German luxury carmaker Mercedes-AMG and BMW M are the first names that come to an auto enthusiast's mind when it comes to the performance cars. Fiat joined them with the launch of its high-performance Abarth brand in India last year. The ongoing Auto Expo 2016 showcased many new performance cars those are in the pipeline for 2016-2017 period. It is noteworthy that the manufacturers of the performance cars unveiled are stepping in to the segment for the first time in India.
Nissan GT-R
The flagship sports car of Nissan, the GT-R, is popular among enthusiasts as Godzilla. The model will be imported to India as a completely built unit. The two-door sports car of Nissan is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, which belts out 542bhp at 6,400 rpm and 632 Nm of torque in the range of 3,200-5,800rpm. The power is transmitted to all four wheels via six-speed dual clutch transmission. The four-wheel drive system comes with independent transaxle and also LSD (Limited Slip Differential). Nissan India confirmed the GT-R will be launched in September 2016.
Volkswagen Polo GTI
Volkswagen India unveiled three-door version of the most powerful Polo model, the Polo GTI, at the biennial show. At the heart, Polo GTI gets 1.8-litre, four-cylinder TSI petrol engine that can churn out 189bhp of power and 320Nm of peak torque. The engine will be mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission. That power figures makes it clear that the Polo GTI will be the most powerful hatchback in the country when it is launched in Q2 of 2016. The Polo GTI will be brought to India as CBU (completely built units) and is expected to be priced at over Rs 20 lakh.
Ford Mustang
Ford India introduced its iconic sports car, the Mustang, to public at Auto Expo 2016. Under the bonnet, Mustang gets the legendary V8 engine that is tuned to churn out 420bhp and 524Nm of torque mated to six-speed SelectShift automatic gearbox. The sixth generation features a new independent rear suspension (IRS) system. The new Mustang is also the first version that comes with factory designed right-hand-drive export model. Ford will launch the new Mustang in India in the second quarter of the year.
