Top 12 Hottest Cars Of 2011
Here's our list of the ultimate dream machines for 2011. We include models that have the 2011 model-year label and/or will be available next year. We do not include concept cars (like the many unveiled from Lotus this year in Paris). Cars are listed in alphabetical order.
Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro
MSRP: $161,000525 hp; zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds; top speed 195 mph; V10 engine.
BMW 1 Series M Coupe
MSRP: $45,000 (estimated)This is the first of the 1-Series M editions (the M3 is currently the standard of entry to BMW's high-performance line). It'll have roughly 340 horsepower in a turbocharged inline-six engine, and a standard six-speed manual gearbox--no automatic shifting available. The car is lower to the ground and more compact inside than the M3, which will only make the speed and agility of the M line even more apparent.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
MSRP: $2.5 millionFastest production car in the world, with 1,200 hp and a world-record speed of 268 mph (production models will have computer-regulated top speed of 258 mph); zero to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds.
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
MSRP: $30,000 ($75,000 for the Limited Edition)This is the car Neiman Marcus sold out in three minutes last month. The entry-level version will have a 312-horsepower V6 engine and will go to production in the first quarter of 2011. (The Neiman Marcus limited edition model was a 426-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro 2SS convertible, with a 6.2-liter V8 engine and a choice of the 426-hp six-speed manual or a 400-hp six-speed automatic transmission.)
Ferrari 599 GTO
MSRP: $460,000This is Ferrari's street-legal version of the 599. It has a 6-liter V12 engine that gets 661 horsepower and does zero to 60 mph in 3.35 seconds. At 3,295 pounds, it's more than 400 pounds lighter than the standard 599 GTB Fiorano. Top speed: 208 mph.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
MSRP: $243,000570 bhp; zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds; 6-speed single-clutch e-gear paddle-shift transmission; 154 pounds lighter than the previous Gallardo, thanks to liberal use of carbon-fiber components. There are rumors of a Superleggera Spyder also coming to market by the end of 2011, but Lamborghini has not confirmed them.
Lamborghini Jota
MSRP: TBDThis is the code name for Lambo's Murcielago successor, due out late next year. (The Reventon Roadster was the final edition for the Murcielago platform.) Spyshots tell us the car will have a carbon-fiber body shell and that its look has been influenced heavily by the Estoque concept. Lambo's V12 engine with a lighter body weight than the Reventon are highly likely. Best guess for power is 700 hp, just a push beyond the Murcielago LP670-4.
McLaren MP4-12C
MSRP: $225,000 to $250,000600 hp; 100% carbon-fiber body; 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine; 1,000 total will be made, with 30% slotted for the U.S. (90 for initial launch).
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster
MSRP: $190,000 (estimated)This is the convertible version of the modern icon Benz launched last year, the SLS AMG Gullwing. The coupe does zero to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 196 mph, thanks to AMG's 6.2-liter 32-valve, 571-horsepower V8 engine. Expect numbers for the open-top edition to be about the same.
Porsche 911 GT2 RS
MSRP: $245,000The car has 620 horsepower from a 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine; it weighs just 3,020 pounds, 154 pounds less than the previous 911 GT2. Production is limited to 500 units worldwide; the car is available in the United States now.
Range Rover Evoque
MSRP: TBDLaunching late 2011 as a 2012 model, the Evoque is the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Land Rover to date. It uses a 6-cylinder, 2-liter turbocharged Si4 engine that pulls 240 bhp at top levels. It'll definitely be sportier than its fleet-mates, with 19-inch wheels and unique-to-Evoque bumpers, sills, grille and tailpipes.