New York, New York; so good they named it twice? Visitors this week to the largest motor show in the US will also be double-taking at the cars on display, such is the dichotomy between reducing fuel consumption while simultaneously satiating America's desire for horsepower.
Nowhere is this more obvious at the 2007 New York Auto Show than within the centrally-positioned General Motors display.
On one side of the aisle, Cadillac and Buick are displaying new high-performance models, while the already excessive range of Hummers receives a major upgrade, including the fitment of a new 20 per cent more powerful 6.2-litre petrol-fuelled V8.
Only a few steps away are three new concept cars from Chevrolet, but unlike the myriad muscle car concepts displayed of late, these are the antithesis of the Hummer.
GM calls the concepts "minicars" and you can be certain that at least one of the show cars will make it into the showrooms of Europe as well as the US. The most likely candidate is the Trax, which has a distinctive appearance that should work globally, potentially as a replacement for the Chevrolet Kalos or Matiz. Supporting this is the fitment of a highly-efficient 1-litre petrol engine under the bonnet, an unheard of engine capacity in America.
Saab's fast BioPower 100 Concept is also on display, perhaps demonstrating that using alternative fuels need not mean a sacrifice in performance, although admittedly, the infrastructure is not yet in place to support widespread use of bio-fuels. However, customer demand could well change that.
Until the US government introduces more punitive measures, buyers' needs will continue to direct the car makers and in New York this week, despite the presence of environmentally-aware exhibits, the focus is on luxury and power. Even Hyundai, traditionally concentrating on the budget end of the market, indicated its desire to move into the luxury car segment with its new Concept Genesis, blatantly borrowing styling cues from BMW and Lexus, the very brands Hyundai has in its sights.
Elsewhere, Nissan's North American sports-luxury brand, Infiniti, previewed two stylish newcomers, the G37 Coupé and the EX crossover-SUV.
Not only are these cars aimed squarely at BMW and Mercedes buyers, they're coming to Europe next year. Unlike some of US brands' attempts, the new cars look particularly suited to European tastes, with a little more restraint even than the AMG brand from Mercedes-Benz. There are two new AMG cars at the New York show too, the least of which has about 500bhp.
Ford's new limited-edition Mustang, the Shelby GT500KR, makes its debut in New York and US patriots will be happy that its supercharged 5.4-litre V8 sees off the new AMG C-Class, thanks to its ludicrous 540bhp.
And what does "KR" stand for? King of the Road, of course; how long more can the car industry make such proclamations?
The tide may have turned, but there's a long way to go before the buying public sits up and takes notice of the environmental situation. That appears to be even more prevalent in the US.