A sports-oriented vehicle is designed to stimulate the senses by providing beautiful aesthetics, as well as exhilarating performance. But who says they can’t be extraordinarily safe, too? Take the Lexus RC 350 for example. The elegant coupe boasts a V6 making 311 horsepower, but also the Lexus Safety System+ that bundles in things like automatic high beams and radar-enabled cruise control. Or there’s the Infiniti Q60 packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and the company’s lauded Around View Monitor, which gives a top-down 360-degree view of the car so drivers can back up safely into a parking spot without hitting anything (or anyone).
Lexus RC
Every manufacturer offers some sort of electronic passive safety equipment in their lineup nowadays, but two years ago Lexus set a precedent by announcing virtually all its products — such as the sporty RC 350 — will be packaged with the Lexus Safety System+ suite of technologies as standard. LSS+ encompasses self adjusting high beams and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control where the RC can autonomously slow down or speed up to stay behind the vehicle in front, as well as collision mitigation that senses oncoming obstacles and automatically applies the brakes if necessary to avoid or minimize the impact of a crash.
Lexus actually uses the word “sexy” in official literature when describing the sleek four-seater, which is both wider and lower than bigger brother the IS 350. Under the hood is a silky smooth 3.5-liter six cylinder mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Cadillac ATS
Once known to be the brand for grandparents, Cadillac has really shaken things up by serving up spicy dishes like the ATS-V. The high performance compact has a unique feature known as the Safety Alert Seat. Working in conjunction with other on-board safety aids, motors built into various sections of the seat cushion will activate, warning drivers of a potential hazard. For instance, while in reverse the rear cross traffic sensors will set off a vibration in either the left or right side seat to indicate the direction of an oncoming vehicle.
This type of technology is necessary because the ATS-V is definitely no soft cruiser, housing a fire breathing supercharged 6.2-liter V8 mill pumping out 640 horses. Zero to 60 is rated at 3.7 seconds.
Infiniti Q60
Nissan and Infiniti were one of the first on the scene to introduce a display mode showing a birds-eye view of the automobile to make tasks like parking a walk in the park, no pun in intended. Utilizing ultra-wide cameras installed on the front, rear and sides, the system is dubbed Around View Monitor and can be found on the Infiniti Q60.
The luxury sport coupe was the replacement for the popular former G series, and entered its second generation for 2017. Styled to appear in motion even when standing still, characteristic visual elements include the signature double arch grille, crescent-shaped C pillars, and LED headlamps inspired by the human eyelid. Three powerplants are available on the Q60, the base being a turbo 2.0-liter delivering 208 horsepower.
