2008 Audi TT
The Audi TT is back for 2008 after a one-year hiatus with fresh styling and new powertrains.

Cars with names such as Corvette, Viper, XK, and 911 evoke quite a reaction when mentioned in conversation or seen on the street. These are the types of vehicles that nobody really needs, but everyone wants. Indeed, such premium sporty/performance cars are the very definition of the category.

The cars that Consumer Guide classifies as premium sporty/performance are at the top of the mountain when it comes to acceleration, handling response, and of course, price. From there, these cars diversify in their missions. Some are pure thrill machines, designed for maximum go with less thought given to passenger comfort. Others are more serene, offering more balanced combinations of performance and luxury.

Depending on your preferences, and how much discretionary income you have, premium sporty/performance cars offer driving experiences quite unlike anything else on the road. Consumer Guide identifies 18 vehicles in this class. New or recently redesigned for 2008 are the Audi TT and Dodge Viper. Making an appearance as an early 2009 model is the Nissan GT-R.

Muscle Bound

American-made premium sporty/performance cars are typically about three things: horsepower, horsepower, and horsepower. Raw Detroit iron holds a special appeal among enthusiasts. Give them big, pushrod V8 or V10 engines (none of this overhead camshaft or four-valve-per-cylinder stuff), brutally stiff suspensions, and exhaust notes that will frighten lesser cars off the road.

No two vehicles exemplify these traits more than the iconic Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper. The former is one of America's original sports cars, the latter is an auto show concept brought to life, a vehicle that put Dodge back in the design spotlight.

Chevy upgraded the Corvette for 2008. "Base" models got a horsepower increase to 430 from 400 over comparable 2007 models. Credit a displacement increase for its standard V8 engine to 6.2 liters from 6.0. With an estimated 0-60 mph acceleration time of less than 4.5 seconds and a starting price of a little more than $45,000, Corvette is a high-performance bargain in this segment. If you crave even more performance, Chevy has you covered. The Corvette Z06 is one of the fastest production cars in the world. With a 505-horsepower 7.0-liter V8 engine, Chevy claims a 0-60 mph time of about 3.7 seconds.

Chevy's not stopping there. In summer 2008, the 2009 Corvette ZR1 will arrive at dealers (in limited supply, of course). ZR1 harkens back to 1990, when Chevy launched its first ultra-high-performance Corvette. The first ZR1s had a V8 engine tweaked by British manufacturer Lotus and built by Mercury Marine. The 2009 ZR1 is all GM all the time, featuring a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that the company says puts out a whopping 620 horsepower. As a result, 0-60 acceleration should be 3.5 seconds or less. With a reported price of $100,000, it won't be cheap, but a very limited supply (likely around 1,000 annually) will probably see some pretty stiff markups over the sticker price.

Regardless, Corvette is a favorite among the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide. Its crafty combination of pin-you-to-your-seat acceleration, grippy handling, and relative bargain pricing make it a Best Buy premium sporty/performance car.

Maybe the Corvette is too subtle. If that's your view, then the 2008 Dodge Viper is your baby. Instantly recognizable and totally off the wall, this sports car is nearly as exotic as those famous Italian cars that have horses and bulls as their insignias. Dodge skipped model-year 2007 for Viper. At the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, Dodge unveiled a restyled 2008 model. The company made this snake more deadly by increasing the standard V10 engine's displacement to 8.4 liters from 8.1 liters. Horsepower goes up accordingly, to 600 from 510. Dodge says the '08 Viper will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds. Coupe and convertible body styles are available.

Grand Touring

If all-out power isn't your thing, there are premium sporty/performance cars that offer more subtle packages. The Cadillac XLR, Chrysler Crossfire, Jaguar XK, Lexus SC 430, and Volvo C70 offer more serene driving experiences while sacrificing little in the way of performance.

The Crossfire and XK are available as hardtop coupes and fabric top convertibles. The XLR, SC 430, and C70 are convertibles with retractable hardtops. The hardtops are a boon for those who live in wet or snowy climates, though in Consumer Guide testing, we have not experienced any leaks with the softtop models.

SC 430, XK, and XLR use V8 engines. Crossfire uses a V6, and C70 has a turbocharged five cylinder. Crossfire and C70 offer a choice of manual or automatic transmission. All others have a six-speed automatic.

XLR shares some of its basic design and is built in the same plant as the Corvette, though the two have different styling, powertrains, and pricing. Crossfire owes much of its engineering to former corporate partner Mercedes-Benz. Slow sales, and the fact that Chrysler is no longer under the Mercedes umbrella, will cause Crossfire to vanish from the automotive landscape after the 2008 model year. C70 borrows its underskin design from Volvo's S40 sedans and V50 wagons. The Volvo is also one of only two entries in this class with front-wheel drive.

Jaguar's XK boasts extensive use of aluminum construction. Both the coupe and convertible exhibit strong acceleration, balanced handling, and inviting accommodations for two, at prices that typically undercut comparable German rivals (though some steeply-priced options can quickly drive the sticker northward). New for 2008 is the Portfolio Package for the supercharged XKR model. Models equipped with this option group still come with the XKR's 420-horsepower supercharged 4.2-liter V8 engine. They add upgraded brakes, unique interior trim, and 20-inch wheels and tires. For its well-balanced behavior, this British cat is a worthy Consumer Guide Recommended pick.

A newcomer to the premium sporty/performance car category is the 2009 Nissan GT-R. Long known as the Skyline GT-R in Nissan's home market, the 2009 version will mark the first time any variant of this high-performance two-door coupe will reach North American shores in a form other than a racing video game. GT-R features all-wheel drive and a 480-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine. It's scheduled to go on sale later this year, and GT-R will be Nissan's most expensive car, checking in at probably around $70,000.

