汽车制造业巨头又开始摆阔

    强劲的动力和趾高气扬的造型已经重返汽车制造业。

    雷克萨斯(Lexus)本周将在底特律展示一款搭载5.0升发动机、能够产生500马力的运动型轿车。而斯巴鲁公司(Subaru)则宣称，它的下一代WRX-STi轿车会“让你产生打霰弹猎枪的感觉。”

    通用汽车公司(General Motors Co.)的热门新车Corvette Stingray刚刚在周一早上赢得年度汽车大奖，或许恰好彰显了汽车业最近的情绪变化——放弃精瘦，绿色和节能等理念，转而青睐快速，野蛮和粗野的车型。通用将展示一款改进后的Stingray系列跑车——Z06，动力输出可达625至650马力。

    就连宝马(BMW)旗下品牌Mini（从名称就可看出这个品牌的指导精神），也将展示一款新版硬顶车型。这款轿车应该是有史以来形体最大、动力最强劲的Mini车。

    至少有50辆新车和概念车将在周六开始向公众开放的底特律北美国际汽车展(North American International Auto Show)亮相。经历了多年因销量不佳而导致的预算紧张之后，汽车制造商终于开始加大新车型的研发开支。

    自雷曼兄弟公司(Lehman Brothers)2008年轰然倒塌以来，全球汽车业一直在艰难地破产重组，合并和裁员。同样，这段时期的新车也更可能是燃油经济性，气电混合动力或纯电动汽车。这些轿车的使用成本更低，更加契合经济停滞不前和就业市场萧瑟的宏观走势。

    现如今，随着美国股市接近历史高位，经济增长重现抬头之势，美国的汽车销量正在节节攀升。汽车制造商正在向重返展厅的消费者提供传统的迷幻药：速度和运动感造型。日产公司(Nissan)旗下豪车品牌英菲尼迪(Infiniti)展示了一款名为 Q50 Eau Rouge的概念车，公司高管声称这款概念车可能会成为未来一款车型的基础。

    谈到这款车型的潜力时，总部位于香港的英菲尼迪汽车有限公司总裁约翰•德•尼琛说：“我希望它将配备500马力和600磅-英尺的扭矩。我们目前可以利用一系列具有这种性能的发动机，经过大幅工程改造之后，这些发动机可以表现出英菲尼迪的个性，它们完全可以容纳在Q50引擎室内部。”

    尽管汽车制造商的声势不小，但它们也面临美国和其他国家日益严格的燃油效率规则的约束。更严格的规则意味着，普通轿车（不一定是展台上的那些汽车）肯定将变得更小，更轻。在一定程度上，巧用更轻的材料有助于实现燃油效率目标。福特汽车公司(Ford Motor)日前宣布，它将在旗下F系列全尺寸皮卡车中使用更多的铝材料。尽管这样做将增加成本和制造工艺的复杂性，但它可以降低汽车重量。

    虽然最热门、最快和最性感的轿车备受瞩目，但这类轿车的销量有限。比如，通用汽车旗下的雪佛兰汽车公司(Chevrolet)去年售出了大约1.5万辆克尔维特超级跑车(Corvette)，以及大约25万辆雪佛兰科鲁兹紧凑型轿车(Chevrolet Cruze)。由于克尔维特刚刚推出新车型，这款超跑今年的销量有望大幅增长。受到汽车制造商的鼓动，消费者或许会产生拥有一辆克尔维特超跑的梦想，也可能会去展厅过过眼瘾。但如果消费者需要一辆代步工具的话，他们还是会购买一辆科鲁兹。

    底特律，东京和斯图加特车展兜售的是梦想，而不仅仅是轿车。（财富中文网）

    译者：叶寒  

    Power and swagger have returned to auto making.

    Lexus is displaying a sports sedan this week in Detroit with a 5.0-liter engine that could generate as much as 500 horsepower. Subaru's next-generation WRX-STi will "make your gut feel like it's riding shotgun," the company announced.

    General Motors Co.'s hot new Corvette Stingray won Car of the Year on Monday morning, perhaps an indicator of the industry's mood – lately – away from lean, green, and efficient and toward the quick, brutish, and nasty. GM (GM) is showing a souped-up Stingray variety, the Z06, with an output of 625 to 650 horsepower.

    Even Mini, the BMW brand whose name suggests its guiding spirit, is showing a new version of its hardtop supposed to be its largest and most powerful ever.

    At least 50 new vehicles and concepts are making their debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which will open to the public on Saturday. Automakers have been boosting their spending on development of new models after several years of tight budgets tied to poor sales.

    Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, the global auto industry has struggled with bankruptcy reorganizations, consolidation, and retrenchment. Likewise, new cars have been more likely to be fuel-sipping eco-mobiles, gas-electric hybrids, or pure electric vehicles, which are less costly to operate and more in tune with a stagnant economy and a barren jobs market.

    Now, with U.S. stock markets near all-time highs and economic growth somewhat rekindled, U.S. car sales have been climbing. As buyers return to showrooms, automakers are offering traditional catnip: speed and sporty styling. Infiniti, Nissan's luxury division, displayed a concept that its executives say could be the basis of a future model, which it called Q50 Eau Rouge.

    Speaking about the model's potential, Johan de Nysschen, head of Hong Kong-based Infiniti said, "I would expect it to feature over 500 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. We have access to a range of engines featuring this performance capability which, with a fair amount of engineering effort, can be developed to exhibit Infiniti character and accommodated within the Q50 engine bay."

    Notwithstanding the flash and dash, automakers are constrained by fuel efficiency rules that are scheduled to grow more stringent in the U.S. and abroad. Tougher rules mean that the average car, not necessarily the one on the display stand, must be smaller and lighter. To some extent, clever use of lighter materials can help achieve efficiency goals. Ford Motor (F) announced that it would use more aluminum in its F Series full-size pickup truck, which adds to cost and manufacturing complexity but reduces its weight.

    For all the attention they attract, the hottest, fastest, and sexiest cars only sell in limited numbers. GM's Chevrolet division, for example, last year sold about 15,000 Corvettes and about 250,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedans. This year, Corvette sales should spike, owing to the introduction of a new model. But while shoppers are encouraged to dream about Corvette, and they may visit a showroom to see one, they'll buy a Cruze if they need basic transportation.

    Detroit, Tokyo, and Stuttgart sell dreams, not just cars.