more beautiful and more efficient.
AMG V8s have always made a good noise and the C63 S appears no different, offering a raucous howl to remind the driver of its 500+ horsepower and torque. Whereas the BMW M cars have always been more about poise and precision, the AMG vehicles have been a refreshing dash of overpowered insanity, which I think the C63 S does a great job keeping alive.
Jaguar F-Type
No, it’s not new, and nope, there have been no major changes or upgrade to warrant an update on it, but just stop for a moment and look at it. Gaze into its cat-like eyes and admire brilliant simplicity of elegant design, from flowing fender lines to the sharp blades of the tail lamps. Appreciate the contrast of the chunky, oversized wheels to the delicate mirrors and fender vents and how the front fascia manages a single primary forward opening without appearing like a catfish (looking at you, 370Z).
And then become violently shocked from your place of design-induced nirvana and be welcomed back into a world where such a beautiful creation could be paired with such a masterful engine. Jaguar’s recent advertising has focused on how good it feels to be bad, and mean is exactly the way the F-Type R sounds, in the best way possible. As you wonder what it would be like to pilot 540 horsepower that sounds like a pack of angry dogs snarling at your tail, and how parking in your garage and leaving it would be such sweet sorrow, remind yourself that this is indeed earth and that, on this planet, these things cost more than $106,000. Then go start tabulating everything you could sell in order to buy one.
Did we miss anything? What’s your favourite luxury sports coupe of all time? Let us know in the comments.