car showroom: 10 most wanted new sport cars 2011

car showroom: 10 most wanted new sport cars - The dream of every car enthusiast to own a sports car one day. These sexy, sensual machines inspire drivers and excite the senses. Unfortunately, they are usually not very practical, and therefore considered a luxury, which has hurt sales in the category over the last two years of financial difficulties. Cash-strapped consumers today are more focused on cars for work and family than on automobiles that can sprint from zero to 60 mph within seconds. Yet people still love to dream, and when they dream about cars they focus on hot air and performance.

1. Aston Martin V8 Vantage

• What a sweet crumpet the Vantage turned out to be: a British charmer, as exotic and debonair as the usual $200,000 Astons, but smaller, scrappier and barely half the price. Of course, that makes the Vantage a relative bargain, for a 420-horsepower 2-seater whose coupe version starts at around 120 grand. That's a premium over other cars in its performance class, and that makes the Vantage the choice for the Anglophile who'll choose high design and prestige over humdrum matters such as horsepower. To keep things fresh, a new-for-2011 Vantage N420 (at $133,350 for the coupe, $146,350 for the roadster) adds racy new body work, a stiff-sprung Sport package, a modified exhaust system and unique 10-spoke wheels with black-painted headlamps.
2. Audi R8

• When Audi first hinted at an exotic sports car to challenge Porsche and Ferrari, the eye-rolling began. Now eyes pop when the R8 rolls by. The R8 is the German-supermodel cousin to the Lamborghini Gallardo. The cars share an aluminum midengine chassis, Audi's terrific all-wheel drive and the MMI driver interface — and, in the case of the R8 5.2, a thundering V10 engine. Honestly, while the original 425-horsepower V8 version was terrific, if you can actually afford to drop $130,000, there's little reason to not kick in $155,000 for the V10 model, whose 525 horsepower elevates the R8 to where it wanted to be all along. This fall, an R8 Spyder 5.2 convertible will test how many people will spend even more to muss their hair at autobahn speeds.
3. BMW M3

• Celebrating its 25th year, the BMW M3 is one for the ages. One of the world's most well-rounded automobiles, the M3 is lovely, luxurious and accommodating — but fast and mean enough to strike fear into dedicated sports cars. Coupe, sedan and convertible versions all get an adrenaline-spitting, 414-horsepower V8 engine that revs to a lofty 8400 rpm, mated to either a 6-speed stick shift or BMW's M-DCT dual-clutch, automated manual. The zero-to-60-mph squirt takes just 4.3 seconds, faster than many shrimpy 2-seaters. And you can pull off all those heroics with four comfy passengers aboard.
4. Chevrolet Camaro

• Chevy or Ford? Camaro or Mustang? Thanks to the reborn Camaro, the old pony-car brawl is on again. We've found the 2011 Mustang to be the slightly better all-around performer, but the Camaro holds its own. With its Hollywood-honed looks, the Camaro definitely turns more heads than the familiar Ford. The drawback to that chopped-roof style is especially poor visibility. But the view may not matter when you're dusting off cars with either the V6 or V8 models, the latter featuring a 426-horsepower Corvette V8. And the Camaro's brakes are flat-out brilliant. Next summer brings the long-delayed Camaro convertible, giving Chevy a rival for the ragtop Mustang — and no more excuses for either side in the sales battle for America's most popular pony car.
5. Chevrolet Corvette

• It's a cliché only because it's true: Coupe or convertible, the Corvette continues to be the best sports-car value at its relative price. The 430-horsepower V8 coupe starts at less than $49,000. For less than $75,000, the 505-horsepower Z06 is a lightweight, hard-core demon on the street or track. And for $110,000, the ZR1 will make most Ferraris or Porsches quiver with its 638 supercharged horses and a top speed of more than 200 mph. But in our opinion, the Grand Sport is the biggie: For about $5,800 more than the basic coupe or convertible, it delivers a lot of the Z06's goodies — the zesty wide-hipped body, incredible brakes and track-ready wheels and tires — but is priced more within reach.
6. Dodge Challenger

• The Dodge Challenger has been somewhat dissed of late, thanks to the Camaro and Mustang. But while the Dodge is the 2-ton Clydesdale of Detroit's pony-car herd, there's still plenty to like, beginning with that inimitable Mopar, '70s-cop-show styling. We recommend skipping the power-shriveled V6 model and heading straight for the Challenger R/T, the lowest-priced model with a genuine HEMI V8 engine. For barely 30 grand, that 340-horsepower R/T is a tire-chirping hoot on the street, with the perks of a comfortable ride, surprising high-speed stability and the most comfortable back seat of the Detroit trio.
7. Ford Mustang

• Since 1965, the Mustang has charmed more than 9 million buyers, including men and women who otherwise would never have considered a performance car. And 2011 is a momentous Mustang year. Coupe or convertible, a newly refined interior and notable handling upgrades are joined by a sweet pair of engines. Starting at $22,995, the base Mustang has a V6 engine that combines 304 horsepower with an EPA-rated 31 mpg highway. Sparking high-school flashbacks, a modernized Ford 5-liter V8 drops 412 horsepower into the Mustang GT. For high rollers, a supercharged Shelby GT500 corrals 550 supercharged horses. And next year marks the return of the Boss 302, with eye-catching body work, a track-tuned suspension and 440 horsepower.
8. Hyundai Genesis Coupe

• South Korea's affordable answer to the Detroit pony cars is the Genesis. Looking like a younger generation's Infiniti G37, the Genesis turns out to be less refined, yet roughly as much fun to drive, and costs about $10,000 less. That praise, however, is lavished on the terrific, 306-horsepower V6 version. The 4-cylinder turbo model starts at less than 23 grand, but an asthmatic 210 horsepower won't have you chasing Mustangs. Kick it up to the V6 Track model, at right around $31,000, and you've got a car that breezes to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, with enough backroad handling chops to hang with vastly more expensive sports cars.
9. Nissan 370Z

• The poor man's Porsche of the current era, the 370Z is simply the best pure sports car you'll find for less than $40,000 — and the best convertible 2-seater for less than $50,000. The old 350Z's bargain-bin interior is richly upgraded, making this seem more like money well spent. But the bigger deal is the downsized body, dramatically stiffened chassis and lavish handling upgrades that let the Z dance down twisty roads in search of unwary 911s. A fat 332 horsepower from a 3.7-liter V6 engine doesn't hurt. Nor does Nissan's groundbreaking Synchro Rev-Match: a 6-speed manual transmission that automatically blips the throttle when you downshift, mimicking the favorite curve-attacking technique of a pro driver.
10. Porsche 911

• No single sports-car model can touch the Porsche's six-decade record of achievement, whether on the street or in racing. The latest lineup is the most boggling, filled with razor-clawed yet confidence-inspiring 911s that make even an amateur feel like he's Michael Schumacher reincarnated. Count every combination — coupe, targa, cabriolet, turbo, all-wheel-drive and track-hungry RS versions — and there are 16 flavors of 911 to choose from, from the $78,000 911 Carrera coupe to the new, $173,000 Turbo S Cabriolet. That 530-horsepower banshee can hit 60 mph in less than three seconds and keep scooting to 196 mph.

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