It’s going to be a long, cold, lonely winter for cash-strapped carmakers, but spring could be heavenly for hot rodders (if they have some dough).
An all-new Chevy Camaro and a refreshed Ford Mustang are about to hit showrooms, with prices starting in the low- to mid-$20,000 range, along with a new sub-$30,000 car making more than 300 horsepower from a surprising place — South Korea.
Together, the offerings represent a revival of the pony car — the stylish, moderately priced rear-wheel-drive coupe exemplified by the 1960s Camaros and Mustangs that originated the class.
At the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, Mike Kaluza, 60, looked happier than an Obama backer on election night as he watched a 2010 Camaro rotating on a platform. “It’s an amazing time, when you consider what’s being offered by Ford, Chevy and Hyundai,” he said.
Yes, Hyundai.
The South Korean automaker is joining the budget-performance-car party with its first rear-wheel-drive coupe, like the others due out by spring, though the manufacturers have not set firm release dates.
Along with Dodge’s recently released Challenger, that makes four rear- wheel-drive sporty cars in a segment that was pretty much solely occupied by the Mustang until this year.
Unlike in most years, when new models would command a premium over the sticker price, buyers may be able to snag the new ponies at bargain prices from dealers struggling to stay afloat during a time of stagnant sales. It also might not cost as much to run the cars if gas prices stay as low as they are now.
Despite their strong visual connection to the original pony cars, the latest in the breed are no longer purely American. The Camaro and Challenger are built in Canada, and the Camaro’s platform was created by GM’s Australian subsidiary, Holden. The Mustang’s base V-6 engine is imported from Germany.
The South Korean pony car distinguishes itself by taking more direct aim at younger drivers by offering a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Hyundai is banking on younger drivers’ eagerness to switch to rear-drive cars. Sending power through the rear wheels yields smoother handling with high-horsepower engines. Rear-drive vehicles are used in popular “drifting” competitions, in which drivers score points by gracefully sliding their rear wheels through turns.
Auto show visitor Gerardo Lamuza, 24, said he would buy the turbocharged- engine-equipped model for exactly the reason Hyundai intends — he wants to play with increasing the car’s power by modifying the turbo.
Lamuza said he would trade in his Nissan 350Z to buy the Hyundai when it is released sometime early next year.
“I was planning on getting a new drift car next year,” he said, sour economy be damned.
