2008 Aston Martin Performance
Civility is actually a perfect word to describe how the DBS sets itself apart from other exotics. The six-speed manual found on our test car is the only transmission available, yet its clutch is light and has a relatively short travel. Aside from a rather nebulous st-gear engagement point, the DBS's transmission proved to be as easy to drive in stop-and-go Dallas traffic as a V6-powered sedan. When driven aggressively, the clutch is also spot-on, while the chunky aluminum-topped shifter snick-snicks through its gates with precision.

BMW 328i
Performance

It's on twisty two-lane roads that the sport-packaged 328i really comes into its own. The car is simply a peerless handler among compact sport sedans, from its ultra-communicative and perfectly weighted steering to its supremely balanced and unruffled character in tight corners. Weighing in at 3,424 pounds — nearly 200 pounds lighter than a comparably equipped 335i — our 328i felt, if anything, a smidge more tossable than its turbocharged counterpart. At the track, the 328i snaked through the slalom cones at 68.5 mph, a few tenths quicker than a 335i sedan we tested recently, and braked from 60 mph to zero in 110 feet, 6 feet shorter than that 335i's best stop.

News Shahriar Davaran: Aston Martin DBS
Function

Although the interior is a near clone of the DB9 and V8 Vantage, the DBS features Aston Martin's next generation of controls. Chrome buttons and white lettering contrast with piano black trim to create an easily deciphered interface complemented by a smart climate/audio display borrowed from Volvo. However, some of these buttons can be hard to reach when the bulky shifter is in 3rd or 5th gear — especially the multipurpose knob that controls the hard drive navigation system, whose LCD screen flips up from the dash top. We could also live without the gauge design, which despite looking quite snazzy, isn't particularly user-friendly. The tachometer rotates in the wrong direction and the speedometer features tiny numbers, with 0-80 mph annoyingly residing at the bottom from 5 to 8 o'clock. The cupholders are also next to useless, and get in the way of shifting.

smart fortwo Passion Performance

Around town, the Smart's 1.0-liter, 71-horsepower three-cylinder engine is adequate, as it seems to be geared for the cut-and-thrust of city traffic. Once you get up to cruising speed on the freeway (zero to 60 mph takes 13.6 seconds), the Smart Fortwo will happily cruise at 70 mph.


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