Gallery: 4 Steps to Heaven (or Jail)
01ford-mustang-boss-302
Electric might be the future, but the internal combustion engine is alive and well. Here are four rides designed to stir your soul, no matter your budget. Just keep an eye out for the fuzz. Ford Mustang BOSS 302 --------------------- Read More:[](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2012/10/ft-buying-advice-performance-sedans/) [Buying Advice: Performance Cars](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2012/10/ft-buying-advice-performance-sedans/)Ford has done the impossible: It has transformed the perennial muscle car into a full-fledged sports car—even with a rear suspension design so old that it was scribbled on the walls of prehistoric caves. Not only is the Mustang one of the most attractive neomuscle- mobiles out there, you have your choice of close to a dozen flavors, from the lowly V-6 coupe to the absurd 662-horsepower GT500. Our pick is the BOSS 302. With a 5.0-liter V-8 putting out 444 horsepower and 380 foot-pounds of torque, it's the prodigious middle child of the lineup. The track-tuned ride is both communicative and polished, the chatty electromechanical steering can be tuned to any of three different settings, and it packs more than enough firepower for back-road assaults and point-and-squeeze passes. __WIRED__ 21st-century muscle car, with the most user-friendly version of Ford's SYNC infotainment system. Sounds like God's own megaphone when dropping the throttle in third gear. __TIRED__ Boy-racer exterior graphics. Engine note is more annoyingly droning with the windows up than down. __$42,200 and up | [Ford](http://www.ford.com/)__
02scion-fr-s
Scion FR-S ---------- The FR-S is a performance car distilled into its essential elements: engine up front, manual transmission in the middle, and drive wheels in the rear. Perfect. Except on paper. Stat junkies might bemoan the "meager" 200-hp 2.0-liter flat-four and six-second-plus 0-to-60 time. But the proof is in the driving. The steering is perfectly weighted, the handling privileges flickable fun over outright grip, and its low curb weight gives it personality and fling-ability that make up for any lack of power. __WIRED__ Compact, tossable package. Driver- focused interior with an automatic option ($1,100) for the stick-averse. __TIRED__ Chintzy trim. Back seats aren't fit for human occupancy. __$24,200 and up | [Scion](http://www.scion.com/)__
03bmw-m6-convertible
BMW M6 Convertible ------------------ The last overpowered 6 Series packed a high-strung, 500-hp V-10. This all-new M6 loses two cylinders but gains dual turbos, boosting horsepower to 560 and rocketing you to 60 in 4.4 seconds. In addition to multiple shift-speed modes, drivers get options for throttle mapping, suspension tuning, and steering weight. It's a warp-drive masterpiece wrapped in a stunning design, and it only gets better with the top down. __WIRED__ Who needs 560 hp? You do. Every day. We also want the heads-up display on everything we drive. Fantastic infotainment system. __TIRED__ Hefty—less nimble and engaging than the lighter M-ified machines. Awesome V-8 = pain at the pump. __$113,100 and up | [BMW](http://www.bmw.com/)__
04bentley-continental-gt-w12
Bentley Continental GT W12 -------------------------- [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/fall-test)In the grand tradition of Bentley's German parents (it's owned by the Volkswagen Group), this all-new GT is evolutionary, subtly improving on the formula that has succeeded from Hollywood to Dubai. While the exterior looks familiar, the interior has undergone a major refresh. Everything is coated with hand-stitched leather, and chrome and aluminum adorn the dashboard and center console. There's a sense of isolation you can't even get in a hyperbaric chamber; it's a rolling testament to your ineffable social status and stock portfolio. __WIRED__ Supernatural craftsmanship. Enough power to strip the paint off the plebeians you pass. Solid, smooth handling. __TIRED__ Supernatural price. It's the Camry of the gilded class. Laughable nav system. __$216,970 and up | [Bentley](http://www.bentleymotors.com/)__
