Ford Focus

The third generation of Ford's epochal family hatchback moves the sector on once more, leaving the compeition feeling very dated.

THE FACTS

Tested: Five-door hatchback with four-cylinder, 1,596cc turbo petrol engine. Six-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive

Price/on sale: Range starts at £15,995 (as tested £21,245)/March

Power/torque: 148bhp/177lb ft (with 199lb ft overboost)

Top speed: 130mph

Acceleration: 0-62mph in 8.6sec

Fuel economy: 36.7mpg (Urban)

CO2 emissions: 139g/km

VED band: E (£110)

On the stereo: The Boss by James Brown

Verdict: Terrific. Why can't all family hatchbacks be as good to drive as this?

Ferrari FF

The latest Ferrari supercar boasts seating for four, all-weather capability – and 650bhp. Meet the amazing FF. 

THE FACTS 

Ferrari FF
Tested: 6,262cc, 65-degree petrol V12 engine with twin overhead camshafts per bank and four valves per cylinder, driving all four wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission
Price/on sale: From £227,026/RHD sales begin in late September
Power/torque: 651bhp @ 8,000rpm/504lb ft @ 6,000rpm
Top speed: 208mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 3.7sec
Fuel economy: 18.3mpg EU Combined
CO2 emissions: 360g/km
VED band: M (£950 first year, £435 thereafter)
On the stereo: Walking The Dog by Wilko Johnson and the Solid Senders
Verdict: Terrific style, superlative all-weather performance and surprising practicality; an intercontinental getaway car

McLaren MP4-12C 

The new supercar from the British grand prix team is the year's most eagerly anticipated set of wheels. 

THE FACTS
McLaren MP4-12C
Tested: 3.8-litre, 90-degree V8 with chain-driven double-overhead-camshafts per bank, twin MHI turbochargers, seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: £168,500/May
Power/torque: 592bhp @ 7,000rpm and 443lb ft @ 3,000rpm
Top speed: 205mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 3.1sec (on optional Pirelli Corsa tyres)
Fuel economy: 24.2mpg (EU Combined)
CO2 emissions: 279g/km
VED band: M (£950 first year, £435 thereafter)
On the stereo: Keep My Motor Running by Roy Orbison
Verdict: Stunning debut for the Woking F1 team. More understated than the competition, but just as able and certainly as fast.

Porsche Cayman

Porsche’s latest Cayman has lost some weight, but still packs a hefty punch and is tons of fun. Andrew English reviews the Cayman R. 

THE FACTS
Tested: two-seat, mid-engined coupé with 3,436cc flat-six-cyl petrol engine. Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: from £51,728/now
Power/torque: 325bhp @ 7,400rpm/ 273lb ft @ 4,750rpm
Top speed: 175mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 5.0sec
Fuel economy: 29.1mpg (Combined)
CO2 emissions: 228g/km
VED band: L (£750 first year, £425 thereafter)
Verdict: Great chassis made sharper and more focused, but still useable every day. Don't bother with the twin-clutch gearbox

Volkswagen XL1

Volswagen's amazing 300mpg-plus XL1 two-seater diesel/electric hybrid is a supercar where mpg matters more than mph. 

THE FACTS
Volkswagen XL1
Tested: Two-seat, plug-in hybrid, with two-cyl 800cc turbodiesel and 132lb, 5 kWh lithium-ion battery; seven-speed transmission, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: Probably £30,000 to £40,000/2013
Power/torque: engine 47bhp/88.5lb ft, motor 27bhp/74lb ft
Top speed: electronically limited to 99mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 11.9 sec
Fuel economy: 313mpg EU Combined
CO2 emissions: 24g/km
VED band: A £0
On the stereo: The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies
Verdict: Needs a little work, but what a statement supercar for the environment

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

As well as the new V12 Virage, Aston Martin has been busy working on a hardcore 'S' version of its entry-level V8 Vantage. 

THE FACTS
Aston Martin V8 Vantage S
Tested: Two-door, two-seater coupé with 4,735cc, petrol V8, seven-speed Sportshift II gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: £102,500/now
Power/torque: 430bhp @ 7,300rpm/361lb ft @ 5,000rpm
Top speed: 189mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.5sec
Fuel economy: 21.9mpg (Combined)
CO2 emissions: 299g/km
VED band: M (£950 first year, £435 thereafter)
Verdict: Too hardcore to be a daily driver, but for those who can afford to indulge in a weekend toy the Vantage S comes highly recommended.

Aston Martin Virage

A new name and more power for the latest Aston Martin, but is the Virage good enough to justify a £150,000 price tag? 

