Performance Toppings
Factories offer premium menu
for discerning tastes
By
Jeffrey Fazio
Special Sections Writer
Like
plain pizza? How about a topping or two? Some have to have it all -
the supreme. Like a pizza, a new automobile has an overwhelming amount
of options available to cater to individual tastes.
Pizzerias
offer a plain slice and dealerships offer a base model. Just like the
pizza shop, dealers offer a variety of pepperoni- and mushroom-style
upgrades like stereo packages, wheel options and sometimes even a
choice of engines.
But
some folks want even more than what a fully-loaded new car can offer.
They desire the pizza supreme. Although there are endless
opportunities for vehicle modifications from aftermarket suppliers,
some find a sense of security sticking with original manufacturer's
parts, and for them there is an answer.
The
answer is either factory-backed performance companies or a division of
the parent company that focuses on performance. Auto makers such as
BMW, Toyota, Mazda, Ford and Mercedes have answered this call for
factory-based performance cars and parts.
This
year BMW offers an M-version (M stands for Motorsports) of their 3-
and 5-series vehicles, called the M3 and M5 respectively. Keith
Rentschler of Dick Horrigan BMW, Shillington, explains that the
M-versions are actually produced at a plant separate from the regular
line of BMWs.
"The
Ms are limited-production cars that use technology borrowed from the
BMW race teams," Rentschler said.
This
can easily be seen on BMW's Web site,
www.bmwusa.com, when comparing
the regular 3-series Bimmer to its M counterpart. The standard 325i
sedan uses a 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine to accelerate from 0
to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. In comparison, the M3 is powered by a
six-cylinder engine that is nearly 30 percent larger and accelerates
the car to 60 mph in a blistering 4.8 seconds.
Renstschler
explained that in addition to a more powerful motor, the M-versions
also feature larger brakes, upgraded suspension, wheels and different
body styling.
"If
performance is your primary buying interest, than the M-version is
what you want to look at," said Rentschler. "The M is
all-out, unadulterated performance."
Rentschler
said Horrigan BMW does not increase the manufacturer's suggested
retail price (MSRP) of the limited-production M5. But he said it is
not unheard of for California dealerships to add a $10,000 to $15,000
markup because of the high demand.
Toyota
also offers a line of performance cars and parts. Kent Moyer, sales
manager for Savage Toyota, Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County,
explained that Toyota Racing Development (TRD) originally was
responsible for making performance parts for the trucks that Toyota
sponsored in off-road racing, including SCORE World Champion Ivan
"Ironman" Stewart\'s truck. Some of these parts eventually
became available to the public for their own Toyota trucks.
"Since
these parts came right from race trucks, they were true performance
parts, not just appearance items," explained Moyer. "Toyota
has a long-standing commitment to racing."
TRD
versions of the 2003 Tundra, Solara, Camry, Celica and MR2 can be
special ordered from dealerships. The TRD packages include everything
from body kits and wheels to suspension and brakes. TRD even produces
a supercharger kit for some models.
Moyer
explained that individual TRD parts can be added to regular Toyota
models and will not adversely affect the new-car warranty as long as
the parts are installed by a dealership technician.
In
1999, Mazda Motor Corp. fully acquired MAZDASPEED, a team of Mazda
race enthusiasts that originally formed in 1967 under the name of
Mazda Sports Corner.
Today,
MAZDASPEED offers a variety of parts for Mazda vehicles.
Mazda's
Web site, www1.mazdausa.com, lists their first MAZDASPEED vehicle, a
Protege model available for 2003. The MAZDASPEED version of the
Protege offers a 170 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and
upgraded 17-inch rims. The regular models of the Protege offer a
normally-aspirated 130-horsepower 2.0-liter engine and either 15-inch
or 16-inch rims.
In
1991, Ford joined the fray of automobile manufacturers offering
extreme performance parts with their Special Vehicle Team (SVT). The
SVT Web Site, www.svt.ford.com, lists SVT versions of the Ford
Mustang, Lightning and Focus for 2003.
The
engine options on a regular Mustang range from a 190-horsepower
3.6-liter V6 to a 305-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. The SVT Mustang Cobra
boasts a 390-horsepower supercharged 4.6-liter V8.
Hans
Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher started a business in Grodfaspach,
Germany in 1967, according to
www.mercedes-benz.com, with the goal of
designing, engineering and developing race engines. Their company was
called AMG (each of their last initials and the initial of the town).
Their first racing success came in 1971 in their AMG-Mercedes 300 SEL
6.9, which started a long relationship with Mercedes.
After
backing AMG's efforts for several decades, Mercedes completely took
over AMG's operation about five years ago, explained Rick Pawling,
assistant sales manager for Tom Masano Mercedes, 855 Lancaster Ave.
The
AMG cars are manufactured on the same production line as the regular
cars, but are then shipped to the AMG plant for modification.
According to Pawling, Mercedes offers an AMG version for almost all of
its models.
"The
AMG SL55 is the hottest car on the market," claims Pawling.
He
explained that it features a 593-horsepower engine and F1-style paddle
shifters on the steering wheel. Although the MSRP is $115,000 to
$118,000, it is common for the car to sell for $145,000 to $150,000.
For
those who know their choice is to have it all - the supreme - the only
choice left is which pizzeria to order from. And don't expect it to be
free if it is not delivered in 30 minutes or less.
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