Up to old tricks, carmakers bring power to the people

If one image represents the 2005 New York International Auto Show, which winds up Sunday, it’s Carroll Shelby unveiling the latest Shelby Cobra GT500.

As sales of large trucks decline, automakers are opting for the oldest trick in the book for luring new customers: performance.

That explains the presence of the legendary race car driver, who developed Shelby Mustangs for Ford in the 1960s.

For the new car, Shelby worked with Ford’s Special Vehicles Team adding a supercharger to the Ford GT’s 5.4-liter DOHC V-8. A ground-shaking 450 horsepower and 450 foot-pounds of torque run through a six-speed manual transmission. Up front, 14-inch Brembo disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors are standard, with 13-inchers in the rear. The car goes on sale next summer. Ford officials wouldn’t comment on how many are going to be built or how they will be priced.

The old snake charmer was the most visible example of the performance theme that permeated most manufacturers’ presentations.

DaimlerChrysler’s Chrysler Group unveiled a batch of performance cars, courtesy of its Street and Racing Technology division.

SRT stuffed a 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 under the hood of the new Charger SRT8. The numbers are as impressive as the Shelby: zero to 60 mph in under five seconds, zero to 100 to zero mph in about 16 seconds and 60 to zero mph in about 110 feet. SRT massaged the chassis, tweaked the suspension and fitted the Charger SRT8 with 20-inch wheels and Brembo brakes.

Toyota’s Lexus division introduced the 2006 IS 250 and 350 performance sedans. The cars will be available in rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, powered by a pair of new V-6 engines. The IS 250 receives a 2.5-liter V-6 good for over 200 horsepower; the IS 350 gets a larger version of the same engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at over 300 horsepower. . Lexus is planning to build about 45,000 IS sedans in 2006.

Interestingly, the car the IS is challenging also will change for 2006.

BMW gave Americans their first peek at the new 2006 3-Series, which will be available as the 325i and 330i sedans. Prices start at $30,995 and $36,995, respectively. Both models feature 3-liter six-cylinder engines, with the 325i rated at 215 horsepower, and the 330i rated at 255 horsepower.

Meanwhile, with great fanfare, and a brief appearance by Donald Trump, Cadillac introduced the third model in its V performance series, the XLR-V. GM Vice President Robert Lutz said the car was “the fastest Cadillac in history.”

This newest of Vs employs a supercharged 4.4-liter Northstar V-8, with 440 horsepower and 425 foot-pounds of torque. Of course, the Donald was more interested in the new Cadillac DTS limousine, which features a 22-inch LCD TV, premium sound system, DVD player, wireless headphones and a tablet PC.

Trump will get the second one. The first one went to President Bush in January.