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2008 new and redesigned coupes
2008 new models by body style
Looking for an all-new coupe in 2008? Here's a brief overview of all the coupes that have been redesigned or are brand-new models to the market in 2008. Some of the highlights include the redesigned Honda Accord Coupe and the brand-new Infiniti G37.
2008 Audi A5
New for 2008
List Prices: Starting at $39,900
Are coupes back in vogue? Audi would have you think so. The all-new A5 and its performance twin, the S5, are aimed straight for their fellow two-door heartthrobs: the BMW 3 Series coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class. Like its Deutschland competitors, the A5 seats four and draws power from a high-tech six-cylinder engine.
All-wheel drive is standard across the line, along with a choice of an automatic or manual transmission.
The A5 shares components with the next A4, set to arrive in the next few years.
2008 Audi S5
New for 2008
List Prices: Starting at $50,900
The S5 gets a 354-hp V-8, all the better to compete with BMW's forthcoming M3 coupe. All-wheel drive is standard across the line with your choice of an automatic or manual transmission.
Bentley Brooklands
2008 Bentley Brooklands
New for 2008
List prices: TBA
If you're the type who breaks out the '89 Bordeaux when Google hits $500, Bentley has a car for you. It's the Brooklands, a new coupe that picks up where the Continental R left off. That means more prestige, more technology and more power. It delivers all of that in spades: Interior decor includes leather-ensconced footwells, and the twin-turbo V-8 makes a thunderous 530 hp, the highest output of any Bentley to date.
Bentley plans to build just 550 Brooklands, with deliveries set to begin in the first half of 2008.
BMW 1 Series
New for 2008
List prices: Starting at $28,600
The new BMW 1 Series coupe comes in two rear-wheel-drive trims, the 128i and the 135i. The 128i has a 3.0-liter, inline-6-cylinder engine that produces 230 hp. The 135i starts at $34,900 and produces 300 hp with its 3.0 liter, inline 6 cylinder engine.
BMW M3
Redesigned for 2008
List prices: TBA
A newly introduced M3, based on the current-generation 3 Series, is set to be released in the spring of 2008 after a one-year absence. The M3 will include a new 414 hp, 4.0L V8 engine
2008 Honda Accord coupe
Redesigned for 2008
List prices: $20,360-$28,310
As the second-best-selling car in the United States, the new Honda Accord is one of the most significant introductions of the 2008 model year. The Accord gets an extensive redesign that includes all-new styling inside and out, more standard safety features and more powerful engines, including an optional V-6 with advanced fuel-saving technology.
2008 Infiniti G37
New for 2008
List prices: $34,250-$35,550
When Infiniti's first G35 coupe stormed onto the scene in 2002, it proved a worthy alternative to BMW's 3 Series — the best you could get for $35,000 at that time. Now, as the new 3 Series reassumes control of the segment with a rip-snorting 300 hp in the 335i, it seems time for Infiniti to hatch the latest G.
That the redesigned G35 sedan already provided a compelling alternative to the 3 Series didn't matter. Infiniti decided against matching that car's 306-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, instead building a 3.7-liter engine for the appropriately named G37 coupe. The larger V-6 sends an estimated 330 hp to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.
Three trim levels are available: base, Journey and Sport 6MT, which is sold exclusively with the manual.
2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series
New coupe body style for 2008
List prices: Starting at $135,000
Last year, the high-performance CLK63 AMG version was only available as a convertible, but for 2008 a CLK63 AMG coupe called the Black Series is also available. The CLK63 AMG includes a 6.2 liter, V8 engine.
2008 Nissan Altima coupe
New coupe body style for 2008
List prices: $18,230-$28,280
Nissan's midsize Altima adds a new coupe body style for 2008. The coupe's powertrain offerings are similar to the sedan's, but the coupe receives unique styling elements.
Coupes are available in 2.5 S and 3.5 SE guise.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
New coupe body style for 2008
List prices: TBA
Building on the 100EX concept that debuted at the 2004 Geneva auto show, Rolls-Royce has unveiled a convertible version of its Phantom sedan, dubbed the Phantom Drophead Coupe. Unlike the concept car, whose engine held an outlandish 16 cylinders, the Drophead uses the Phantom sedan's 6.8-liter V-12.
Features include a rear trunk gate that flips down for what Rolls-Royce calls "picnic" seating — the world's priciest tailgate party, perhaps? — and a camera mounted up front for better parking visibility.
Redesigned for 2008
List prices: $27,640-$44,920
Saab's 9-3 convertible gets a redesigned exterior for 2008. The 9-3 is available as a convertible, SportCombi (read: wagon) and sedan. The Aero is the uplevel trim in all body styles, and each comes with a 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 engine.
Base models feature 16-inch alloy wheels and a power driver's seat. Aero models include the more powerful engine, 17-inch wheels and slightly larger brakes. Both trims offer six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions. An upgraded Bose Centerpoint audio system will be optional on base models and standard on Aero sedans and SportCombis.
Exterior changes for 2008 include new wheel designs, a larger front grille, smaller side grilles and a more V-shaped hood. Saab says it borrowed some styling ideas from its Aero X auto-show concept when it refined the 9-3's looks.
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