The Hottest Sports Cars for 2008

Sports cars’ basic adjectives are of course, sporty and stylish. However, I guess luxurious is an additional narrative.

This year, sports car sales are great showing that the rich who can afford it are getting richer ad the people who want it are of all ages and sexes, to meet their cravings, additional luxury amenities are added to these vehicles before they are rolled down to exclusive dealerships and showrooms. Before 2007 says goodbye, from forbesautos.com, let me give you the best supercars for the coming year.

Lamborghini Reventon
Talk about exclusivity — only 20 rich people will get their hands on a Reventon, and the cars are all spoken for already. Like the Murcielago LP640 upon which it's based, this extreme-looking sports car is named after a famed fighting bull and promises hard-charging performance thanks to its 650-hp 6.5-liter V12 engine. Its odd-looking body is made of lightweight carbon fiber and its high-tech cockpit is styled after that of a fighter jet, with instrumentation made solely of LCD displays.

Lotus Elise/Exige
Already among the lightest, quickest, and most efficient sports cars available, the Elise roadster and Exige coupe get even faster for 2008: The Elise gets a 220-hp supercharged four-cylinder engine and the Exige gets a 240-hp version. The top Exige is able to reach 60 mph in just four seconds, which amounts to exotic-car abilities at a budget price — and with excellent fuel economy. Airbags are now standard across the line, along with other minor upgrades.

Maserati GranTurismo
The new-for-2008 GranTurismo is big news for the sports car world as Maserati's marginally successful Coupe and GranSport models finally give way to a svelte and modern-looking two-door four-seater. Its Ferrari-designed 4.2-liter V8 powerplant is shared with its four-door sibling, the Quattroporte. As befits a kinder, gentler sports car, only a six-speed automatic transmission is offered. A fully independent suspension includes anti-squat and anti-dive geometry to keep it on an even keel under extreme acceleration and braking.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster
A new roadster version of Mercedes' hand-built super coupe lets you race the stars, provided you have nearly half million dollars on hand. Both the SLR McLaren Roadster and Coupe were developed jointly with Mercedes' Formula One racing partner McLaren. A power-operated insulated fabric top lowers in about 10 seconds and facilitates open-air conversations at up to 120 mph; top speed exceeds 200 mph.

Nissan GT-R
Soon available in the U.S. after more than a decade of remaining tantalizingly out of reach as the overseas-only Skyline GT-R, the new GT-R ("Skyline" gets dropped from the name) runs with many of the top sports cars for less money. A twin-turbo V6 engine drives all four wheels and propels occupants to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Given its high-profile use in video games, the GT-R is one of the rare sports cars that have both auto-enthusiast and techno-geek appeal. To that end, the creators of the popular Gran Turismo video game series helped design the GT-R's high-tech-looking instrument panel.

Porsche 911 GT2
Priced at nearly $200,000, the GT2 is the most powerful street-legal 911 yet. It's visually distinguished by oversized air intakes up front and a unique spoiler at the rear. But it's most notable for a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that sends 530 hp to the rear wheels. The 0-60 mph sprint happens in just over 3.5 seconds. Top speed is rated at more than 200 mph. Other upgrades include carbon fiber/ceramic-compound brake discs and titanium tailpipes.