Ford has taken drastic design changes in the new Shelby. The engine is now made of aluminium engine, allowing the car to drop 102 pounds off the nose. This makes the Shelby a lighter and more balanced car, and weight distribution is no longer an issue. Technically though, it’s still quite heavy — in coupe form it weights in a whopping 3,820 pounds and in convertible form it is 3,969 pounds.

Also contributing to the weight loss is the SVT Performance Package, which delivers lighter tires and wheels. The Performance Package, which is first introduced in the 2011 model, offers better and track-day capable tires co-developed by SVT and Goodyear called the Goodyear F1 supercar tires. Shelby is also equipped with 19-inch front wheels that are 4.7 pounds lighter than those used by previous models, as well as 20-inch rear wheel that are 2.8 pounds lighter. The SVT Performance Package is available on both coupe and convertible models.

The 2011 Shelby comes with a higher axle ration, better shocks and stiffer springs (up to 20.5 percent). Handling is greatly improved, and driving is a breeze with the new electric power assist steering that are claimed to be highly accurate.

Continuing its predecessor, the Shelby sports a powerful 5.0-liter supercharged 32-valve V8 engine that produces 550 HP and 490 pound-feet of torque. The car goes from standstill to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The car comes with the standard 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed automatic transmission.

Each Shelby will come in the traditional white colour and decorated with Shelby Guardsman blue Le Mans stripes. It will go into production Spring this year and should be available by summer.

Since the first time R8 was launched, the company has been renewing and adding R8 with the latest technologies. Now, continuing its success, Audi unveiled the latest variant of this head-turning sedan — the R8 5.2 FSI Quattro. This 2010 edition of the R8 is a fantastic sports car, and probably the best Audi has ever made.

Design-wise, the 2010 rendition of the R8 still uses the same model as the base. Audi didn’t even develop a new engine for it — the car uses the same V-10 model as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 that was launched last year, but with improved intake and exhaust system and electronics. It is also added with a dry-sump lubrication system.

With such powerful engine under its hood, the R8 is fast. The powerful 5,204cc 40-valve engine produces up to 525 bhp around 8000 rpm, and top speed is 316 km/h. it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in a 3.9 seconds. The car has been praised for its acceleration and handling.

Interior-wise, the R8 is beautiful, elegant and comfortable. The cockpit is designed to accommodate all the needs of the driver, with the high centre console and the instrument panel at easy reach. The flat-bottomed steering wheel makes it easy to enter and exit the car. The seats are trimmed with leather, a standard in all R8 models. The car is quite comfortable and spacious, which maybe uncommon for a sports car, with plenty of room for two. There is also enough room behind the seats for luggage.

The Audi R8 has safety features that are standard in sports cars: ABS, traction control and antiskid system. It also comes equipped with side airbags and knee airbags. It also has a built-in navigation system, obstacle detection at the front and rear, and a rear-view camera. There is also an option for high-end Bang and Olufsen audio system.

The new GTI comes with an engine that produces 200 HP at 5,100 rpm, which is quite difficult to achieve during tight maneuvering. The maximum torque produced is 207 foot-pound at a range of 1,800 rpm to 5,000 rpm. Unfortunately, testing has proven that sometimes the engine speed drops to low for the twist to come right away.

Perhaps the most welcomed improvement is the modernized cabin. The GTI now supports digital audio hook-ups like those we usually found in Audis, and there are also several connectors for USB, mini USB and iPod. It also has the standard 3.5mm audio plug. Volkswagen also introduces an touch-screen interface specially made for browsing music on your iPod, which is quite simple to use. The amount of storage available is quite large — 20 gigabytes, or approximately 5,000 mp3s.

The Volkswagen audio system also allows user to copy MP3 files from various sources, which is quite different from other cars with onboard music storage. Interestingly though, the interface for the hard drive doesn’t show MP3 files by their ID3 tags. Thus you can only choose songs by folder and file. There is also an option for connecting Bluetooth devices as an alternative music source and also a Bluetooth phone system.

The 2010 Volkswagen GTI is a definite improvement over the old model. It comes in two models: 2-door and 4-door. The 2-door is sold at $23,664 and the 4-door at $24,269.

