MASERATI SPYDER
Exclusivity: 9
Euro flair: 9
Real world civility: 8
Makes you want to learn the language of its homeland: 9
Of course you want a Ferrari. Who doesn't? Problem is, with sticker prices starting at nearly $750,000, want is about as close as most of us are going to get to owning one. So we're going to let you in on a little secret: Maserati's new Spyder, which hit North American dealers in March, attached to a $88,000 (estimated) price tag. Eighty-eight grand ain't exactly chicken scratch, but considering that Ferrari took control of Maserati in 1997, letting loose a handful of engineers on the line, we think the powerful, refined, and lustworthy ragtop Spyder is the exotic car deal of the decade. Powerful? We'd say that 390 horsepower, a top speed of 175 mph, and a sub-five-second zero-to-60 time do justice to the word. Refined? True, it's not a quality historically attached to cars adorned with the Maserati name, but if the Spyder receives even a fraction of the attention to detail Ferrari lavishes on its namesake cars, the Spyder will prove a well-mannered companion (in fact, one of Maserati's design tenets for this car was to create an Italian sports car with a high degree of "daily drivability." Early reports suggest some success). Lustful? Well, it's not a Ferrari. But with custom paint and interior options, you can get a Spyder in any color you want. Including red. www.maseratiusa.com

PORSCHE 911 GT2
Exclusivity: 9
Euro flair: 9
Real world civility: 7
Makes you want to learn the language of its homeland: 8