Sexy in the City

Something strange happens when you see this car in person: It glares back at you. In a year when every brand seems to be injecting menace into at least one of its new models, the Super Snake variant of the Shelby GT500 skips menace and heads straight for intimidation. Outside, the sneering, fully redesigned hood is the focal point, with a wide intake snout that helps cool the 800-horsepower engine. Inside, every detail feels dangerous, from the sterile white shifter knob to the steel cobra etched into the steering wheel. At roughly $90,000 for the car-plus-package, the Super Snake is supervillain chic at regular villain prices.

View Pictures:  Shelby GT500 Super Snake

It's not the sexiest new car at the show by any stretch, or the fastest. In fact, this race car redesign of Nissan's electric vehicle has specs only a Go-Kart racer could love, with a 93 mph top speed and roughly 20 minutes of track time per battery charge. But compared to the standard LEAF's Poindexter design, the NISMO is an off-the-charts improvement. It's lower and wider, with a rear section that flares out to support an articulated spoiler. Nissan expects this car to be a rolling testbed for electric vehicles in general, and EV racing in particular, and has no immediate plans for entering the NISMO into competition. Until it can break highway speeds for more than 20 minutes, maybe that's for the best.

Bing Images: LEAF NISMO RC

Porsche understands proportions. So while this 4-door might look a little big-boned next to the flawless 911 Turbo, the new Panamera Turbo S is simply another size of classic, understated beauty. And through some engineering sleight of hand — new engine control algorithms and lighter turbines — this model achieves 550 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, outperforming the standard Panamera without replacing its 4.8-liter V8 engine. The Panamera Turbo S goes on sale this spring, starting at $173,200.

Watch Video:  2011 Porsche Panamera

Mercedes picked New York for the American debut of the C63 AMG Coupe (it was unveiled in Geneva), giving us an excuse to get overexcited all over again. The 2012 model is more aggressively styled, with bold, raised grooves pinched into the hood and sharper lines throughout. The standard AMG is powerful — 451 horsepower, 443 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 155 mph — but the AMG Development Package is better, which uses engine tweaks pioneered on the SLS to make the 6.6-liter V8 work even harder. Horsepower hits 481, top speed climbs to 174 mph, and distinctive red brake calipers announce your bad intentions to the world. The C63 AMG goes on sale this September (price to be determined).

Read:  Mercedes Goes Small

Beautiful, blistering and surprisingly affordable, the Evora S made its North American debut here in New York. Under its street-hugging exterior and distinctive intakes sits a mid-mounted, supercharged 3.5-liter V6, which tops out at 345 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 172 mph. We're partial to the jet-black ninja-cowl look that Lotus picked for the show, but the S should be available in the U.S. in a range of less lethal colors starting in May, for around $75,000.

View Slideshow:  Sports Cars: Best Bank for the Buck

If next year's production version is anywhere near as stunning as the FR-S concept, Scion won't be able to build these sports coupes fast enough. The FR-S (short for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive Sport) is a modern take on Toyota's beloved AE86 Corolla, with a compact 2.0-liter boxer engine that sits back and low, which balances the car's front-to-rear weight ratio, and keeps the center of gravity low. We can live without the razor-sharp spikes jutting from the rear fenders, but if Scion scales down the oversize 8.5 and10-inch-wide tires to less eccentric proportions, that might be a tragedy.

View Pictures:  Scion Shows Sport Side

This year's performance-boosted take on Jaguar's sedan is an improvement over the 2011 model year, with sleeker headlights (due to space-saving LEDs) and strategic design touch-ups throughout. This new XFR isn't more powerful than it predecessor, but it's still damn fast, with a supercharged 510-horsepower 5-liter V8 that can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 155 mph. What's interesting is what happens if this model loses its extra intakes and general performance makeover — the XF simply isn't as elegant as its supercharged variant.

View Slideshow:  The World's Most Beautiful Cars

The Avenger was already a handsome devil. As a rally racer, gutted and rebuilt by engineers at Mopar and Magneti Marelli, this Dodge 4-door became a dirt demon. Batwing-shaped paddle shifters control the new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine, with a custom exhaust and cold-air intake system that cranks the horsepower from 283 to 300. This collaboration between Chrysler's parts-and-service group, Mopar, and aftermarket racing-parts maker Magneti Marelli might not stand out in a lineup of rally cars, but after seeing an Avenger Heat with 18-inch alloy racing wheels and a huge custom spoiler, even the Charger R/T starts to look a little puny.

Compare: Dodge Avenger vs. Chevrolet Malibu vs. Subaru Legacy

Based out of the Boston area, Erik Sofge is frequent contributor to Popular Mechanics and Slate.com. He specializes in everything scientific and technical.

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