2006 Car of the Year?

2006 should be an interesting model year. There are some cars being released for the first that I really want to see on the roads and possibly one day drive. There are also new re-designed vehicles re-introducing themselves in 2006. So I ask you which of these new or re-designed cars do you think will have the best shot of being car of the year for 2006?

2006 Lexus IS350- Toyota will be introducing a brand new updated IS Series Lexus called the IS350 in 2006. The IS350 will now utilize a 3.5L 6-Cylinder that is rumored to make atleast 300HP (RWD). The transmission will be a new sequential-shift 6-speed-automatic (standard).
http://fast-autos.net/lexus/lexusis350.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Chevrolet Impala SS/Monte Carlo SS- The Impala is not just a regular grocery getter anymore. In 2006 the Impala and the Monte Carlo will receive a much needed power upgrade with the use of a 5.3L 8-Cylinder making 303HP and 323TQ. The Muscle is back, and the new Mustang GT may want to watch out for these cars.
http://fast-autos.net/chevrolet/chevroletmontecarloss.html (For pictures and more info)
http://fast-autos.net/chevrolet/06chevroletimpalass.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06- 500HP and 475TQ turns the new Z06 into a bonafide exotic killer. Weighing in at 3130Lbs, Chevrolet expects this car to hit the 1/4 Mile in less 12 seconds and reach speeds above 190MPH. This car will be able to beat and hang with Lamborghinis for less than half the price.
http://fast-autos.net/chevrolet/chevroletc6z06.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT- We all miss the 1st and 2nd generation Eclipse, but the 4th generation should help us get over that last generation (3rd generation). The new Eclipse will sport a 3.8L 6-Cylinder making 263HP and 260TQ. This car should be a blast to drive and will click of low to mid 14 second 1/4 Mile times. The Eclipse will wear a new body, that took a lot of styling inspiration from the 1st and 2nd generation Eclipses.
http://fast-autos.net/mitsubishi/mitsubishieclipsegt.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX- This EVO should be one of the best EVOs ever. Power is up by 10HP and torque is also raised to 289TQ. Expect 0-60 times of 4.4-4.5 Seconds and 1/4 Mile times in the way low 13s and possibly high 12s. The new EVO IX is also helped by a re-design which gets rid of Pontiac style grill. The interior is also updated, and may have the most comfortable and best looking seats of any EVO. The EVO IX will still be available in the GSR and RS 5-Speed models and the 6-Speed MR model.
http://fast-autos.net/mitsubishi/mitsubishievoixmr.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Mazda MazdaSpeed 6- A Japanese Turbocharged 4-Cylinder making 270HP+ and utilizing AWD, nope this is no EVO or STi, but a Mazda. This car will offer a nice combination between the all out dedicated performance of the EVO and STi and the style comfortability of a BMW 330I or Nissam Maxima. Of to 60 times should dip under 6 Seconds and the interior of the this car is very nice.
http://fast-autos.net/mazda/mazdaspeed6.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Pontiac Solstice- GM introduces this very nice two seat affordable RWD roadster for the 2006 model season. The Solstice will hope to grab customers away from competition such as the Mazda Miata (also re-designed for 2006) and the Toyota MR2 Spyder. The Solstice will be powered at first by a NA 2.4L 4-Cylinder making 170HP and 170TQ (a more powerful supercharged version is expected soon after release) which should give this 2800Lb coupe some good scoot. The interior is also a big improvement for GM designers.
http://fast-autos.net/pontiac/pontiacsolstice.html (For pictures and more info)

2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8- This 425HP and 420TQ bad boy is due to be released in 2006 model year. Based of the wagon Magnum, the Charger hopes to live up to it's namesake by being one bad ass car. O-60 should blow by in 5.0 Seconds and this car will pull even stronger wants it gets going. The Charger will have a race inspired interior, that will comfortably fit 4 people.
http://fast-autos.net/dodge/dodgechargersrt8.html (For pictures and more info)

the impala and monte carlo are going to suck, i mean gm could have done better like for instance, rwd instead of a 303 hp/323 lb ft tq.....hmm torque steer?

Ya those are some pretty nice cars, but I don't think the Mustang GTs will have to watch out for the Monte Carlo SS and Impala SS. While they are putting V8s in them is nice. Aren't they still front wheel drive? I think the car should launch hard but once it throse the wieght back to the rear wheel were the power should be the tires are just going to spin or the TAC will kick in and down the power. Plus those car wiegh a bit more than the Mustang and they have almost identical numbers 300hp and 320ft-lbs for the Mustang

other than the charger and vette, i'm not too impressed. the mazda's pretty cool. the lexus is nice, but it's gonna cost like $40K, for the performance it's gonna offer you could get something cheaper and better, like a 350Z. the evo looks exactly the same, the eclipse and solstice are ass ugly.

