Hot
bods.
Quick
reflexes.
Fun
times.
No,
it’s
not
Michael
Phelps,
Katie
Hoff
or
anyone
else
from
this
year’s
crop
of
Olympians.
It’s
the
four
athletic
coupes
below.
All
have
buff
styling
and
over-the-top
stats.
You
won’t
fit
a
relay
team
in
one,
but
you’ll
get
better
gas
mileage
—
and
find
coupes
easier
to
park
—
than
most
sedans
and
SUVs.
And
while
it’s
hard
to
beat
the
open-air
joy
of
a
ragtop,
today’s
coupes
come
pretty
darn
close.
Price:
$40,000
Mpg:
16
city/27
highway
0
to
60
mph:
5.8
seconds
How
to
take
Audi’s
winning
A4
sedan
and
go
one
better?
Make
it
a
coupe,
with
sleeker
sheetmetal,
sportier
front
suspension,
and
a
longer,
roomier
wheelbase.
New
for
this
year,
the
A5
is
crisp
and
tight,
especially
on
twisty
back
roads.
The
Quattro
all-wheel
drive
helps,
of
course,
as
does
a
high-revving
265-hp
V6
with
six-speed
transmission
(manual
or
automatic).
You
expect
an
impeccable
interior
with
Audi,
and
it’s
there:
panoramic
sunroof,
real
wood
trim,
10-speaker
audio,
even
triple-zone
automatic
climate
control.
For
a
bit
more
coin,
you
can
add
a
self-opening
trunk,
rear-parking
camera,
nav
system
with
iPod
interface
and
a
kicker
505-watt
Bang
&
Olufsen
stereo.
But
Olympian
wannabes
will
want
the
“S-line”
sport
package,
with
tuner-like
body
cladding,
firmer
suspension,
bolstered
seats
and
steering-wheel
paddle
shifters.
Price:
$58,000
Mpg:
14
city/20
highway
0
to
60
mph:
4.6
seconds
This
fourth-generation
M3
coupe
is
leaner
and
meaner
than
ever.
A
carbon-fiber
roof,
aluminum
suspension
and
plastic
front
fenders
keep
the
weight
down.
Even
the
new
engine
is
33
pounds
lighter
than
the
old
one.
BMW
then
dropped
in
a
445-hp
V8
—
mated
to
a
manual
gearbox
—
that’s
faster
than
some
V10s.
The
result:
a
car
that’s
smaller
but
more
powerful
than
the
Audi
A5.
And
while
most
automakers
allow
you
to
accessorize
a
car,
BMW
lets
you
actually
“tune”
this
one.
To
opt
for
more
power
or
perhaps
white-knuckle
handling,
a
driver
chooses
from
two
different
throttle
settings,
three
different
shock
rates
and
whether
or
not
to
use
stability
control.
These
settings
and
more
can
be
stored
and
accessed
by
pressing
the
“M”
button
on
the
steering
wheel.
To
go
back
to
normal
mode,
the
driver
simply
presses
“M”
again.
Think
of
it
as
a
steroid
boost
for
coupes.
Price:
$70,000
Mpg:
15
city/21
highway
0
to
60
mph:
3.3
seconds
With
its
stellar,
high-performing
GT-R,
Nissan
outruns
both
of
the
Teutonic
big
boys
listed
above.
Acceleration
and
handling
are
Ferrari-like
—
yet
this
supercoupe
costs
just
a
third
the
price.
There
are
a
few
fumbles,
though:
the
edgy
love-it-or-hate-it
design
and
a
hefty
3,800
pound
curb
weight.
Oh,
and
hello,
no
manual
transmission?
Ceding
control
to
an
automatic
transmission
is
anathema
to
many
motor
heads.
Still,
the
GT-R’s
suspension
and
body
is
built
just
like
a
racecar,
and
there’s
that
head-turning
exhaust
growl.
Choice
of
two
trim
levels,
both
with
20-inch
alloys,
Brembo
brakes,
rear
spoiler,
electronically
adjustable
suspension
and
aluminum-trimmed
pedals.
Step
up
to
the
Premium
model
and
you
get
higher-performance
tires,
more
airbags
and
an
11-speaker
Bose
audio
with
two
earth-rumbling
subwoofers.
Price:
$20,000
(est.)
Mpg:
19
city/25
highway
0
to
60
mph:
7
seconds
Pontiac
took
its
best-selling
Solstice
roadster
—
one
of
the
few
cars
that’s
just
as
beautiful
from
the
front
as
from
the
rear
—
and
turned
it
into
a
coupe.
Due
in
showrooms
early
next
year,
this
two-door
is
oh-so
affordable.
There’s
a
removable
center
roof
panel,
though
it’s
too
big
to
be
stored
in
the
trunk.
So
spring
for
the
optional
folded
fabric
top,
similar
to
what
Lotus
offers
on
its
slick
Elise
sportster.
A
storage
tray
is
mounted
directly
behind
the
headrests
and
the
cargo
area’s
has
a
slew
of
covered
bins.
Choice
of
two
four-cylinder
engines:
one
that
churns
out
173
hp,
and
a
GXP
turbo
with
a
whopping
260
hp.
