Cargazing
By Derek Price
Want insight into the auto industry at this very moment? Try driving 42 new cars back-to-back on a racetrack over two days.
That’s just what I did recently at the Texas Auto Roundup, a rare chance for journalists to evaluate a wide range of new vehicles on Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
The Mercedes-AMG GT S shows how sleek, glamorous coupes are coming back into style for the people who can afford them. This $170,000 example was named the top performance car at the Auto Roundup.
Here are some takeaways:
THE ITALIAN STALLION: Alfa Romeo brought its brand-new Giulia sedan to the event, and it won journalists’ hearts enough to take the top prize, the “Car of Texas” title.
It was my first time driving the Giulia — only Alfa’s second model for sale in the United States, after the hardcore 4C sports car — and I see exactly why drivers were smitten by it. Its four doors and more luxurious interior make it palatable for a wider audience, yet its distinctive Italian style and loud, glorious exhaust note under acceleration give the high-performance Quadrifoglio package a thrilling demeanor.
Don’t expect to see too many of these on the road, as Alfa’s allure remains something recognized more by enthusiasts than mainstream buyers. For those who appreciate heritage and mystique, the Giulia has it in droves.
THE PACIFICA ROCKS: Minivans and racetracks don’t seem like a good mix, but that didn’t stop the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid from winning more accolades than any other vehicle at the event. The plug-in hybrid van can drive 33 miles on battery power before its gasoline engine kicks in, and it does so in a quiet, buttery smooth way that’s perfect for family road trips.
I think the Pacifica remains the best driving van on the market today — a dramatic leap over previous Chrysler vans — and other voters apparently agreed. It won both the minivan and the green car categories and was voted Family Car of Texas.
CONSERVATIVE HYBRIDS: I got my first taste of two other brand-new hybrid cars — the Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq — and was struck by just how conservative they both look compared to their most famous hybrid forebear, the Toyota Prius.
They both get great gas mileage but look remarkably similar to “normal” cars. Hyundai and Kia reps claimed they’re meant for people who don’t want to wear their environmentalism on their sleeve.
OUTGOING COUPES: After the market crash of 2008, luxury car styling took a decidedly boring turn. Apparently members of the “one percent” didn’t want to look too ostentatious.
Well, that’s changing in a big way this year. Two brand-new luxury coupes priced near or above $100,000 are all about showing off.
One was the fastest car at the event, the Mercedes-AMG GT S, a sleek and eye-catching coupe that looks glamorous enough for a 1950s movie star. Its insanely long hood and enchanting roofline make it perfect for the unabashedly rich and glamorous. The GT S starts around $130,000, but the version I drove came with an additional $40,000 in add-ons for a sticker price over $170,000.
The other was the new Lexus LC 500h coupe ($96,510), a sexy and eye-catching car that looks like it just landed from Mars. Seeing and driving it for the first time in person, I found it hard to believe the LC came from the same company that made some of the most bland looking luxury vehicles in the world for more than a decade. My, how this brand has changed.
QUIETER GODZILLA: The wild Nissan GT-R, nicknamed “Godzilla,” remains one of the fastest and most exciting cars I’ve ever driven. It’s also quieter and more refined than the last time I drove one, something Nissan claims is a plus for people who use this car as their daily driver. Personally, I wish they took it the opposite direction: louder and harsher.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia took home the top prize from the Texas Auto Roundup at Circuit of the Americas recently. The Italian sedan was praised for its driving dynamics, luxurious interior and distinctive styling.
OTHER NOTES:
— I didn’t expect much from looking at the Hyundai Tucson, but it felt impressively solid and silent even when pushed hard on the racetrack.
— Mazdas are fun to drive on the street and even more so on a brilliant track like this. The Miata is a hoot, of course, but so are its more practical cousins, the Mazda3 and the CX-5 crossover.
— Driving the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas for the first time made me realize just how huge it is. Seeing it is one thing, but actually climbing behind the wheel and feeling the heft, height and mass of this three-row SUV is another thing entirely. It drove like a piece of American iron, not a stereotypical zippy little VW.
— People who want the latest safety tech without spending a fortune will smile at what Toyota is doing. They’re making the Toyota Safety Sense package standard across their entire lineup next year, not an optional add-on like many other brands.
— The new Volvo S90 has one of the best interiors of any car for sale today. The incredible wood trim, perfect leather, iPad-like touchscreen and sparkling sound system combine to make the Inscription trim level one of the finest cabins in its class. Other brands will be playing catch-up with this car for the next several years.
At A Glance
Event: 2017 Texas Auto Roundup
Location: Circuit of the Americas, Austin, TX
Vehicles: 42 cars and crossovers
Top Award Winners:
Car of Texas: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Performance Car of Texas: 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S
Family Car of Texas: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum