GFerg

Yes you are correct. They all are AWD coupes, however I ment more on the lines of mass produced coupes. Not cars that average under 1,000 copies a year.

MHMMM.... Celica All Trac. Damn I loved those cars.

mmarshall

I agree with you....you live in a rather northerly but marine-influenced mild-climate area that generally does not need AWD very often for snow. It does add weight and drag....which uses more of today's expensive gas. But AWD has other benefits besides just more sure-footedness in snow and ice. It also increases grip in rain, gravel, and loose surfaces.....provided, of course, you don't have hi-performance dry-weather summer tires. All other things equal, it gives more even tire wear as the torque is shared among all four wheels....but you must observe the recommended tire pressures closely to keep the front and rear tire diameters even and not place excess wear on the differentials. And it generally gives more neutral handling without Lincoln Town Car-style nose-heavy understeer or old Porsche 911-style tailspins.
The Nissan reps there at the show told me that had received a lot of requests from potential customers for an AWD G35 coupe.....it would sell pretty well in the Northeast.

mmarshall

Yes, mag......I agree. When I bought my new Celica ST in 1995 they had dropped the All-Trac from the American market......maybe not a bad idea with only 105-110 HP on the new ones. But the looks, if not the power, on the 1995-1999 Celica, I thought, were just outstanding...especially the Bright Iris Pearl I got. I fell in love at first sight with that body style and those four big round headlights, Jaguar-style, yes, even me, Mr. Practical.