The muscle car era of old is long gone, but in its place are a pack of "modern marvels" that can tear up any track! The Mercedes SLR McLaren, Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, and the Nissan Z350, are all hot performers in their own right. The first two will cost you a mint, the Nissan is more in reach. Time to compare the models and let your imagination run wild.

I believe it is the Kia Rio that retails for just under 10K. If you were to buy 45 Rios you would just begin to match the price of the Mercedes SLR McLaren. With an MSRP of $452,750, even a Bentley becomes a bargain. It is quite likely, however, if you can afford this car you'll not be worrying about price. Instead, the V8 engine pushes out 671 horses, 208 mph top speed, and 3.8 seconds of zero to 60 acceleration...certain to excite you. If that is not enough, try gull wing doors, bi-Xenon headlamps, sidepipe exhaust, turbine wheels, carbon fiber bucket seats covered in leather, a 7 speaker Bose sound system, and lots more. If that still isn't enough there must be some Mercedes parts you can order!

If you want performance but you are also looking for "value" than another German automaker, Porsche, may have what you want. With an MSRP of "only" $141,200 the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet does not quite live up to the SLR, but it is a speed demon nevertheless. Horses kick out at 444, you can get to 190 mph with this baby, and reach 100 kmh [62 mph] in just 4.3 seconds. Not bad! Automatically deployed rear spoiler, awesome looking twin exhausts, digital radio with CD, telephone module, leather everywhere, and a V6 engine are some of the more notable features. Go to a Porsche parts store if you find that something you want is missing.

For the proletariat -- a/k/a the average car buying consumer -- the purchase options are much greater. Besides cars like the Chevy Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Dodge Viper, and BMW M3, Nissan is offering a competitive model under the famed "Z" nameplate. With MSRP starting at $26,800, the base V6 powered and 6 speed manual tranny throws out 287 hp and will rocket you to 60 from a dead stop in just under 6 seconds. Along with the manual tranny, the "Z" comes equipped with ABS, 3.5L 24-valve V6, CD, etc. The base model is pretty basic, but you can get more horses and more options, including a convertible for about 10 grand more. Check around for after market Nissan parts that you can get for your "Z" too.

Yes, the first two cars will only find their way into select driveways, while the "Z" is more within reach of you and me. All 3 sports car are "hot" and certain to be crowd pleasers.