Ferrari F430

The accolades for the Ferrari F430 seem to keep coming at lightning speed, which also pretty much describes how fast this supercar can travel. Clocking a 0-to-60 time of 3.9 seconds and topping out at a maximum speed of 195 mph, the F430 has few competitors on this planet (unless you count the Space Shuttle). Lamborghini's new LP560-4 Gallardo coupe slightly bests the F430 off the mark, jumping out from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds, but it doesn't match the F430's superb handling, especially in tight corners, according to reviewers.Outside, the F430 displays a distinctive and aerodynamic shape designed in collaboration with Pininfarina, the Italian automotive designer. The wedge-shaped body tapers from the hunky rear end, which houses the engine, to the curvy front end, with its bold fascia. Ferrari designed every exterior component of the largely hand-built body to ensure the height of functionality as well as aesthetics. The F430's flat underbelly and air-flow systems, for instance, not only cool the engine, but also help keep the car firmly planted to the road. Even the side mirrors have specially designed twin mounting arms that help channel airflow to the engine intakes along the lower sides of the car.

Mazda Kazamai

Mazda Kazamai, which means "swirling crosswinds" in Japanese, was chosen to express the powerful yet nimble character of this stylish and compact crossover. Mazda Kazamai evolves the Mazda Nagare "flow" design creating a dynamic, athletic exterior. Unlike previous concept cars, Mazda Kazamai's styling represents powerful natural movements that are emotionally expressed through three-dimensional motifs stretching over the whole body, representing a fusion of design and functionality.

Slightly larger than the current MAZDA3, the Mazda Kazamai features all the room and comfort of an SUV, with an innovative body design and flared fenders that emphasize SUV-like strength and a sports car inspired cabin. The wedge-shaped profile was designed to evoke the image of a sleek arrow cutting through a mighty wind, while the body design between the front wheel arches and the roof pillars is intended to express the agility and dynamism of wind gusting along the side of the vehicle. The panel lines on the sides represent swift and elegant crosswinds, further accentuating the dynamic and stylish body design. Large, 22-inch wheels were designed to continue the crosswinds motif with each spoke carefully twisted and larger outside than in the centre, providing a strong sense of movement.

The ideal match for the Mazda Kazamai is the next-generation 2.0L direct-injection engine. Based on the Direct-Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine currently offered on the CX-7, Mazda's next-generation engine helps minimize energy loss and vastly improve thermal efficiency. It is coupled with a lightweight, next-generation, 6-speed automatic transmission that is highly responsive and delivers the direct feel of a manual transmission and 4-wheel drive (4WD) for superior traction.

Mazda Kazamai also features a long list of active safety features including Roll Stability Control (RSC), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) System to assist during lane changes and advanced Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

Kia Optima

The turbocharged top-spec version of the handsome new Kia Optima, which shares its powertrain lineup and architecture with the 10 Best-winning Hyundai Sonata. The SX comes pretty well stocked, including the direct-injected 2.0-liter turbo four, 18-inch wheels with black-painted pockets, HID headlamps, LED taillights, dual-zone auto climate control, Bluetooth, an LCD in the instrument panel, leather upholstery, and racy body bits. If you’d like your blown Optima to be less furious-looking—yes, we just called a Kia “furious-looking”—and $1500 cheaper, the EX turbo is your car; it skips the sporty stuff everywhere but under the hood.
The 274-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four with 269 lb-ft of torque is silky smooth and punches hard enough to send the 3500-pound Optima to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and through the quarter in 15 flat. Turbo response is basically seamless, which is excellent for drivability but bad if you want to stay out of it to improve fuel economy—we achieved 20 mpg with our Optima, below the 22 mpg city and 34 mpg highway EPA ratings. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly, and the SX has steering-wheel-mounted paddles if you feel like playing F1 on the way to Froyo.

Audi E-Tron

When introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Audi boasted its all-electric e-tron was fitted with four electric motors producing "230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque." While the e-tron's styling may have raised a few eyebrows, we were notably moved by the quoted torque figure – especially when we considered that the twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, one of the most powerful vehicles on the road, makes 738 lb-ft in comparison. We were stupefied by the number, and it set off more than a few debates among our group, but Audi made no attempt to clarify.
The team at Automobile Magazine, initially duped like everyone else, has recognized that Audi was quoting torque measured at the wheels, not at the output shaft – the industry standard. Measuring torque at the wheels takes the multiplication effect of the transmission and final drive gears into account. The resulting figures are generally ten-fold of what they would be at the crank (meaning cars like a 3.6-liter Chevrolet Malibu packs a similar 3,115 lb-ft of torque). Audi's e-tron torque figures are not exactly dishonest, but they are using a completely different evaluation without making mention of it in the press release. Long story short, Automobile estimates the e-tron makes about 252 lb-ft of torque, or a bit less than the Tesla Roadster's 273 lb-ft.