By Peter Holley / The Washington Post
DETROIT — Despite all the hype surrounding auto shows, let’s get real for a moment: The majority of the vehicles on display will end up ferrying kids to soccer practice, embarking on road trips and commuting between work and home each day.
That’s understandable. Most vehicles don’t get off the lot if they’re not designed with a heaping dose of practicality in mind.
But for this list, practicality has been tossed to the wayside. These are the cars that are designed to draw attention, spike heart rates and reach the kind of speeds that could get you thrown in jail.
Here are some of the fastest (and least practical) cars at this year’s auto show:
2018 Acura NSX
Last year’s performance car of the year, this has changed little, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re an NSX fan (and there are plenty). The supercar — which starts at $156,000 — includes three electric motors, but don’t mistake this car for a fuel-conscious hybrid. The car is “electrified” to make everyday driving more palatable, according to Andrew Quillin, a company spokesman who noted that the NSX offers a 573 horsepower V6 and can reach a top speed of 191 mph.
The car goes from zero to 60 in a blinding 3.1 seconds.
“It’s still an Acura and it’s very drivable,” Quillin said. “You have the speed and performance, but with the electric motors it can be a very comfortable and compliant car, too.”
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody
The equation is simple: Bigger fender flares (borrowed from the Dodge Demon) means a wider body. A wider body equals bigger wheels. Bigger wheels — when paired with 707 horsepower — equals a lot more speed.
How much exactly?
Zero to 60: 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph.
The sound: “Like a rocket ship,” according to Matt McAlear, senior manager for passenger cars at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “It’s all just raw, active American V8.”
And yet, McAlear maintains, the Hellcat which starts at $71,995, should not necessarily be limited to neighborhood drag races.
“This is absolutely a daily driver,” he said. “It’s comfortable and there’s lots of space. You can even put car seats in the back of this.”
2018 Nissan GT-R
By exotic car standards, the GT-R is considered a bargain at about $100,000.
A Nissan spokesman said the car could be used as an everyday vehicle before admitting that everyday drivers don’t usually gravitate toward the GT-R.
“It’s for people who want some excitement in their lives,” he said.
The vehicle features a V6 with 565 horsepower and can hit zero to 60 in 2.7 seconds, according to Nissan.
“The GT-R drives like nothing else,” according to the Car Connection, a website that provides detailed car reviews. “Its ragged edges are so far removed from everyday driving it’s been accused of driving like a videogame. We say game on.”
2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Undoubtedly the most practical car on our list, the Alpha Romeo Gulia is impressively fast and powerful for a car in its class.
The vehicle offers drivers 280 horsepower and a top speed of 149 mph, easily surpassing competitors like the Audi A4 and the Jaguar XE Premium.
The car starts at just over $39,000 and has been called by Car and Driver “an emotional, hot-blooded Italian sedan,” one that hits zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds.
2018 Corvette ZR1
The ZR1 has more carbon fiber parts than any Corvette before and is the fastest production car in the car’s 65-year history.
You can thank the 755-hp 6.2L V8 for that.
This is a vehicle for the Corvette purist, someone with a refined appreciation for the mechanics of the vehicle, someone who longs to “rip it up on the track,” as one Chevy employee noted while drooling over the vehicle.
The ZR1 hits 60 miles per hour in less than 3.0 seconds and 212 miles per shortly thereafter.
A coupe model starts at $119,995 and the convertible starts at $123,995.
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