2009's fastest cars under $100,000

Speed-obsessed drivers used to have to shell out big bucks for high performance. Want to go zero to 60 mph in 2.46 seconds? That'll be $1.5 million for a Bugatti Veyron, please.
Today, however, consumers see speed as more of a right than a privilege. Many automakers agree and, while they're not delivering the same sort of performance as one finds in the Veyron, several models can get to 60 nearly as fast--without costing more than $100,000.

"Every generation of performance autos gets a little bit better," explains Mike Omotoso, senior manager of Global Powertrain Forecasting at J.D. Power & Associates. "Only supercars used to go 0-60 in less than four seconds. Now 3.5 to four seconds is just the price of admission in this segment."

And the performance segment is broadening. It's not just angular, low-riding sports cars that make up the speed category. Many are now big, bold power sedans. Longtime luxury manufacturers are even keeping up with the sports-car makers, so those in the market for a new car can stop dreaming when it comes to speed and start deciding which package they want it wrapped in.

Behind the numbers To find the fastest 2009 cars under $100,000, we looked simply at automaker-provided data models that reach 60 mph the fastest. Unfortunately, there is no standardized form of measurement of 0-to-60 time across the auto industry. The data can vary due to a number of factors--such as the type of tire, road surface, weather conditions, etc.--and all manufacturers have their own testing facilities. Nevertheless, across the manufacturer-provided information, the results were varied: sports cars, muscle cars and high-powered luxury cars. Where 2009 data was not yet available, we used data from the 2008 model.
The top of our list belongs to a curvy speed machine: the 2009 Nissan GT-R R35. Born of the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R models dating back to 1969, the 2009 GT-R officially drops the Skyline name. At 480 horsepower, it hits the 60 mph mark in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 193 mph.

This car is the fastest in the pack, but it doesn't necessarily make a statement--it might even get through a city commute without straining too many necks because, while it's sporty, it doesn't stand out the way other performance cars do.

Lotus, a British manufacturer of performance cars since the 1950s, does stand out, however, and uses a lightweight advantage to get two models onto our list: the Lotus Elise SC and the Lotus Exige S 240.
"[Some companies] are getting better performance by using lighter materials," says Omotoso. "Lighter cars go faster and get better fuel economy." Lotus models couple middleweight engines with light frames and aerodynamic designs to create cars that get stellar performance without the soaring prices of high-end engines.

Both cars cost a pretty penny--the S 240 clocks in at about $65,000 while its little brother costs about $10,000 less. But both reach the 60 mph mark quickly and both, with their sleek designs, definitely make a statement.

American Classics, Updated If a Lotus is a little too bold to satisfy one's need for speed, there are always the updated American classics that serve more or less the same purpose.
"There's still room for the good old American muscle car," says Omotoso, who believes enthusiasts for timeless American favorites will exist for years to come. "People are demanding cars that remind them of their youth. These cars need interior and exterior touches of nostalgia to remind this audience of the original versions."

Cars that fit the bill are the Corvette Z06, which hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, as well as two modified Ford Mustangs. For those more interested in buying American and big performance, but don't care as much about nostalgia, there's the Dodge Viper, which reaches its heart-pounding 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds with the second most powerful engine on our list.
Speed Meets Comfort But speed also comes in some surprising packages, particularly luxury models that don't--on first appearance--look as though they pack quite the same punch. But they do.

Mercedes-Benz has three 2009 models on our list. The C63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz's base-level performance sedan, sports one of the weaker engines on our list, but with a 0 to 60 mph of 4.3 seconds, it's doubtful any driver would notice. Matching its speed and power, believe it or not, is a wagon--the E63 AMG. It may not have the cool factor of a Corvette but keeping pace with one is pretty cool in its own right. A Cadillac, the 2009 CTS-V, also makes the list after getting an upgrade. (So much for the old-man image.) Despite its large and heavy styling, the CTS-V hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 191 mph.

So with the category of speedy cars expanding, could they eventually muscle out demand for cars that cost five or 10 times as much? Omotoso doubts it.
"People know names like Ferrari, and there are enough millionaires there's always going to be a demand for those cars. They're a combination of performance and heritage, and a Ferrari customer isn't the same as a Corvette customer."

Or a luxury sedan customer, for that matter. But with the performance market expanding, they can at least all keep pace with one another.

India's most dependable cars

J D Power Asia Pacific 2008 has published its first India Vehicle Dependability Study, and named 8 of India's most dependable cars.

A car's overall dependability is based on the number of problems reported (by customers) per 100 vehicles (PP100) -- with lower scores indicating a lower rate of problem incidences and higher long-term vehicle quality. The 2008 India Vehicle
Dependability Study is based on evaluations from nearly 4,700 owners, who purchased a new vehicle between July 2004 and September 2005.
The study includes 33 vehicle models covering 12 nameplates and fielded from January to April 2008 in 20 cities across India. The study ranks vehicles within eight market segments: compact; premium compact; entry midsize; midsize; premium midsize; entry luxury; multi-utility/multi-purpose vehicles; and sport-utility vehicles.


