Convertibles, V8 Ultra-Muscle and Hot Hatches… Oh My!

Audi RS3 rendering

Whoa, baby, we’ve got some cool cars coming to America!

What do you like: convertible muscle cars? You’re covered. A little more horsepower for your Challenger? Check. A small hatch that is affordable and still fun to drive? It can be yours. What about a 340-hp hatchback that’ll scoot to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds? We can only hope.

Chevrolet is readying the popular Camaro with a rag top, according to the boys over at Autoblog. Check out this picture of a group of fresh-off-the-line convertibles sitting at the Holden plant in Australia. Anyone up for buying a 2011 convertible Camaro? Even in the silver/tan color scheme?

Owners of ‘08 or ‘09 Dodge Challengers now have an option of upgrading to the Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Challenger, a series of options that can raise the horsepower to a stellar 560. Also available are 12.5-inch-wide rear tires, Baer brakes, lowering springs, a custom hood, and more. The full upgrade can bring the cost of an SRT Challenger to over $79K, putting it close to Viper territory. Still though, at that price, it’s dang-near worth it.

Looking for something much less expensive but still fairly fun to drive? Suzuki hopes to catch your eye with the 2010 SX4 Sportback. Looking nearly identical to the SX4 Crossover at first glance, the Sportback sits lower to the ground, has 17″ wheels and tires, isn’t offered in AWD, and lacks roof rails. And it has only 410 fewer horsepower than that Group 2 Challenger.

But a six-speed manual tranny, performance shocks, and anti-roll bars should help the SX4 Sportback provide a fun drive while getting 30 miles per gallon. In my mind, the SX4 Crossover and Sportback are further proof that Suzuki is ready to seriously take on the U.S. market.

Finally, we’re nearly beyond words at the thought of the new Audi RS3 (pictured at the top of this story) hitting America. Granted, the odds aren’t great that we’ll see it here, but it’s not out of the question. So for now we can drool over these numbers provided by the good folks at Leftlane:

At the heart of the RS3 will be an Audi TT RS-sourced 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Tuned to produce 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, the RS3 should be able to easily scoot from 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds, with the electronic nannies kicking in at about 155 mph.

We’ll keep an eye on next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, where Audi should release more info and prices.

Are there any new car debuts you’re eager to see?

-tgriffith

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