Exotics add horsepower at Melbourne

While small economy cars and diesel and hybrid technology left their imprints firmly on the opening of the Melbourne International Motor Show it is the exotics which wowed the crowds.

Several high-priced performance cars were revealed at the show which runs to February 19 and plenty more recently-launched exotics were on view too.

Fresh from its world debut last month in Detroit, the new Jaguar XK Convertible was given its Australian unveiling when the covers were taken off the sleek drop-top. The Ian Callum-designed XK features lightweight aluminium construction and a 4.8-litre engine with 402kW. That’s enough to power the classic Brit to 100km/h in about 6.5secs and a top speed of 250km/h.

Keenly priced from $190,000 (for the Coupe, the droptop is $221,000) Jaguar is pinning its hopes on strong sales in an otherwise difficult trading time for the company. The equally handsome coupe was also on show -- it was given its Australian debut in Sydney last year.

Porsche was back in Melbourne after missing the show last year. The highlight on its stand was the new Cayman S which sells from $148,500.

Sitting between the 911 and Boxster convertible in both price and performance the Cayman S boasts a 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer engine with 217kW and 340Nm which gives the sleek coupe a 0-100km/h time of only 5.4secs and a top speed of 275km/h. You can read more about the new Cayman S in our reviews section.

A long-wheelbase Phantom was unveiled on the Rolls-Royce stand bringing its model range to two. Built for those who thought the standard model a little cramped, the extra wheelbase gives rear passengers even more room to enjoy Rolls-Royce’s famous magic carpet ride.

The LWB version features a restyled bonnet, drawing on classic R-R DNA; otherwise it’s similar to its smaller brother. The asking price? About $1m.

Cross-town rivals Maybach fought back with the Maybach 57S (S stands for Speciale). A cool million buys all the usual Maybach features along with a tweaked 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 engine (from the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG) which has 450kW of power and an astonishing 800Nm of torque.

The heavyweight limousine can sprint to 100km/h in a touch over 5secs. The 57S also has uprated suspension, a lower ride height and firmer shocks to give the limousine a sporty edge. Maybach now has three cars in the stable, the 57, long wheelbase 62 and new 57S.

Resurgent Maserati pulled the wraps off two new variants of the popular Quattroporte (four-door). The Sport GT features carbon-fibre interior accents, 20-inch wheels and aluminium pedals while the Executive GT model boasts a chrome mesh grille, 19-inch alloys, wood and leather steering wheel and Alcantara trim. Also on the stand was the new flagship GranSport Spyder. The superbly-styled new convertible comes with a 4.2-litre 294kW V8 engine and top speed of around 290km/h.

With unprecedented sales, Bentley is another luxury brand riding the crest of a wave in Australia.

The VW-owned British company showed off itsstunning new Azure convertible. The 2450kg luxury convertible produces 299kW and a staggering 835Nm from its 6.75-litre V8. The stylish Azure offers sports car performance -- if not handling -- with superb comfort making it the ultimate grand touring car.

Lamborghini didn’t have anything new to show but the line up of Gallardo and Gallardo Spyders on its stand caused plenty of interest.

Big Brother Audi unveiled its new S8 all-wheel drive super sedan. Complete with Lamborghini-sourced V10 and with 335kW of power and 540Nm of torque the car has tremendous performance wrapped in a luxury package. At somewhere over $200,000 the S8 will be available in October. The ballistic RS4 seemed positively pedestrian alongside!

Melbourne audiences got their first peek at the Superamerica on Ferrari’s stand. With a 5.7-litre V12 engine and 397kW of power the road rocket will sprint to 100km/h in 4.2secs and on to a F1-style top speed of 320km/h making it the fastest convertible on the planet. Also on show were the stunning F430 and F430 Spyder.