First Glance: Love lost, love found

Technically, the Challenger was introduced in 2008, but only in limited-run automatic SRT8 form. 2009 sees the introduction of the full lineup -- SE, R/T, and manual-trans SRT-8. I love that the base-model SE looks every bit as mean and nasty as the big-dog SRT8, while the R/T delivers 95% of the SRT8's thrills for 75% of the price. And the six-speed manual transmission with its modern-day pistol grip shifter is the best thing to happen to the Challenger SRT8 since... well, since last year. Sure, the Challenger has flaws -- plenty of 'em, in fact -- but I don't think I'll ever grow tired of driving it...or of seeing it parked in my driveway.
When I first drove the Challenger SRT8, I fell head-over-heels in love -- for a week. Then the car went back to Chrysler, and I was sad for a while. But a month after my test drive, I was trying to remember what all the fuss was about. As cool and as fast as the Challenger SRT8 was -- and it was very, very cool and very, very fast -- the things that stuck out in my mind were the problems: The dull interior, the floaty ride, and the cave-like back seat.
Fast-forward a few months, and I'm back in the driver's seat of a Challenger SRT8, this time with the new-for-2009 manual transmission. And once again I am in love, hot and heavy as ever. Except this time I'm in love for different reasons. And this time, I'm determined not to forget what it is about this car that makes my heart go pitter-pat.
The first time I drove the Challenger, it was the styling that attracted me. I'm a big fan of Chrysler muscle cars, so I loved the way the new Challenger so closely mimics the 1970 original. That was then; this is now -- I've driven four different Challengers and have grown used to the drop-dead gorgeous looks. But the rest of the world clearly hasn't: The Challenger attracted as many stares, smiles, and cell-phone cams as ever. My wife Robin drove the car and complained that everyone wanted to race (cute chick in a red Challenger? Who could blame them?), and my tire dealer, who owns a Hemi Orange SRT8, noted that it's almost impossible to change lanes because there's always someone sitting on your quarter-panel admiring the car.

No question, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the most thrilling car I have ever driven. The acceleration produced by the 638 hp supercharged V8 is almost beyond the scope of human comprehension, while the handling is supercar-sharp yet incredibly forgiving. With styling that looks nearly identical to the base-model Corvette, it's easy to forget how much engineering intelligence is packed into the ZR1, or what an incredible bargain it is -- $105,000 is a heck of a deal for a supercar that goes 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and on to 200 MPH, let alone one that includes a lightweight aluminum skeleton, magnetic-fluid shocks and carbon-ceramic brakes. Mark my words: History will remember the Corvette ZR1 as one of the all-time great cars.

First Glance: Oh ye of little faith!

The hot-rod Caddy isn't just one of the best new cars of 2009, it's one of the best cars I've ever driven. Its handling is laser-fine and remarkably unflappable, while the power from its supercharged V8 (556 hp/551 lb-ft) is the stuff Bible stories are written about. Remember, this is the car that beat the BMW M5 around Germany's grueling 17.5-mile Nürburgring race track. The CTS-V runs 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, yet it's posh and genteel enough to ferry your fickle mother-in-law to high tea with the Ladies' Aid Society. With a pricing starting just over $60k, the CTS-V delivers a bang-for-the-buck quotient of nuclear proportions. All this, plus it was conceived, designed and built right here in the US of A. Take that, Germany!
I wish everyone who has ever talked smack about General Motors' engineering prowess (or lack thereof) could test drive the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. And I don't just mean a quick spin; I mean really drive it -- on the highway, through the curves, and on a race track, just like I did at Cadillac's CTS-V press preview. Anyone can stuff a huge, high-horsepower V8 into a small(ish) car and make something it go really, really fast, but what's amazing about this car is its finesse. On the track, it's quick, precise and amazingly well behaved. Cruising down the highway, it's smooth and composed, with little to indicate that you're driving a car with more horsepower than a Lamborghini Gallardo. It's an amazing bit of engineering, this new CTS-V, and GM's slide-rule set should be very proud of what they hath wrought.
One could argue that the CTS-V is the wrong car for the times, and one would no doubt win that argument. Bear in mind that the CTS-V was conceived when no one seriously thought gas would ever go past $2/gallon or that the car market would crash like it did. Kudos to GM for not turning tail and pulling the plug.
Okay, enough pontificating, let's review the car!