At first I was pretty alarmed that the Impala SS and Monte Carlo SS were gonna be front-wheel-drive, but then I stopped and thought about how long GM has been making FWD cars (excluding trucks, SUVs, and sports cars). Then I realized that if they were to rush themsleves to design an all-new RWD platform for the Impala/Monte Carlo, it would probably handle worse than their already very good FWD platform. That said, I should hope that they are working on some sort of RWD muscle car to compete with the 300C and the Mustang GT, but knowing GMC, it isn't likely.

actually, i think the only interesting cars in that list are the lexus and the solstice which run on new (and i think as of yet unseen) platforms.
everything else are just re-hashes aren't they?

the evo x is going to the real one to watch cos once again, that is going to be on a new platform and one that no one else is going to be using not to mention a new engine.

the evo is gonna be the same thign it always has been...a very impressive economy sedan with some serious power.

solstice...i dont know i kinda like the concept of it. i think it will sell BIG.

impala/monte carlo...the look like ass according to those pictures. i dont care about the performance. i wouldnt buy one for performance...

eclipse...stupid. they arent gonna boost sales that way.

mazda...i dont know really what to say about it. im kinda either way. i dont think it will sell like it should...

lexuz is350...the back end looks like poo and the front looks like the is300. not impressive...ill take a used is300.

corvette...they are trying something a little different...raising the bar and the price. should be interesting. impressive car but it is still something i see way too much of therefore it doesnt have the appeal that a sports car if its calibur should have on me.

charger: hm...can you say bandwagon??? impressive power...i think it is ugly and i dont think that it will overpower the mustang in sales, even if they cost the same. it just isnt the same. just to note: never like the new mustang before...but now that i have seen it with the 18" summer wheel package. it looks great and i think ford did an excellent job. its just the first set of wheels, those made the car ugly. i have never seen wheels make such a difference on a brand new car.

alfa 159 is looking interesting.

The Alfa 159 is going to be the highlight of the year for me, though I wish they had kept the hidden door hanldes.

From your list only the Solstice, Z06 Mazda6 MPS, Evo IX and IS350 sound anything good.

The Impala and Monte Carlo will handle even worse than they do now, which was pretty awful in the first place, they'll go from handling like fishing trawlers to ocean liners. Why they never used the V Body to begin with is beyond me.

The Eclipse is nice but it just pisses me off how it's going to be another Eclipse kept for the US market.

I don't like the front end styling of the Charger at all, it looks like it was modelled around the cars in GTA San Andreas.

i thought the chevelle was coming out in 06 with the LS2 in it?
am i wrong?

For a thread on the 2006 car of the year, you guys haven't even scratched the surface.
I've seen no mention of the Shelby 500 Mustang or the new Shelby Cobra.
Their's lots of cars out there, and as the old saying goes, "You ain't seen nothing yet".

2006 Lexus IS350 (no)
2006 Chevrolet Impala SS/Monte Carlo SS (doubtful)
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (as much as I'd like it to, no)
2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (maybe)
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX (no)
2006 Mazda MazdaSpeed 6 (looks good)
2006 Pontiac Solstice (maybe)
2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8 (:lol: :rofl: :lol:)

For a thread on the 2006 car of the year, you guys haven't even scratched the surface.
I've seen no mention of the Shelby 500 Mustang or the new Shelby Cobra.
Their's lots of cars out there, and as the old saying goes, "You ain't seen nothing yet".

The Shelby 500 Mustang is scheduled for the 2007 model year. As far as I know, Ford has no plans as of now on building the Shelby Cobra for production. They might eventually build it, but as of now, it's still a concept.

The Shelby 500 Mustang is scheduled for the 2007 model year. As far as I know, Ford has no plans as of now on building the Shelby Cobra for production. They might eventually build it, but as of now, it's still a concept.

I don't know where you heard that but whoever told you that is wrong. The new SVT Shelby GT-500 is green lighted and is coming out in either late 2006 or early 2007. This isn't a concept, it's the real thing.

3000ways is talking about the Shelby Cobra being a concept, not the GT-500

I don't know where you heard that but whoever told you that is wrong. The new SVT Shelby GT-500 is green lighted and is coming out in either late 2006 or early 2007. This isn't a concept, it's the real thing.