No matter which one you might choose, you are almost guaranteed exclusivity. These cars are among the flagship models offered by their respective manufacturers. As such, they don't sell very many of them. Consider that Toyota sells more Camrys each month than the combined sales figures of all the 2008 premium sporty/performance cars. Then again, you're not likely to get the looks in a Camry that you would in any of these sportsters.

German Delights

If any automakers know about defining premium sporty/performance cars, it's those from Germany. Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche all offer models targeting well-heeled shoppers who want these cars' near-perfect combinations of style, performance, and luxury.

Audi's entry comes from its redesigned TT coupe and convertible. Available models include the front-drive 2.0T, with a turbocharged 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine and the all-wheel-drive 3.2 quattro, which has a 250-horsepower V6. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual for the 3.2, and for all models, Audi's S tronic six-speed automatic. The automatic allows for manual gear changes via the floor shifter or steering wheel paddles. Audi's corporate parent, Volkswagen, offers its own premium sporty car, Eos. It's a hardtop convertible, similar to the Volvo C70, but Eos is unique in that the hardtop incorporates a power sunroof in its design for those days when drivers want to let some sunshine in without completely lowering the top.

Also new from Audi in this class is the A5 and R8. The 2008 Audi A5 is a 2-door coupe that seats four. In pricing and size A5 slots between Audi's compact A4 and midsize A6. R8, Audi's first midengine sports car debuts as a 2008 model. The R8 is an all-wheel-drive two-seat coupe with a mid-mounted 420-horsepower V8.

BMW offers several premium sporty/performance cars across a broad range of prices. Available are the two-passenger Z4 coupes and convertibles. All these cars use inline six-cylinder engines, ranging from 215 horsepower in the base 3.0i convertible, to 330 horsepower in the Z4 M coupe and convertible. Any model excels for sporty fun, and that's why Z4 is a Consumer Guide Best Buy.

Also available as a coupe or convertible is the larger BMW 6-Series. The "base" 650i has a 360-horsepower, 4.8-liter V8 engine. These models have a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. If 360 horsepower isn't enough, there's the M6. It has a 500-horsepower V10 engine. This engine teams with a manual transmission or BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG). The SMG is an automated manual transmission that doesn't have a clutch pedal. Though the transmission can be set to shift like an automatic, the SMG works best when shifting is done via the floor shifter or steering wheel paddles.

Elsewhere in Germany, Mercedes-Benz has its own lineup of premium sporty/performance cars. They also make coupes and convertibles; the latter all use power-folding hardtops. "Base" models are part of the SLK-Class, which are two-passenger convertibles. Stepping up to the CLK-Class gives you a back seat and the option of a hardtop coupe.

SLK models are the V6-powered SLK280 and SLK350, as well as the V8 SLK55, tuned by Mercedes' AMG performance division. The CLK offers the 286-horsepower V6 engine in the base CLK350. The uplevel CLK550 has a 382-horsepower V8. Also tuned by AMG, the CLK63 has a 475-horsepower 6.2-liter V8. It's only available as a convertible. New for 2008 is the very limited edition CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe. It seats two and has a 500-horsepower 6.2-liter V8.

At the top of the Mercedes-Benz premium sporty/performance car food chain is the SL-Class. All SLs are two-passenger convertibles. The roster includes the SL550 with a 382-horsepower V8 engine and SL600 with a 510-horsepower turbocharged V12. When AMG gets its hands on an SL, the outcome is a pair of powerhouses: the supercharged 510-horsepower V8 SL55 and turbocharged 604-horsepower V12 S65. The latter is one of the most expensive cars listed in the Consumer Guide database, with a suggested retail price of $187,200.

Finally, no list of premium sporty/performance cars would be complete without mentioning Porsche. These are some halo vehicles that more than a few people aspire to own.

None of Porsche's cars (the Cayenne SUV doesn't count) have their engines in the front. The Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe are mid-engine cars. The storied 911's engine goes back further still, all the way to the rear, making the driving experience something few cars, even in this class, can match.

Boxster, Cayman, and 911 use horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder engines, ranging from 245 to 480 horsepower. All have rear-wheel drive, and 911s are available with all-wheel drive. They're also available with a special "Sport Chrono" option package that includes a button to adjust engine and chassis controls for high-performance driving. Optional on all 911 models and Boxster and Cayman S models are ceramic composite brakes. They cost more than $8,000 but offer the advantage of high heat resistance and a life expectancy of 186,411 miles.

Adding options makes these sporty cars even more expensive than they already are. Loaded Caymans can easily top $70,000, and the top-line 911 Turbo can exceed $130,000. Very few cars of any stripe, however, have the cachet of the Porsche name, and that means these models should retain a lot of their value at trade-in time. As they are about as much fun to drive as a 911 but don't cost nearly as much, Boxster and Cayman are Consumer Guide Recommended picks.

They're expressive, extravagant, and expensive. The latter is of little consequence to those who can afford these machines. But whether you can afford them or not, there's no denying the fact that these cars are, quite simply, cool. That alone is enough for those who have made it to spring for one of these performance machines.

Premium Sporty/Performance Car Factoids
  • The Mercedes-Benz SL65's turbocharged V12 engine produces 738 lb-ft of torque, which is more than the combined torque ratings of the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Suzuki Reno, and Toyota Yaris.
  • The Porsche 911 Carrera GT3 has a 415-horsepower 6-cylinder engine. It produces that power from a displacement of only 3.6 liters without the assistance of a turbocharger or supercharger.
  • The 2009 Nissan GT-R will make its first appearance in dealer showrooms later this year. Fans of the video game Gran Turismo have long known about the GT-R in its Japan-only form-the Skyline.