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Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance arm developed the SLR in conjunction with F1 luminary McLaren, and the result is one of the finest cars in the world. For 2008 it carries revised bodywork, with a retractable fabric soft top that can be lowered in less than ten seconds. The engine is a hand-built 5.5L supercharged V8 engine with twin intercoolers that produces 617 horsepower and 575 ft-lbs of torque..... |
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The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive Porsche Boxster continues to be powered by a 245-horspower, 2.7L horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine for 2008, while the S model gets a stronger 295-horsepower, 3.4L flat six. Boxsters come with a five-speed manual gearbox, but if optioned with the available Sport package it has a six-speed manual; Boxster S models come with the six-speed, but either model can..... |
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The Saturn Sky, which debuted for the 2007 model year, shares the same Kappa platform the Pontiac Solstice has been using for the past two years. Standard four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, remote keyless entry, and the usual power accoutrements separate the Sky from the Solstice, as does an added layer to the cloth convertible top for more noise attenuation, and a..... |
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The stylish 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle is available in S and SE trims, while the coupe is now available in Triple White as well. All New Beetles have a 150-horsepower 2.5L inline five-cylinder engine that is hooked up to a five-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic with Tiptronic. With the manual transmission, the Beetle is quite frugal, with an estimated 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway.
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Three different variants of the Mercedes SLK roadster are again offered for 2008, each with progressively more powerful engines: there's the SLK280, with a 228-horsepower, 3.0L V6; the SLK350, with a 268-horsepower, 3.5L V6; and the high-performance SLK55 AMG, with a 355-horsepower V8.
Both of the V6 models have all-aluminum engines with variable valve timing, so there's plenty of torque available..... |
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Toyota's Solara coupe models come with either an inline four-cylinder or V6 engine for 2008, while the convertible comes only with a V6. Both are offered in SE, Sport, or SLE variants. The four-cylinder engine is the familiar 2.4L that powers many other vehicles in the Toyota line; here it makes 155 horsepower and can be paired with either a five-speed manual gearbox or five-speed automatic transm..... |
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The 2008 MINI Cooper convertible is again offered with a normally aspirated 1.6L four-cylinder engine that produces 115 horsepower and a supercharged version of the same engine that produces 168 horsepower. The supercharged S is outfitted with a six-speed Getrag manual transmission while the base model has a five-speed standard. The base Cooper can be ordered with an optional continuously variable..... |
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The Pontiac Solstice continues as two trims for 2008, with the base convertible sporting a five-speed manual transmission and a 2.4L DOHC aluminum four-cylinder engine that produces 173 horsepower. Four-wheel disc brakes, 18-inch aluminum wheels, traction control, a CD player with an auxiliary input jack, and XM satellite radio are all standard.
The performance-oriented GXP trades the 2.4L Ecotec ..... |
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Datsun forever changed the world of affordable sports cars when they launched their sleekly styled, six-cylinder missile, the Datsun 240Z, in 1971. Five years after the Z car's reintroduction to the U.S. market, the 2008 Nissan 350Z happily stays true to the 240Z's successful blend of performance, style, and reasonable price.
The 350Z shares its platform with the Infiniti G35 sedan and G37 coupe. ..... |
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