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.

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

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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.

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

 

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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!

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

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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.

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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.

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FEBRUARY 2012: 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI

With Mitsubishi scrapping its gas guzzlers and launching brand-new electric and gas-electric hybrids, all aimed at meeting ever-tighter global emissions standards, the rumor mill is suggesting that even the Lancer Evolution is going to go green. Or green-ish. The idea is to keep it high-performance and AWD, but also use some of the technology already behind the forthcoming i-MiEV electric city car and wed it to either a turbodiesel or a gas motor. The potential would still be there for exceptional output when both gas/electric power plants combine, but it's possible Mitsubishi may allow the driver to roll up to highway speeds on battery juice alone, vastly improving fuel economy. Evo XI may become both larger and more refined too, positioning it more naturally against rivals like Audi.

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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.

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