Turn the key and it’s instantly obvious that this is not your average Audi.  Instead of a silky V6 purr, the distinctive burble of a V8 engine resonates through the dual exhausts.  It’s impossible to miss, especially if the top is down.  You don’t need to be told what happens when you give the accelerator a shove, do you?

Audi’s high-performance S4 lineup gets a new addition for 2004.  The S4 sedan and Avant wagon are joined by an S4 version of Audi’s slick A4 cabriolet, bringing high power and athletic …

The last time Infiniti built a coupe, it was a nice car.  It was also square, stodgy, and, well, boring.  The M35, introduced at Infiniti’s inception in 1989, was based on the Japan-only Nissan Leopard.  It was a decent but forgettable four-place luxury coupe, and it vanished from Infiniti’s lineup after three years.  For 2003, Infiniti is back in the luxury-sport coupe market, and this time it’s much less likely to be forgotten.  The G35 Sport Coupe is fast, sexy and far from boring.

Sharp eyes have probably guessed that the …

The design carries hints of several Hyundai concept cars–the Talus contributed its greenhouse, and the HCD8 predicted the basic shape of the Genesis Coupe. Don’t remember either of those concepts? It’s not important, they’re just ancestors.

It’s like Mickey Rourke in sheet metal. And of course, I mean all of that in the nicest possible way, and not just because I’m afraid the Camaro will beat me up and take my lunch money.

Just like an old Packard or Stutz roadster, the Mercedes SLK230 begs to be driven carefully into the middle of a field and parked in the tall grass while you and a loved one enjoy the summer sun over a picnic lunch.  It should come with a picnic basket and a checkered blanket as standard equipment.

The littlest Benz available in the United States came into being as part of the resurging two-seat roadster market.  As BMW, Porsche, and Audi made plans for small roadsters, Mercedes followed suit, and the result …

True story:  within minutes of the 2001 Mitsubishi Spyder’s arrival, it was being scrutinized by the owners of a Camaro Z28 and a 4.6-liter Mustang GT with an aftermarket exhaust and a modified airbox.  “Three-liter 24-valve V6, two hundred horsepower,” the Mustang’s owner told us, without having to ask.  He looked at the Camaro’s owner and grinned.  “It’ll go pretty good, but he can’t run with us,” he said.

Luckily, the Spyder isn’t expected to go head-to-head with 300-horsepower, rear-drive pony cars.  Or is it?  It’s less frenetic and intense than …

Some cars seem to smile at you.  Others look shyly away, trying to fade into the woodwork.  And a few, like the 2000 Toyota Celica GT-S, seem to sneer menacingly while taking a long drag from a stubby cigarette and daring you, just daring you, to keep staring.

That bold, brash face is there for a good reason.  Sports coupes live a hard life in an overcrowded market that seems to be driven by ADD.  Falling even slightly out of style can spell death for a model, no matter how good …

One thing will never change, at least for car people: the unashamed joy of finding a slightly battered car under a layer of dust, buying it for a song, and lovingly restoring it to top condition.  And what, in a quarter century, will car people seeking a project be looking for?  Not Toyota Camrys or Dodge Caravans, certainly.  No, they’re going to be looking for cars like the Audi TT coupe and roadster.  These cars invite emotional attachment in a way that few cars these days can.

The swoopy, overturned-bathtub shape …

Fast, capable and luxurious, the BMW 3-Series has long been the Michael Jordan of the sports-sedan set, a world-class performer that seems to have no weaknesses or vices other than a high price tag.

Driving the adorably stubby 135i, it was hard not to imagine a BMW X5 and 7-Series somewhere playing the part of the little car’s parents, nervously wringing their hands as Junior went out into the world for the first time.