2008 Audi TT Roadster

It should come as no surprise that the Audi TT Roadster is one of our favorite convertibles. It not only shares its underpinnings with our Automobile of the Year, the Volkswagen GTI, but it's also one of the sexiest drop-tops around. The TT Roadster starts at $36,800 and is equipped with the GTI's 200-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The engine's output makes its way to the front wheels through Audi's twin-clutch automated manual DSG transmission. For an extra $7,700, the TT comes with Quattro all-wheel drive and a smooth-as-butter 3.2-liter VR6 engine that pumps out 250 horsepower. Six-cylinder models are available with either the DSG or a six-speed manual. And lest you think for a minute that these prices are too dear, remember that the TT competes directly - in performance if not street cred - with the more expensive BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster (the latter of which is one of our picks for one price range higher). And in the looks department, the TT positively murders them. For those who think that looks don't matter, this new TT is finally the sports car it always should have been. Gone is the numb performance of the first generation TT - this one goes as well as it looks. And that's pretty damn good.