Thank you Muscletang. And whats even more interesting, Shelby is building 200 Special edition GT-500 with 550 HP, upgraded brakes and suspension. Sounds like someone has a better idea to me. I don't think the rock is out of the woods yet. And in the roomer mill is Chrysler might be building a supercharged hemi in the big HP numbers. I think it's fun to watch....almost like the muscle car era when everyone was trying to out do the other mfg's.

Yeah it looks like the hp wars are back...in Japan too. I really don't get it tho, because gas prices are higher than ever, and SUV sales are slipping...

in terms of me being impressed, I like the solstice, its gonna eat up alot of the miata market, Toyota has shown it can make a 300hp V6 right along with Honda and Nissan, and the one car im seriously considering, the Evo IX (no evos in Canada, but ill look at the dodge counterpart) sounds really good

Yeah sorry for the confusion, I just worded it like the quote I was answering. The SVT Shelby GT-500 is definitly greenlighted, but is scheduled for introduction in 2007 model year, perhaps very early in the 2007 model year, which means early next year.

The Shelby Cobra Concept on the other hand is still a concept, a sweet one! Still a concept though.

Yeah the HP Wars have been going on for awhile now.

I think the presales of the Charger have been pretty good so far. So, it might not be too far fetched to believe it could end up as one of the top cars of the year.

The Shelby Cobra Concept on the other hand is still a concept, a sweet one! Still a concept though.

The Cobra is really dead. Ford took the engine out of it though and made the Shelby GR-1 which they are strongly considering to replace the GT-40.

still too early to tell

Too early to tell, but don't leave out the GXP GP, it has the same engine as the Impala and Monte, but has suspension work to handle better/the first car with wider front wheals then rear.

Cayman S has my vote. The Boxster S is already one of the best in the turns...just imagine that with a tin top and even more power. It will be a giant slayer.

BMW E90 3-series. They are calling it a 2006, so its fair game. I've drivin one, and they are better the the E46. Great handling, more power. They look great (better then the E46 sedan IMO). The competition should get ready to lose even more sales to BMW. Best Luxury/Sports Sedan under $40,000. Bangle did not screw it up :)

Don't forget about the Chrysler 300C SRT-8. The amount of performance it offers for the money is very impressive; add in the fact that it does it while being a 4000-pound full-size sedan, and it needs no further explanation why the car is such a steal at $42,000.

The Alfa Romeo 159 looks AWESOME to me. I read in one of the current issues of Car and Driver that GM plans to bring Alfa Romeo back to the USA within the next ten years; I really hope that they do, because I don't wanna miss out on many more cars like the 159.

The Shelby GT-500, I have mixed feelings about. Sure, it's gonna offer up a boatload of horsepower for a great price, while being infinitely more comfortable and easy to drive than the previous SVT Cobra, but I'm still not sold on the handling. They're going to stick with the solid rear axle for the GT-500, which I agree with for the most part, but I think they'd have to make substantial improvements to it to get the car to handle the way I'd expect a $40,000 RWD sports car to handle.

The new 3 Series is obviously going to get plenty of attention. However, I personally don't see it as that big of an improvement over the previous 3-Series. The performance is a bit better, especially in the acceleration department, but the exterior is a bit uglier, and I've heard that the interior is a step down as well. And, unfortunately, it looks like BMW is going to kill its most basic driver's car with all the electronic gadgetry that's already running rampant in the 5-, 6-, and 7-Series. The car's got a powerful engine, a balanced chassis, and an excellent suspension. Why not just leave it at that, and let those things work in harmony, all by themselves?

I went to a dealership last week and asked about seeing a Charger and the salesman said they had one on the lot that sold within 12 hours of getting there and they already had filled a bunch of preorders. So, it may not be a reach to say this car could be one of the top sellers of the year.

No Comment

i thought the chevelle was coming out in 06 with the LS2 in it?
am i wrong?

No. The Pontiac GTO/Holden Monaro was revised for 2005.

Check this article

http://ultimategto.com/bondurant04cars1.htm

http://ultimategto.com/carshows/bondurant04/05smoke.jpg

Holden is still going to make new coupes and sedans by this time next year. Read about it in the new issue of Motor Trend.

Don't forget about the Chrysler 300C SRT-8. The amount of performance it offers for the money is very impressive; add in the fact that it does it while being a 4000-pound full-size sedan, and it needs no further explanation why the car is such a steal at $42,000.

The Alfa Romeo 159 looks AWESOME to me. I read in one of the current issues of Car and Driver that GM plans to bring Alfa Romeo back to the USA within the next ten years; I really hope that they do, because I don't wanna miss out on many more cars like the 159.

