Toyota Camry SolaraIf you can't afford an SC430, the Camry Solara has become the next best thing. With an SC430 design treatment in the back and a 3.3-liter V-6 (good for 225 hp and 240 lb-ft) in front, the Solara will be a top deal when it hits the market. The low-end trim model gets a 157hp 2.4-liter, but the SE Sport version comes with the V-6 and a performance-tuned suspension and 17-inch rim package. Release date: Fall 2003.
Toyota PriusForget about stem cell research and Cell Block 4; in New York the buzz was all about the fuel cells. Toyota's next-generation Prius fuses an SULEV-rated 1.5-liter, 16-valve VVT-i gas engine with a 50kw, 500-volt electric motor, and the end result is a fuel-efficient hybrid. The first iteration of the Prius utilized the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) to seamlessly integrate the two powerplants. This new car uses Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), which is apparently better because, as we all know, synergy is a good thing. Release date: Fall 2003.
Subaru WRX StiSubaru actually released the new 210hp Baja Turbo in New York, but we can't keep our eyes off the WRX STi. The turbo 2.5-liter boxer puts out 300 hp and 300 lb-ft, but there's more to this puppy than raw power. The Driver Control Center Differential means that you can set front-rear torque bias. Evo? What Evo? Release date: Summer 2003.