2009 Geneva Auto Show: Speed for all Budgets - Feature

Million-dollar one-offs, the annual left-field whizbang from Rinspeed, and supercars with five, six, or even seven hundred horsepower make Geneva the most whimsical of the major European auto shows. Signs of green proliferation were everywhere at the 2009 Geneva auto show, but so were signs that the speed wars will persist even in the face of global economic concerns. Read on for speed-freaky highlights from Geneva fit for all budgets, categorized by level of performance.

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2010 Volkswagen GTI

Cheap speed is something of an obsession atCar and Driver, mostly because we can’t afford any other kind of fast. The Volkswagen GTI is one of our favorite affordable ways to test the limits of both handling and the law, combining German premium-brand polish and poise with Everyman pricing. The turbo four’s output of 210 hp lags behind the segment’s best, but the feel and balance of the newest GTI are likely to remain unmatched at its price.

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2010 Mazdaspeed 3

As furious as hot hatches come, the tightly-wound Mazdaspeed 3 has won every comparison test we’ve ever put it in. What would happen if we pitted it against a BMW M3, you ask? Oh, man—don’t get us going. Mazda is taking the conservative route with this redesign, carrying over from the current car the 263-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive layout, and five-door hatchback body style. We’re already sure we’ll like it.

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2009 Ford Focus RS

The Focus won five consecutive awards before repeated decontenting robbed it of its soul. The European Focus, on the other hand, has received continuous updates and remains a joy to drive; there are few products in Ford’s foreign portfolio we’d rather see offered in the U.S. We’re particularly intrigued by this most potent form, powered by a 300-hp, 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five.

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2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA

Passion and performance are the hallmarks of the Italian auto industry, regardless of price point. The pint-sized MiTo GTA is proof. Powered by a turbocharged 1.7-liter four twisting out 237 horses, the GTA is billed as a concept, but the production model should be very similar. Alfa wants to return to the U.S. market, and the 8C Competizione was chosen to lead the charge, but we’d rally behind this little hatch, too.

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