MotorMouths

With its brilliant chassis, trick gearbox and 518-bhp V-8, you forget the new Mercedes E63 AMG is a 4-door. It’s difficult to believe a 2-ton sedan can corner so rapidly, with such composure.

Reinventing the 911 for a new generation is a difficult and often thankless task. But the engineers from Weissach have improvied on the seemingly unimprovable.

With the new 5 Series, BMW treads the delicate line between not alienating the core buyers and shows the world a brash newness and forward-thinking technology.

The S60 R-Design is a well-executed, sporty addition to the Volvo lineup, at a price that undercuts comparably powered BMW 335s and Audi A4s.

Overall, the 2011 CTS is an impressive new coupe that’s one of the most dramatically styled cars on the road. Just be prepared to be gawked at, a lot.

The new 5-series looks edgy and dynamic, kind of a smaller 7 Series with extra attitude, but without the granny-glasses headlights and odd sloping trunk cutline of the 5 it replaces. It ought to delight the BMW faithful, and pull a few more into the fold as well.

The C30 R-Design is no paper tiger; it’s a blast to drive. And when you’re not homing in on that next apex, you can enjoy the uncluttered, sensible elegance that characterizes all Volvo interiors.

The technology-packed Verano is a nice surprise in both refinement and sophistication and well worth a look when cross-shopping.

The new Land Rover offers luxury with the reassurance of off-road ability. This large 7-passenger SUV responds naturally, being neither overly stiff nor floaty.

Calling the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 a (relative) lightweight is no insult, because it’s now a true heavyweight in the midst of its track-day peers.

The new X3’s stylistic huevos find an equally energetic counterpart in the engine bay. Given the vehicle’s height, body roll is extremely well controlled, and even in Sport + mode, the X3 lacks the primary-ride impact harshness of its predecessor, and feels downright comfortable in Normal.

The new R20 is the most wicked production Golf the factory has ever bolted together. It ought to easily dust the last R variant to see U.S. shores which seemed to offer only incremental performance gains over the already highly satisfying Golf GTI.