THE FACTS
Tested: Two-door, two-plus-two coupé with 5,935cc, 60-degree, petrol V12, six-speed automatic transaxle, rear-wheel drive
Price/on sale: from £150,000/now
Power/torque: 490bhp @ 6,500rpm/420lb ft @ 5,750rpm
Top speed: 186mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.6sec
Fuel economy: 12.7mpg (EU Urban), 18.8mpg (Combined)
CO2 emissions: 349g/km
VED band: M (£950 first year, £435 thereafter)
On the stereo: A Man Alone (Ipcress File theme), by John Barry
Verdict: Assured update, or new model? It doesn't matter because the Virage is as good to look at as it is to drive.

2011 Maybach 62 S

 The Maybach isn't the most expensive car in the world, but it is the highest-price line of autos made by Mercedes-Benz. The 62S model of the Maybach — the automaker's answer to the Rolls-Royce and Bentley — costs 8 million Hong Kong dollars (about US$1 million). And that's without extras.But the biggest reason for its high price is the Hong Kong luxury tax, about 50% in this Chinese territory. In the U.S., the car costs about $459,000. Even so, we found that as luxury cars go, the Maybach doesn't offer much beyond what other cars in this category offer, save for a couple of features.

2011 Maybach 62 S

The Maybach received a facelift last year, and small changes were made to the exterior, including a larger chrome-radiator grille in front, more aerodynamic mirrors, new wheels — with 12-spoke 20-inch alloy hubcaps painted in a sterling silver color for the Maybach 52S and 62S — and daytime LED driving headlights (daytime driving lights are mandatory on cars sold in the European Union; but experts disagree on whether they cut down on the rate of traffic fatalities). Of all the Maybach models available in Hong Kong, the 62S has the most powerful engine. Oh, and the “S” stands for “special.”

The 62S was a popular Christmas gift among Hong Kongers, according to the dealership, and all 60 of its available models sold out in eight months. Now, there is an eight-month waiting list for the car.

At the Maybach dealership in Hong Kong — a decked-out space with a terrace overlooking Repulse Bay and an open bar — senior manager Karin Hoo explains why the car costs seven figures.

More colors: Buyers can choose from 18 different exterior colors, including the newest Maybach “New Bahamas Blue” (a dark sky blue). That’s four more than the standard number offered in Mercedes Benz models. Of course, as with all luxury cars, the Maybach can be painted any color under the rainbow for an extra fee.

2011 Maybach 62 S

Sheepskin interiors: High-grade nappa-leather interiors are standard and each seat is upholstered with a single piece of uncut hide. Buyers choose between two colors: black or white.

Back-seat recliner: Most Maybach owners rarely sit in the front seat of their car; they have chauffeurs. Fashioned after first-class airplane seating, the Maybach back seat reclines to a nearly flat position and comes with a leg rest and tray table on the side “That’s why they call the Maybach a ‘jet on wheels,’” Ms. Hoo says. The back seat has 84.5 centimeters of legroom.

Perfume atomizer: Forget about those paper air fresheners that hang on the rearview mirror. Each Maybach 62S is fitted with a perfume atomizer — built into the air-conditioning vent. That’s guaranteed not to stain the fine leather interior or your (no doubt) bespoke or haute couture clothing, of course. Swiss flavor and scent manufacturer Givaudan custom-blended two scents just for the Maybach: a citrus-y green tea and more-masculine agarwood.

An extra meter: Most Mercedes S-series models are roughly five meters long; the Maybach 62S — as its name denotes — is 6.2 meters. “We name the car in the same way boats are named after their length,” Ms. Hoo says.

A glass roof: With the press of a button, the glass roof changes from opaque to clear to let in more light (it’s made from a liquid-crystal membrane of conductive polymer plastic, and an electric current in the crystals changes the view). Another button triggers a cover to close over the glass roof completely.

Lighting: Turn on the side LED lights, along the edge of the window, for softer interior lighting. “The idea is to have just the right ambience the owner prefers,” Ms. Hoo says.

Engine: With a 12-cylinder, 630-horsepower engine, the Maybach 62S can hit 100 kilometers an hour in just five seconds (that’s a second faster than most luxury sports cars). It can hit a maximum speed of 250 kilometers an hour. The Maybach name, in fact, comes from engineer Wilhelm Maybach, who designed the engines of the first Mercedes.
Entertainment system: Two 9.5-inch flat-screen monitors are installed in the back of the front seats. The monitors can play DVDs or connect to the Internet through the car’s built-in WLAN wireless connection. Sound is surround: 21 speakers, designed by Bose, are strategically placed throughout the car for what Ms. Hoo calls “concert-hall quality.” And everything is controlled via a center console with a remote control in the back and front seats.

Customizable add-ons: “Each Maybach is meant to be bespoke, and personalized to the customer’s own preferences,” Ms. Hoo says. Ask and you shall receive, the dealership says, from adding your family crest to the seats to installing a minibar in the back. But there isn’t a list of “extras” from which to choose — it’s up to the customer to ask. Previous add-ons have included the family crests etched onto the glass, fax machines and cigar humidors.
Read More: Yahoo