Coolest Cars BMW i3 Electric City Car

EARLY 2013: BMW i3 Electric City Car

BMW claim that it's new $35,000 Chevy Volt-beater will have 99 miles of range from its rear-mounted electric motor and floor-mounted batteries. BMW (being BMW) is also claiming 100 mph for the car's top speed, and the i3 could bring the equivalent of 150 horsepower. Cargo will be divided between the rear seats and in the front trunk (a la the original, rear-engine VW Beetle). Much of the body will be made of carbon-reinforced plastic.

Wireless charging is one intriguing concepts we hope makes it to market. In conjunction with industrial giant Siemens, BMW is working on a magnetic field charging system, like those used in wireless laptop and cell phone charging pads, where a car would parked above a charging station. At that point, a coil in both the ground and the vehicle would recognize each other and begin the charge. This beats having your Volt or Prius PHV plugged in via wire at a garage or mall for a few hours, where vandalism or other hazards exist.

Best Cars Ever Corvette C7 Rental Cas

LATE 2012: Corvette C7

The current 'Vette has looked the same for nearly 13 years. Though it's still an amazing car, delivering Ferrari-like performance for one-fifth the price, it's dated in many respects. Expect a lot from the all-new C7 Corvette, then, with cool exterior cues like a split rear window and a vastly upgraded interior that's well above the coach-class quarters of the present car. But handling, which has always been the car's strongest suit, will remain largely unaltered. Horsepower targets in the 400-450 range would be a safe bet for this $50,000 car, even as GM aims to lower displacement to shave weight and nudge up the fuel economy. There might even be forced induction of some kind, and it's perfectly reasonable to expect direct fuel injection for the newest crown jewel of the Chevy badge.

Best Rental Cars OCTOBER 2012: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

OCTOBER 2012: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

As much as we love the new Camaro ZL1, the 2013 Ford Shelby ST500 bests its Chevy competitor in the contest for the most powerful production V-8 car on the planet. And the fact that the next Shelby Mustang also beats the Camaro ZL1 on both horsepower and torque (650 hp and 600 lb-ft versus 580 hp and 556 lb-ft in the Camaro) yet weighs 200 pounds less just adds insult to injury.

You’ll pay for all that power, though. We expect the 200-mph top-speed Mustang to cost more than the Camaro—possibly a lot more when you add in the goodies you’ll want, such as an optional Performance Package with electronic adjustable dampers and a Torsen limited-slip, along with a track package that combines an engine oil cooler, rear diff cooler, and transmission cooler. That could raise the sticker north of $70,000, while the ZL1 sits at a more reasonable $54,995.

Great Cars FALL 2012: Ford Fiesta ST

FALL 2012: Ford Fiesta ST

The Fiesta ST will have an altered body for improved cooling, but may be available only as a three-door hatch. It will have better suspension tuning, possibly Recaro racing seats, some unique trim, 17-inch wheels, speed-rated performance tires and dual exhaust. Ford reportedly experimented with cramming the 2.0-liter engine from the Focus ST into this car. Unfortunately, that won't be coming to the showroom, partly because Ford is working hard to differentiate its two hot hatches. The automaker is launching them at least six months apart and trying to give the Fiesta as much of a sport focus as possible, while selling the Focus with more of an upscale feel. So expect the Fiesta to carry a directly injected, turbocharged 1.6-liter four.

We don't know the Fiesta ST's price yet, but one would think it couldn't go much higher than $23,000, with rivals like the Nissan Sentra SE-R coming in at $20,000 and the Civic Si smack at $23,000.

Top Car Models JULY 2012: 2013 Cadillac ATS

JULY 2012: 2013 Cadillac ATS

To say that Cadillac is chasing the BMW 3 series with this car would be an immense understatement. The ATS’s footprint is such a spot-on copy of the BMW that the Caddy could proverbially step right into the BMW’s shoes. Even the EPA interior space is close, which is no accident at all. With the all-new ATS, Cadillac didn’t want to fit somewhere between Bimmer’s 3 and 5 series, which is what happened to the CTS, as well as Infiniti G sedans and more than one Acura. Nor did Caddy want to make the great mistake Lexus did with its IS—copying the BMW look, but falling down on the job of making a real driver’s car.

Nope, Cadillac says it wanted to beat the BMW 3 series in every part of the game. The ATS is a lighter car, at 3400 pounds, with more engine options that pack more punch. The Caddy’s 2.0-liter four delivers 270 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, topping the 240 hp and 260 lb-ft you’d get from the new 2.0-liter four in the 2012 328i. The ATS also offers a V-6 good for 320 hp, besting the BMW 335i by 20 hp. (Note, however, that the 335i can put down 300 lb-ft to just 267 for the V-6 Cadillac.)

Given what Cadillac has achieved with the CTS, which is a heavy platform, it’s going to be exciting to see what the carmaker can do with its sights set squarely on the lighter and nimbler 3 series. MSRP is still a ways off, but figure the ATS will have very similar pricing to the 3 series, perhaps minus the expensive markups.