The Shelby GT-500, I have mixed feelings about. Sure, it's gonna offer up a boatload of horsepower for a great price, while being infinitely more comfortable and easy to drive than the previous SVT Cobra, but I'm still not sold on the handling. They're going to stick with the solid rear axle for the GT-500, which I agree with for the most part, but I think they'd have to make substantial improvements to it to get the car to handle the way I'd expect a $40,000 RWD sports car to handle.

The new 3 Series is obviously going to get plenty of attention. However, I personally don't see it as that big of an improvement over the previous 3-Series. The performance is a bit better, especially in the acceleration department, but the exterior is a bit uglier, and I've heard that the interior is a step down as well. And, unfortunately, it looks like BMW is going to kill its most basic driver's car with all the electronic gadgetry that's already running rampant in the 5-, 6-, and 7-Series. The car's got a powerful engine, a balanced chassis, and an excellent suspension. Why not just leave it at that, and let those things work in harmony, all by themselves?

GM is going to pay Fiat two billion dollars. GM doesn't own Fiat.

The 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 isn't a sports car. It seats four.

The following is from Motor Trend May 2005 pages 54, 55, and 56:

"Hau Tai-Tang, the 2005 Mustang's chief program engineer, was handed the reins at SVT last fall."

"Visceral feedback from all driver inputs will be greatly increased; differentiated, yet well harmonized."

"We won't hesitate to have you do a driving comparison against IRS-suspended competitors."

It won't just have more performance than the Mustang GT...

Automobile said in its June 2005 issue on page 56 that the new GT500 has leather on the door panels, steering wheel, shifter, parking-brake handle, dash top, and console.

http://photos.velocityjournal.com/images/full/2005/134/fd2005shelbycobragt5001347358.jpg

I don't really care for the new BMW 3 series. I don't like the interior or the flat dash.

I have a looser definition of sports car than most. By strict definition, a sports car must be rear-wheel-drive, manual, and a two-seater roadster. Obviously, that doesn't apply to many cars today, so the definition has expanded and changed. Still, upon further examination, the Shelby GT-500 is more of a grand tourer than a sports car. Still, I hope Ford can give it enough handling prowess to match its considerable straight-line ability.

I don't know where you heard that but whoever told you that is wrong. The new SVT Shelby GT-500 is green lighted and is coming out in either late 2006 or early 2007. This isn't a concept, it's the real thing.

I second this, my buddy took some pictures of one at a mustang meet up in PA last weekend. I know they aren't for sale yet but there are already some built for shows. That thing will be cheaper than the z06 and likely run with it in the quarter mile, It will be a serious performer but I doubt it will hang with the new Z06 in anything other than the quarter mile. Other than that I agree with K3 on the other cars. Ug more hi power front drivers.

The new Corvette Z06 will run a 1/4 mile in less than 12 seconds. The 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 won't do that.

check here for the new Corvette Z06

New Corvette Z06 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=341459)

I haven't seen either of these cars at the track so I can't really say what either one will run in the quarter. I can say though that I think the shelby will run about the same time in the quarter as the vetter z06. The shelby still has a live axel, and its not geared to go 200mph like the new z06.

The 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 will weigh several hundred pounds more than a new Z06 and have worse aerodynamics. The top speed of the new Z06 is expected to be around 190 mph.

The 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 will weigh several hundred pounds more than a new Z06 and have worse aerodynamics. The top speed of the new Z06 is expected to be around 190 mph.

I agree with that, but the aerodynamics won't take into effect as much in a quartermile as they will at 190. The cobra will likely have a steeper torque curve because of the supercharger (although not as much peak as the Z06) and I doubt the cobra will be capable of 190 due to gearing (and aerodynamics partially). I haven't seen a dyno sheet from either of them so this is really only theoretical. I think it will be a close quarter mile race, but I agree 100 percent that the Vette is more of an all out performer and will likely take the cobra in every other category.

however much it embarrasses me to say this, from the looks of things i would have to put my vote in for the 2006 Saturn Sky.
170hp 2.4L 4cyl
RWD
all independent suspension
central spine frame a la corvette and solstice

and the main thing that makes it better than the solstice: it looks oh so pretty
think Opel speedster front with rounded s2000 rear, and it doesnt look as small as the s2000

plus they are talking about a red line version with a supercharger

if GM makes this car as good as it sounds, it will completely change my image of them as brainless monkeys fixated on past technology.



EDIT: the evo IX will be VERY different than the VIII
most notably is every evo MR option standard on the base model, and an updated turbocharger to increase boost response, and MIVEC variable valve timing. specs will be 286hp and 289ftlb.