L.A. SHOW: NO SNOW, MUCH GO.(News)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

While automakers usually make at least cursory attempts to go ``green'' at the Los Angeles auto show, this year it was just ``go,'' as pure horsepower colored the Convention Center's three huge halls.

Pontiac announced the GTO will make 340 hp when it hits U.S. showrooms less than a year from now-35 hp more than the otherwise identical Holden Monaro currently sold in Australia, the GTO's birthplace. Torque for the U.S. model will be 360 lb-ft. The extra grunt comes from a U.S.-only high-lift cam, and greater airflow into the 5.7-liter V8 and back out via dual exhaust. Shift points in the four-speed automatic are more aggressive and the final drive on both the automatic and on the six-speed manual is a more drag racer-friendly 3.46:1.

``The Australian version is more of a grand tourer type of car,'' said GTO chief engineer Robert Reuter. ``We wanted more of a visceral car, one that would rip through sets of tires.''

Not enough horsepower? The Dodge Magnum SRT-8 concept featured a supercharged 5.7-liter Hemi with 430 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. The Magnum uber-station wagon will be in Dodge showrooms in early 2004 in your choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. It will be the first production car to sit on Chrysler's new LX platform. Cars made on the LX will share 20 percent of their parts with Mercedes. The Magnum borrows suspension, transmission and steering hardware from Mercedes-Benz.

Still not enough power? The Zagato-bodied Aston Martin DB AR1 concept offers 435 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. The bodywork is all-new from the headrests back, hammered out by hand at Zagato on wooden bucks. AR stands for ``American Roadster,'' since it's made with American buyers in mind. If Aston can get 66 of us to sign up for ...