New Rental Cars JULY 2012: 2013 Dodge Dart

JULY 2012: 2013 Dodge Dart

That the world is excited about a compact sedan by Dodge tells you just how much the market has shifted since President Obama bailed out Chrysler. With the new Dart, we’re not talking about some mediocre Dodge Caliber. We think we’re about to get a strong competitor to an already superb small-car segment that includes the Chevy Sonic and Cruze, Ford Fiesta and Focus, Hyundai Accent and Veloster.

While Ford can claim Euro influences on its small cars, the Dart will be the only “American” small car with an Italian soul. It’ll ride on an Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform with a rigid, high-strength steel body. And the standard equipment makes the Dart sound enjoyable already. It’ll come with standard four-wheel discs, MacPherson front struts, and a multilink independent rear, all of which make us think the 184-hp R/T model may be the way to go, as that car will get the stiffest suspension. But if you want juice and better fuel economy, you’ll be able to opt for the 1.4-liter, SOHC turbocharged MultiAir from the forthcoming Fiat Abarth 500. In the Dart it’ll be good for 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The R/T will have a manual-shift option; the 1.4-liter car may have a double-clutch manumatic option. Expect pricing to start in the low $16,000s.

Top Cars APRIL 2012: 2013 Mini Paceman

APRIL 2012: 2013 Mini Paceman

The Paceman is a two-door concept coupe that debuted last year, and our sources say it's a lock for production. Mini will have to work hard with this model, though, which is essentially the forthcoming Countryman minus two doors. The Paceman should either get real horsepower and ride considerably lower than the Countryman (think: a big version of the Mini Cooper S, but with all-wheel drive), or be made even more all-road capable than the Countryman, as a rival to the likes of the Subaru WRX—of course in full rally-car livery. The latter may actually be more likely, as Mini is racing a 2011 Countryman in the World Rally Championships. That car? It gets 300 hp!

New Car Models APRIL 2012: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1

APRIL 2012: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1

The best reason to herald the arrival of this ZL1 isn’t the Cadillac CTS-V-derived supercharged V-8 with 580 hp (up from 556 hp in the Caddy), nor is it the top speed of around 180 mph. It’s that Chevy engineers finally listened to those of us who howled about how great the Camaro could be.

Not only does the new ZL1 get a ridiculous amount of muscle good for 0 to 60 runs in the low 4-second range, but it also benefits from revised front and rear dampers as well as antiroll bars. Finally, then, the $54,995 Camaro ZL1 is starting to fulfill its potential to offer supercar driving at a price that more than the 1 percent can afford. Even better: These same revisions will trickle down to the more affordable $31,930 Camaro SS.

Read more: Best New Cars for 2012 - 12 Cool Cars Worth Waiting For - Popular Mechanics

Best Cars EARLY 2012: Volkswagen Golf R

EARLY 2012: Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen had been one of the few brands in the United States that hasn't decided to Buick-ize its styling and sponge down its ride. And, indeed, the Golf R promises to be anything but vanilla. With the Golf R's AWD, 280 hp and a real six-speed gearbox, Volkswagen is at last bringing a genuine WRX fighter to the U.S. Volkswagen is even committing two body styles to the contest, pitting this car against the Mini Paceman (only a three-door). Fuel economy is said to be 20 percent better than the old R32, at a price that should be near $32,000. It will have new brake rotors, plus more aggressive stability-control settings with "track setting" or the equivalent. Expect both two- and four-door body styles, both of which will get R-body-style cosmetics and sport exhaust.

Read more: Best New Cars for 2012 - 12 Cool Cars Worth Waiting For - Popular Mechanics

Rent a Car March 2012: 2013 Toyota Prius C

MARCH 2012: 2013 Toyota Prius C

At this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota debuted an entire line of Prius models, including the intriguing Prius C Concept. They still stress that this is a concept, but a small, sporty hybrid hatchback is surely on its way. We can merely hope Toyota is smart enough to retain these design cues, especially as this is meant to be a "fun to drive" hybrid with taut handling and a sub-$20K price. Toyota is promising the highest mileage of any hybrid on the road that isn't a plug-in.

Rent A Car Ford Focus ST Futures Car

JANUARY 2012: 2013 Ford Focus ST

The new Focus is at last debuting in the U.S., with a 2.0-liter, direct-injected, 160-hp motor and variable valve timing, as well as a five-speed manual. But, the car to wait for is the 2013 Focus ST, which debuts in early 2012. It gets a six-speed manual with the same EcoBoost (turbocharged) 2.0-liter as the much larger Edge and Explorer and will be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 hp, which puts it in league with hot hatches like the MazdaSpeed3 and beyond the output of the VW GTI. Ford is also promising a tauter suspension and meatier tires as well as bigger brakes to go with all that horsepower. Expect to pay at least $25,000.

Best Rental Cars in The World

Best Rental Cars Audi Locus

Best Rental Cars Audi Locus