The 2018 New York Auto Show brought in the newly anticipated cars that included cars of all types from SUV’s to pickup trucks to sedans, and hatchbacks. And Performance cars were not lacking when it came to this year’s show. So here’s a list of no particular order of some great performance cars we saw at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
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Lamborghini Huracan Performante Sypder
The Lamborghini Huracan Performante was one of the most surprising cars from last year. The Peformante was, in essence, a slightly lighter and more powerful version of the standard Huracan with some forged carbon bits on the exterior. At least that’s what everyone thought it was going to be until it beat the 900bhp Porsche 918 Spyder lap time around the Nurburgring, all thanks to its brand new aerodynamics system named ALA. And what better way could Lamborghini have improved the Huracan Performante by chopping its roof off allowing its future owners to listen to the symphony of the 5.2 litres naturally aspirated V10. The engine is the same as it is in the coupe with 630bhp being produced at 8,000 rpm. The Performante is just 0.2 seconds slower to 100kph at 3.1 seconds, this is mostly due to the almost 300-pound weight gained from chopping off the roof, but the 202-mph top speed remains the same in the spyder as it does in the coupe.
Mercedes AMG GT4-Door Coupe
The Mercedes AMG GT4-Door Coupe is the newest release from the maniacs over at the AMG division located in Affalterbach. The GT4 is AMG’s brand new flagship sedan vehicle, closely resembles those of the Mercedes CLS with a very wide stance, sloping roofline and aggressive, but slightly restrained looks at the same time. Given the fact that this is an AMG product, you can expect the engine to be a powerhouse. With the GT 53 AMG, you get a brand new 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that works in tandem with a mild-hybrid system, this engine pushes out a combined 429 hp and can hit 100kph in an estimated 4.4 seconds. The higher end GT63 AMG comes equipped with a 577-hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and a much faster 0-100kph time of 3.3 seconds. And if all this isn’t enough for you, then there is still the GT 63 S AMG that packs the same twin-turbo V-8 but tuned to produce 630 hp and 627 lb-ft, good for 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and an impressive top speed of 195 mph top speed. All these engines come mated to AMG’s brand new 9-speed automatic gearbox; the 63 AMG models even come with rear wheel steering and a top of the line 63S AMG gets a super cool drift button.
Mercedes AMG C63
Mercedes had a very strong presence at the New York Auto Show this year. Not only did they showcase some brand new models and new AMG variants, but they also brought the newly refreshed C-Class, but the one was interested in the obviously the C63 AMG. For the year 2019, Mercedes decided to give the C63 the now iconic front grille that now festoons all its AMG models, in addition to that we also get a brand new front bumper with larger air intakes, the rear end also gets a brand new diffuser, a quad tip exhaust setup and a more aggressive rear bumper. Under the hood everything remains the same with the 4.0-liter twin turbo V8, it still produces 469bhp in the C63 and 503bhp n the higher end C63 S, but both models now get the brand new 9 speed dual clutch transmission. Stepping inside the interior, we get the updated AMG steering wheel and a larger 12.3-inch infotainment display like the ones we’ve seen in the new S and E class.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Weissach
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is argued to be one the best 911 that Porsche makes. It’s a sweet blend of power, precision, handling and on-road comfort. Porsche recently unveiled the updated 911.2 GT3 RS, with this new RS we get a reworked 4.0 litre naturally aspirated flat-6 engine that now produces 514 bhp and 346 lb-ft of torque, 0-100kph now happens 0.1 seconds faster than the old RS at 3.0 seconds and the top speed is strangely limited to 193mph. But that’s what you get with a standard GT3 RS, Porsche took to the New York Auto Show to unveil the Weissach package GT3 RS, and it’s even lighter due to the anti-roll bars, roof, coupling rods, paddle shifters, and steering wheel trim, all made of carbon fibre. In addition to this, the Weissach package has the carbon fibre finish on the wing, hood, and side view mirrors unpainted and equips the 911 GT3 RS with thinner carpeting. All this result in a total weight saving of 14 pounds, which makes the package costs at US$ 18,000. For an additional $13,000, the 911 GT3 RS Weissach can be fitted with magnesium wheels, which save 25 pounds and reduce unsprung weight and rotating inertia.
Maserati Levante Trofeo
The Maserati Levante was probably one of the most hyped up cars of its time. It was rumoured that this car was going to save Maserati from bankruptcy, but when the final product finally debuted, the SUV never lived up to expectations. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t a Maserati. Though it looks like that could change with the Levante Trofeo, underneath the hood, we get a ridiculous 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged V8 from the Ferrari Portifino, a Maserati SUV with the heart of a Ferrari, and it isn’t detuned in any way either it makes almost the same 600bhp and 538 lb-ft of torque. This propels the Levante Trofeo from 0-100kph in just 3.8 seconds and gets the SUV to a top speed of 187 mph. The Trofeo features a new Corsa mode that has launch control capability, lowers the Levante, and stiffens the shocks. We get some new exterior modifications as well including a piano black grille, unique hood with dual cooling vents, a different fascia with larger air intakes, a more aggressive rear bumper, 22-inch wheels, and carbon-fibre exterior trim. The Maserati Levante Trofeo is the closest thing you’ll ever get to having a Ferrari SUV.
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