2011 The Best New Car Preview

2011 Land Rover Evoque (base price $37,000 ) -

The Evoque will be Land Rover's first two-door model in many years; it'll also be more street-oriented than the traditionally off-road-intend Land Rovers of the recent past.

This is a bow to practicality - and reality. As capable off-road as Land Rovers have always traditionally been, the fact is few of them ever see much real off-road use. But the heavy-duty frames and rugged suspension set-ups necessary to deal with theoretical off-road driving make a real-world, street-driven vehicle heavy, gas-hungry and not-so-great-handling.

The Evoque, in contrast, will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Land Rover model the company has ever produced.

Thematically, it'lll be similar to the Batmobile-looking Acura ZDX. Which means, style and curb appeal share equal billing with functional considerations. It will be slightly smaller than the current LR2 and set up to seat only four people in a more intimate, sports-coupe-like layout. The rear area will be mostly for cargo though fold-away jumpseats may be offered.

The standard powerplant will be the same basic 3.2 liter engine used in the current LR2, producing 230 hp. It's possible a hybrid gas-electric version will be available, too - though probablynot before 2012.

Scheduled launch for the Evoque is late 2010 or early 2011.

* 2011 Ford Explorer (estimated base price $29,500) -

The name is the same but that's about all that carries over. For 2011, the Explorer changes from a truck-based frame and chassis with a rear-drive based 4WD system to a car-based unibody chassis and front-wheel-drive (with all-wheel-drive available optionally). The really huge news, though, is under the hood - where there's a 2.0 liter, 230 hp turbo four in place of the formerly optional V-8, which has been retired for good.

A 3.5 liter, 285 hp liter V-6 is standard.

Ford sees no future for old-school (truck-based, V-8) SUVs, at least not as mass-market vehicles. For the Explorer to survive, it needs to become more fuel-efficient, both to make customers more likely to buy one in the face of $4 per gallon fuel (which could return at any time) and also to please Uncle Sam, who's demanding that all new vehicles, trucks and SUVs included, return 35.5 miles-per-gallon by 2016.

The '11 Explorer will feature an advanced form of stability control called Curve Control designed to automatically correct for driver error (such as carrying too much speed into a corner) by modulating engine power to the drive wheels and applying braking force to keep the vehicle on track. It's similar to current electronic stability control units but Ford says it works 10 percent faster and more effectively.

The optional AWD system will feature driver-selectable terrain-sensing (setting for rain, snow, gravel, etc.) similar to the systems used in Land Rover models.

Third row seating will still be available - and the new unibody design should allow for a roomier interior.

IV Sport/Performance cars

* 2011 Mini coupe (base price $19,900) -

Other than the New Beetle, no modern car did retro better than the BMW-sourced Mini Cooper. But unlike the New Beetle - which VW is canceling after the 2010 model year - the Mini's not frozen in time. VW couldn't figure out a way to update the New Beetle without changing it into something else. Mini, on the other hand, expanded the Cooper's appeal and kept it current by adding a wagon version last year (the Clubman) and is getting ready to launch a new two-seater version for 2011.

Unlike the original Mini - which came in both an efficiency-minded regular version and a souped up S version with turbocharged engine - the '11 Coupe will be sold in hot rod form only. It will be powered by a max-effort 211 hp version of the Mini's 1.6 liter turbocharged engine with "overboost" capability; basically, the same engine used in the top-of-the-line John Cooper Works Minis. The coupe's exterior bodywork will be substantially different, too - with a low-cut roofline and fastback-style rear glass. The roof section is made of aluminum and that along with the lower mass of the two-seater layout should make this the quickest (and best-handling) factory-built Mini to date.

The car should hit dealers around April-May of next year. A convertible version is reportedly in the works for later in 2011.

* 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 (base price $22,145 ) -

Pony cars like the Mustang (and Camaro) used to come two ways: The V-8 performance version - and the Rental Car Special version. The V-8 model had the goods to back up the looks; the base/V-6 version was all looks and no goods.

Well, that's changed some. The '11 Mustang's standard 3.7 liter V-6 puts out an almost unbelievable 305 horsepower. For perspective, the new Mustang's 3.7 liter six is nearly 100 hp stronger than the "High Output" 5.0 liter V-8 used in '80s-era Mustang GTs, and close to as potent as the DOHC 4.6 V-8 used in '90s-era Mustang Cobras.

Oh yeah; it also gets 31 miles per gallon on the highway.

A six-speed manual transmission is paired with the mighty V-6 (with a six-speed automatic available optionally). The standard 'Stang also comes fitted with 17-inch wheels and performance tires, limited slip axle and the same basic suspension set-up as the even hairier (412 hp) V-8 GT.

More power is always good, but with the '11 Mustang, it's no longer necessary. The base car runs as hard as the V-8 versions used to, gets much better gas mileage and costs a lot less to buy and insure.

It's no wonder Ford is making money, even in the middle of this spectacularly soggy economy.

* 2011 Cadillac CTS-V coupe (base price $62,165) -

The CTS-V sedan is already one of the fastest and fiercest things on four wheels (and with four doors) around. Six-point-two liters of supercharged, Corvette-sourced V-8. Zero to 60 in less than four seconds. But four doors is not what everyone wants. So come spring 2011, Cadillac will add a coupe version of the CTS-V to the lineup, with all the same go-fast gear but wrapped up in a sportier, two-door bodyshell.

This layout will give Cadillac a BMW M6 killer (as well as an M5 sedan slayer).

It will also be the quickest, fastest, most powerful vehicle GM has ever produced - excepting the Corvette Z06. (Just barely.)

A six-speed close-ratio manual transmission or six-speed automatic with sport shift mode will be available, along with form-fitting Recaro sport buckets and metallic/carbon fiber or wood inlays for the interior.

GM says the CTS-V coupe should be arriving at dealerships in early spring of 2011.

* 2011 VW Golf R (estimated base price $34,500) -

Everyone likes the VW GTI; but it's 200 hp rating just doesn't seem like all that much. Next spring, VW will step it up a bit.

No, wait - a lot.

The new Golf R will leapfrog the current GTI (and the old R32) with a 265 hp turbocharged 2.0 liter engine, dual-clutch Direct Shift Gearbox (or conventional six-speed manual) and permanent all-wheel-drive. With 15 more hp than the old R32, the Golf R should be significantly quicker (expect 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds vs. low sixes for the R32) and with a revised/updated chassis and "active" suspension with multi-mode settings ("normal," "comfort" and "sport") it should ride and handle even better, too.

But the most welcome news may be the Golf R's available manual gearbox. The R32 only offered the DSG "clutchless automatic" - which delivered race driver shifts but just wasn't as much fun as handing the gear changes (and working the clutch) yourself.

VW hasn't said yet whether the new R will be a limited-run model like the R32 (only 5,000 were built annually) so if you're interested in one of these, don't wait too long to visit your local VW store.

* 2011 Scion tC (base price $18,800) -

As Toyota has evolved into a family car/economy car brand, it began to lose ground to Honda and others when it came to younger buyers looking for something with more curb appeal and personality.

Enter Scion, Toyota's youth-targeted spin-off.

The tC coupe gets a full makeover for 2011, centered around a brand-new 2.5 liter, 180 hp engine (vs. 2.4 liters and 161 hp previously). The engine features electrically-driven power steering to cut parasitic drag and boost performance and economy. Eighteen-inch wheels and a six-speed manual transmission will be standard - along with a large, panaroma-style sunroof.

This will be the most aggressive Scion to date and marks the evolution of Scion from "sporty Toyota" to emerging performance brand in its own right.