Rocket Science

Hot, small sport compacts are rewriting the rules. Big is bad. Rear-wheel drive is old hat. The new thinking is front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive in machines influenced by rally cars and featuring air dams, fender flares and tail spoilers. Five- and six-speed manual gearboxes, immense brakes and trick alloy wheels come with the packages. The rationale for all this is simple. Married younger guys want a family car that says "I'm still happening." Singles want a car with room for double daters and luggage.

Performance is a must: Many of these cars will sprint from zero to 60 in less than eight seconds, powered by high-revving 175 to 200 hp four-cylinder engines that are often supercharged or turbocharged. Cost is also a factor: The base price for some sport compacts is just below $20,000. Inside, small leather steering wheels and competition-style bucket seats are the norm. Loud exhausts? You bet.

The 10 that we selected represent the best of the bunch. But competition is intense, and there's always something new coming over the horizon. Automakers know that today's sport compact driver is tomorrow's luxury car owner. Back in the Sixties, Detroit created such muscle machines as Pontiac's GTO and Chevrolet's 409 by shoehorning powerful engines into midsize coupe bodies. They're doing the same thing today. Subaru's WRX is the basic all-wheel-drive Impreza, pumped up with a supercharged engine, race-inspired brakes and suspension and aerodynamic bodywork. Not every visitor to a Subaru showroom buys one, but street buzz for one car will rub off on the entire product line.

The new Mini Cooper, with its great-looking retro body, represents another way car companies play in this league. Starting from scratch, Mini created a two-door sedan based on the British icon that raced and rallied its way into automotive legend in the Sixties. We drove the Mini Cooper S version on twisty backroads in Portugal. With 48 horsepower more than the base Mini, and race-inspired double-wishbone suspension, the supercharged S handles like a go-cart. The car's structure is solid. It feels like a BMW, and it should, because the Bavarians own the company.

Mazda's Protegé MP3 was a player last year, with decent handling and good looks, but its horsepower wasn't up to its chassis dynamics. All that has changed with the Mazdaspeed Protege, which is coming to a limited number of Mazda showrooms later on this year. Mazda will manufacture just 2000 Mazdaspeeds in its initial run. The good news is that many of the car's special components will be available at your local dealer in the future, so you can jazz up an MP3 with high-performance aftermarket goodies.

Dodge recognized that the performance of last year's Neon R/T wasn't quite up to the competition, so it introduced a more powerful SRT-4 for 2003, with 55 more horsepower than the standard 2002 model R/T engine and a racier body. Some critics of the old Neon R/T will be won over by its new 205 hp engine and slicker wheels, not to mention a 5.9-second zero-to-60 time. The SRT-4's new interior and appointments seem a little on the cheap side.

With its knife-edged styling, Ford's SVT Focus looks dramatically different from the curvy imports in this category. Tapping into the engineering skills of Britain's Cosworth Technology, builders of Formula 1 engines, Ford's Special Vehicle Team redesigned or added more than 200 standard Focus components. To handle 170 hp, the Focus is equipped with an upgraded clutch, a sophisticated dual-mass flywheel and a specially designed six-speed Getrag transaxle with two different output ratios for selected gears. With this unique setup, the SVT Focus screams to 60 in just over seven seconds and tops 90 mph in the quarter mile. There are numerous brake upgrades and chassis tuning changes, too—all for barely $4000 over the $14,000 base price of the Focus ZX3. One caveat: Ford recalled its SVT Focus in April to fix a problem with its cruise control. Apparently, the control can snag and keep the throttle in the open position. No injuries have been reported, and Ford has implemented a repair procedure.

Honda's Civic Si hatchback and its upmarket companion brand, the Acura RSX Type S, have set high handling standards for front-wheel-drive cars. For 2002, both makes switched from competition-style independent, unequal-length wishbone suspension to more prosaic MacPherson struts in front and a compact double-wishbone rear suspension with no trailing arms. The trade-off meant higher crash-test scores and more interior space, but enthusiasts have complained that the car doesn't handle as well. You probably won't be able to tell the difference. Both models feature short-throw shift dose-ratio gearboxes. The Civic's five-speed shifter is mounted in the dash console—the perfect position for spirited driving. With an extra gear, the RSX Type S can top 94 mph in the quarter mile. Thanks to torque-rich i-VTEC (variable valve timing) power plants, both of these cars are exceptional performers.

Nissan has created the Sentra SE-R Spec V by zinging up a plain Jane four-door with a six-speed gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential that ensures both wheels grip equally through tight corners. The long-stroke SE-R engine develops more torque (180 ft./lb.) than its 175 horsepower, so it really pulls in the lower gears. Other improvements include stronger disc brakes, better shocks and springs and 17-inch cast alloy wheels. On the downside, the Spec V's shifter is a bit on the rubbery side, and there's noticeable torque steer and some wheel hop during hard acceleration. The ride is also a bit harsh, but with a base price of about $18,000, the Spec V is a bargain.

At first glance, the New Beetle Turbo S from Volkswagen may look like its cutesy big brother, but this Bug will dash to 60 miles an hour in a little over seven seconds. Too bad its speed-activated spoiler rises and lowers with a resounding clunk, disrupting an otherwise enjoyable driving experience. If the Turbo S is too retro for you, the company has another answer. The Golf GTI is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Europe this year, so 1500 special GTI 337 editions (337 was the code name used for the Golf in the Seventies) with turbocharged 180 hp engines will be coming to America, priced around $22,000.

The Lancer O-Z's styling is based on Mitsubishi's Evo VII World Championship Rally car. It's got the sporty look, but its 120 hp engine comes up short when you compare it with the competition. White-faced instruments, 15-inch spoked aluminum wheels and a roomier interior than last year's Mirage are pluses. At just over $16,000, the O-Z's price leaves you change for aftermarket improvements.

Where and How to buy on Page 152.