With the new 3.7-liter V6 engine, the 2011 Mustang should have the performance and power to compete head-to-head with Chevrolet’s V6 Camaro and Hyundai’s Genesis Couple. No longer is the Mustang an old piece of underachiever from the 90s. In additional to the new all-aluminium engine that is capable of producing up to 280 foot-pound, the Mustang is also equipped with a pair or new gearboxes, a brand new V6 performance package, and various minor improvements in the interior department.

Like the old Mustang, the new 2011 Mustang still sends power the rear wheels, but the difference is the new model channels the power through either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. The extra gears allow the Mustang to perform more efficiently, and the EPA fuel economy estimates is 31 mpg highway. This year’s V8 model also sees major improvements. The engine has been bumped up to 5.0 liters, and it has four valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams. It is capable of producing a staggering 412 HP and 390 pound-foot of torque. The V8 model also comes with six-speed manual transmission and six-speed automatic transmission.

Priced at $22,144, the Mustang is a great buy. Even though it still has room for improvement for its lack of telescoping steering wheel, it is still a good deal after all the improvements. The base V6 model comes with a classic cabin design, and is equipped with standard safety features. It also offers the options for anti-theft system and exterior appearance package.

The Genesis Coupe shares its basic platform with the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan. There are two engine choices available for this affordable sports car; the first is a standard engine with a 2.0liter Theta turbocharged 4-cylinder that can produce a maximum of 210 hp (157 kW; 213 PS) and 320 Nm of torque. The second is the optional 3.8-liter Lambda V6 engine that delivers up to 306 hp (228 kW; 310 PS) and 361 Nm of torque.

The 4-cylinder turbocharged engine has the same bottom end as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The engine sports oil injectors under the pistons, which acts as a cooler. The turbo can push up to 6PSI. The standard Genesis coupe comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, but you can always opt for the 5- or ZF 6-speed automatic transmission.

Performance-wise, the Genesis does not disappoint. Its powerful engine enables it to move from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 3.8 seconds. The track model, installed with a 2.0T engine and sporting manual transmission, also proved satisfactory, performing a 6.9 sprint. For a $20,000 sports car, this is not bad. The estimated fuel economy of the manual-shift 2.0T is 21 mpg city/30 mpg, while the manual-shift 3.8 gives 17 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

Speaking of comfort, driving the Genesis couple is quite comfortable. Hyundai has designed a cockpit that allows the driver to have maximum visibility of the road ahead, even if the seating position may seem a bit low-slung. Unfortunately though, drivers with shorter legs may find driving a bit uncomfortable. The seats are surprisingly comfortable, even for long drives. The back seat is a bit small, however, and only accommodates children and cargo.

One number jumps off the page when looking down the fact sheet of the new Mini Cooper Convertible: 164,000. That’s how many of these compact, open-top playgrounds on wheels the BMW Group has sold since the car’s inception in 2005. This round instrument that resides next to the tachometer behind the steering wheel keeps track of how long the top is retracted while driving. It’s really quite useless, so I asked a Mini engineer, “What’s the point?”

On the icy roads of the Austrian Alps, the new Mini Cooper S Convertible shined like the Southern California sun. It possesses the same basic go-kart-like handling character as the previous open-top Mini, but a notch sharper. Credit here goes to the car’s revised suspension — MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear — that’s been specially tuned for the convertible. Despite not being an all-independent setup, the Mini suspension does a commendable job of providing near-neutral cornering balance through all types of corners while keeping body roll in check. It boasts a long list of technical features including BMW’s variable valve timing, direct fuel injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger. Step on the throttle and the engine delivers seamless power to the front wheels, without the lag associated with most turbocharged engines.

Our test car came with the manual 6-speed gearbox, whose short throws and well-defined gates add to Mini’s sporty demeanor — why anyone would get this car with the 6-speed automatic is a mystery to me. As for the car’s styling, it looks virtually identical to the old Mini inside and out, although the car does have different side panels and slightly larger taillights. While the Mini Cooper S Convertible looks striking with the top down, its appearance hardly suffers with the roof up. Speaking of the roof, it’s still a soft top that’s automatically lowered / raised by a toggle switch on the dash. The new Mini Cooper S goes on sale in April for $27,450 ($24,550 for the base 118-bhp Mini Cooper Convertible), complete with the Openometer which ultimately revealed to everyone that I drove most of my test route with the top up. Damn modern technology.