MotorMouths

The 458 Italia makes you feel alive, partly because you can easily imagine dying inside it. Those stars in your eyes are actually oncoming stoplights.

The new Range Rover Evoque is a dazzlingly designed Trojan horse, aimed squarely at owners of the X3, RX and Audi Q5, an anti-box that looks like a crossover, while retaining a dash of Land Rover’s legendary off- road capability.

While the abstrusely named Z4 sDrive28i is less powerful than its six-cylinder predecessor, I’m not missing those two extra chambers one bit.

The Lamborghini Aventador is a supercar for sure. But it’s the forward-thinking design that propels me to christen it the best Lambo ever.

While the Mercedes-Benz SLK350 convertible makes no promises of practicality, good times are almost guaranteed. It begs for you to call in sick for a final dash to the Hamptons or an impromptu charge up the Maine coast.

The conspiracy-minded among us believe there’s a good reason Porsche has never released a Cayman with an engine as powerful as the venerable 911 — it just might whip its more expensive uncle.

Practicality aside, it’s still a Ferrari. The FF hits 62 mph in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of more than 200. There are no obvious drawbacks to the AWD. A short time ago I didn’t even know this car existed. Now it’s all I can think about.

By nature convertibles are exercises in compromise. Either they’re small and fun but have no space, or are too big and lumbering. The 2012 BMW 650i is an exception. First, it’s sexy. Honed and a tad bit dangerous, its lines are long and flaunting, undeniably special.

Fiat’s 500 will compete against cars like the Honda Fit, which it outclasses in style and ride, and the pricier Mini, arguably still slightly cooler and better handling. The 500 will stand out for its quirkiness and Euro flair, a mostly modern take on a classic.

The Lexus CT 200h falls well short of prestige, yet drives way better than a Prius. Yet I’ve seen Lego sets with less plastic inside, and I was underwhelmed by the busy exterior.

A little less gas hoovering, a lot of space and a love of the open road. The Chrysler 300 is a highway hauler for today.

The 2011 Optima’s redesign is so thorough and absolute that it would put a contestant in a makeover reality TV show to shame. It’s a sharp and stylish offering.