Performance goes green

With record-high fuel prices and CO₂ concerns providing the impetus, automakers are developing more fun-to-drive cars with an eye toward efficiency.

Carmakers have traditionally sought to optimize performance at the expense of fuel economy in sports cars and sport sedans, while optimizing economy at the expense of performance in low-priced cars sold mainly to boost the company's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rating. But rising fuel prices have reordered the priorities of even driving enthusiasts, who now have more interest in fun-to-drive cars that also are efficient. Fortunately for them, a raft of advances in technology, from more widespread use of lightweight materials in vehicle construction to advanced powertrain technologies, are reconciling the once contradictory goals of speed and economy.

There have always been small cars that appealed to driving enthusiasts, but they have typically emphasized handling because they have had acceleration that would be embarrassed by a run-of-the-mill family sedan. The original Austin Mini employed a 34-hp (25-kW) 848-cm³ engine and the sporty Mini Cooper featured a 55-hp (41-kW) 997-cm³ engine. Today's consumers just are not willing to drive such underpowered cars, and modern safety regulations and comfort expectations ensure that cars are much bigger and heavier than those earlier machines.