Also read about world's first swimming car. Click here.

So find out which are India's 'most dependable cars'. . .

Maruti Suzuki Swift:
This hatchback 5-seater by Maruti Suzuki, which hit the Indian roads in 2005, is designed after the acclaimed Concept S car unveiled by Suzuki at the 2002 Paris Auto show. It is available in diesel and petrol versions.

The 1298 cc-engine petrol version has four varieties: Maruti Suzuki Swift LXi, Maruti Suzuki Swift VXi, Maruti Suzuki Swift VXi (ABS) and Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi, whereas the 1248-cc engine diesel version of the car comes in three variants: Maruti Suzuki Swift VDi ABS, Maruti Suzuki Swift VDi and Maruti Suzuki Swift LDi.

The car is priced between Rs 4,29,280 and Rs 5,50,812 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Maruti Esteem:
Once known as the 'most dependable workhorse with a great engine' this midsize car's old chassis gradually became unpopular so that Maruti phased out the car to make space for a new sedan -- Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire.

Esteem had good quality interiors but lacked cabin space and used to come in petrol and diesel varieties. The Esteem's price varied between Rs 4,63,020 and Rs Rs 6,15,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, which has replaced Esteem, comes in petrol and diesel variants and are priced between Rs 4,88,683 and Rs 7,09,682 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Toyota Corolla:
Toyota started its operations in India by launching the Corolla which was the segment leader for a long time. A fine sedan, Toyota Corolla scaled the popularity chart across the world in no time. Toyota Corolla is also the world's largest selling car ever.

Corollas are currently manufactured in Japan, USA, UK, Canada, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, Philippines, Thailand, Venezuela, Pakistan and India.

The 1794 cc-engine car comes in six varieties and are priced between Rs 9,00,090 and Rs 12,20,830 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Toyota Innova:
The Toyota Innova is a medium multipurpose vehicle, which means the car is less than 4,600 mm (181.1 inches) in length as per the European system of size classification. The car was manufactured in Indonesia under supervision by Toyota Astra Motor since 2003.

In India, the car replaced Toyota Qualis. It comes in both petrol and diesel variants. A particular diesel version of the car Toyota Innova 2.5 E has recently been discontinued.

The 2494-cc engine car is priced reasonably between Rs 7,38,480 and Rs 10,70,740 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Hyundai Santro:
The Seoul-bsed Hyundai started it's India operations in 1998 with the launch of the Santro. It went on to become one of the largest selling cars in the country.

This 1086-cc engine 5-seater with either automated or manual transmissions, runs in petrol only and comes in four variants: Hyundai Santro Xing Non-AC, Hyundai Santro Xing GL, Hyundai

Santro Xing GLS and Hyundai Santro Xing GLS AT.

The car is reasonably priced between Rs 2,73,747 and Rs 4,09,489 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Honda City ZX:
The Honda City is a subcompact car manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Honda since 1981 for the Asian market. The first Honda City was launched in 1981 as a three-door hatchback. Since then, the car has undergone several redesigns over the years.

Priced between Rs 7,13,000 and Rs 9,07,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai), this 5-seater with either automated or manual transmissions, runs in petrol only and comes in five variants: Honda City ZX EXi, Honda City ZX GXi, Honda City ZX CVT, Honda City ZX VTEC and Honda City ZX VTEC Plus.

Ford Endeavour:
The Ford Endeavour is another name for Ford Everest, a midsize sport utility vehicle sold in Asia, and the Bahamas.

This 2499-cc engine, 7 seater with manual transmission runs in diesel only and comes in three varieties -- Ford Endeavour TDCi 4x2 XLT, Ford Endeavour TDCi 4x2 XLT - Limited Edition and Ford Endeavour 3.0 Thunder+ 4x4.

The car is priced between Rs 15,54,903 and Rs 18,17,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Mercedes-Benz C-Class:
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is an executive car produced by the Mercedes Car Group division of Daimler AG. Introduced in 1993, the C-Class was the most affordable model in the Mercedes lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class.

The C-Class is built at Mercedes-Benz factories in Sindelfingen and Bremen, Germany, as well as in DaimlerChrysler's factory in East London.

This 1796-cc engine 5 seater runs on petrol and comes in two variants: Mercedes-Benz C-Class 200 K MT (manual transmission) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class 200 K AT (automated transmission). The car's diesel variant comes with 2148 cc engine and is of two types: Mercedes-Benz C-Class 220 CDI MT (manual transmission) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class 220 CDI AT (automated transmission).

The car is priced between Rs 26,73,877 and Rs 30,76,555 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).