Oct 16, 2009  |  By: Joe Phillips  | COMMENTS     

And lucky for gay and lesbian gearheads, there’s plenty of eye candy in showrooms this fall.

Take sport sedans. Many automakers are launching new or revamped models. All the cars below are tricked out with spirited designs and the latest high-end gear. And with their sport-tuned suspensions and screaming engines, these cars are truly wicked rides.


Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT
Price: $39,000
MPG: 18 city/26 highway
Who says stick shifts are dead? Not Acura, which snuck a slick six-speed manual gearbox and super handling all-wheel drive (hence the SH-AWD label) into its restyled TL. The result: the most powerful Acura available. Sure, the automatic TL is dandy for, well, dandies. But the manual model — with its taut, tuner-like chassis — is grippy, zippy and fun. Mash the accelerator and this mid-size maven sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds. The tech-laden cabin is superb, with sculpted charcoal-gray seats and faux-metal trim. But there is one downside: A 12-month wait list.


Audi A4
Price: $32,000
MPG: 23 city/30 highway
This year, Audi bulks up big-time. The popular A4 compact — longer and wider than before — is now only 1.4 inches shorter than the midsized A6. Yet the A4 gets a more macho front end, with large air-intake bumpers and a string of LED daytime running lights under each headlamp (think of it as Day-Glo eyeliner). Steering is tight and firm, with plenty of power from the four-cylinder turbo. Three trim packages, with lots of must-have options: keyless entry/ignition, blind-spot monitor, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming side mirrors and 14-speaker Bang & Olufson stereo.


BMW 7 Series
Price: $81,000
MPG: 15 city/22 highway
For uber cachet, there’s always BMW’s snazzy 7 Series. Gone is the edgy styling, replaced by smoother lines and a bigger, more proportional grille. A new V8 boasts V12-like power — but with fuel economy better than the outgoing V8. Cornering and braking are stellar, of course. So are all the high-tech gizmos: power-folding side mirrors, power rear sunshade, heated/cooled seats and soft-close doors. There’s even four-zone climate control and rear and side-view cameras. For $4,000 more, you get the long-wheel-base version. And for greenies, a hybrid is in the works.


Jaguar XF Supercharged
Price: $68,000
MPG: 15 city/21 highway
Last year’s all-new XF proved Jag still had an eye for design. Now fans will go gaga over the Supercharged model, with its smokin’ new engine and computer-tuned handling. What’s surprising is how quickly the Supercharged can change from luxe cruiser to agile speedster. To set it apart from the base model, the Supercharged comes with a better stereo, bigger wheels, quad tailpipes and special paint and interior trim. Dash controls are more quirky than ergo-friendly, but all is forgiven once that feisty exhaust rumble kicks in.


Subaru Legacy
Price: $20,000
MPG: 19 city/27 highway
How to find a princely ride on a pauper’s budget? Subaru does it with the Legacy makeover. Beefier, with huge fender flares and bulbous-yet-stylish snout, this hottie has gobs more legroom, headroom and cargo space. Tall seating makes for primo driver visibility. And all-wheel-drive is standard, with a cold-weather package that adds heated seats/mirrors and windshield-wiper de-icer. No, this is no Euro exotic — the inexpensive plastic inside can be off-putting —but there are a slew of engine choices and trim levels. Another plus: gay-friendly Subaru is usually tops in reliability.