2000 Bentley Continental T

Not that Jaguar wants you to enjoy only the straight-line stuff. With an 0.88 lateral g performance on the skidpad and a 65.3-mph slalom speed, this 2-ton feline climbs the drapes with only the mildest prodding.

Indeed, the XJR offers the potential for senseless mayhem in the hands of those of low morals. The wide P255/40ZR18 Pirelli rear tires can be cleanly stripped of their tread in about a minute's time, given a vacant parking lot and the proper incitement-notification of a repossession following a bad tax audit, for example.
-Jeff Karr

Mercedes-Benz cl600
420 lb/ft @ 3800 rpm
A Leather-Lined Vault--only Faster, Safer, and Smarter
Name all the current Mercedes-Benz production cars, and we bet you'll forget one-the CL. The limited-production German coupe is without peers, as nothing can compare to the variable valved-timed V-12-powered, technology-infused, rock-solid sheer excess of the CL600. Not only is it one of the most powerful grand touring cars on the road, it also features some of the industry's leading convenience and safety equipment.

Before driving this vehicle, we advise studying the operator's manual. With so many buttons, switches, gauges, and information centers to distract an ill-informed or unprepared driver, a $140,000 disaster is only an untimely lumbar adjustment away.

The CL600, based on a modified S Class platform, coddles both driver and front passenger. In a car like this, you aren't even required to slam the doors; the car does it for you-well, at least the last inch or so with a gentle pneumatic door and trunk close-assist system. Isolating its occupants from the world of traffic and wind noise are advanced double-pane side windows and a wind cheating drag coefficient of 0.30 that combine to make this one of the quietest cars we've ever (nearly) heard.

Standard electronic stability system and traction control (both driver-defeatable) ensure the car goes where you point it, regardless of the road surface. A Mercedes-Benz-exclusive ABS system detects a panic stop by monitoring how fast the brake pedal is depressed and applies full braking faster than a driver ever could. Our 60-0-mph test produced an astonishing 125-foot full stop, while 100-0 mph was handily done in only 5 seconds and just over 120 yards. Safety continues inside with front and side airbags. Even parking is safer with ultrasonic sensors in both bumpers that audibly and visually warn the driver of obstacles.

Because the naturally aspirated engine maintains between 370 and 400 pound-feet of torque from just above idle speed to about 5000 rpm, the CL600 delivers linear acceleration with nearly full torque any time, in any gear, and at any speed. It silently wills itself to 60 mph in a surprising 6.2 seconds-a dead heat with the much more powerful (and heavy) Bentley. But from that speed until you reach the electronically limited 155-mph top speed, you'd swear the time/space continuum fractured and time stood still while space was compressed.

For a better tour de force of technology, safety, style, and comfortable brute power, you'll have to book a ride on Air Force One. Short of that, you may be able to name a car or two that have similar traits, but none will be as comprehensively equipped as the Ultimate Mercedes two-door.
-Chris Walton

SLP Transam Firehawk
345 lb/ft @ 4400 rpm
All detroit muscle, all the time
This car torques to me. I close my eyes and twist the key. Instantly, the Firehawk's 5.7-liter/327-horsepower OHV V-8 speaks up with a deep, dual-pipe bass rumble that sounds as sweetly familiar as the first stanza of the Star Spangled Banner. Blip the pedal and the chassis rocks with race-car authority. And I know that, outside of a V-10 pickup, there's just no place to go for more grunt per dollar. At $31,000 it's the cheapest in this test. This is true Detroit muscle.