CarThrottle Asks: What Are You Excited To Drive This Year?

2010 is undoubtedly the year of eco-consciousness among automotive companies. I mean, there have been some exciting gas-guzzling debuts (hello, Audi R8 V10 Spider, 2011 Mustang GT500, and Ferrari 458 Italia!) but for the most part the focus of the industry has been on boring things, like diesels and hybrids and, god forbid, diesel-hybrids.  Still, there's a whole heap of fresh metal coming out this year, and there's quite a bit to be excited about.  What upcoming cars are you the most stoked to get your greasy little paws on in 2010?

For me, it's a pretty long list.  And atop it is Honda's polarizing CR-Z.  While "Hybrid" and "Sports Coupe" seem to go together like peanut butter and salmon, it's an intriguing concept to me on paper.  Take an Insight, make it shorter/wider/lower/lighter, bump up the gas engine displacement, through in Honda's famous snick-snick 6-speed manual, and some variable power delivery modes for good measure, and I'm... damn curious.  I want to drive one so bad, because to me it's going to be one of two things: either the best answer for a fun efficient commuter car out there on the market, or a totally pointless dud of a hypbrid that's ruined by the tiny engine and goofy battery packs.  I don't think it's going to land in any middle ground, and while we're free to look at the specs and guess all we want, the proof's in the pudding: the CR-Z is one car I'm going to have to drive before I pass judgement on it.

What else can I not wait to get behind the wheel of?  Well, from all reports the 2011 Mustang GT is a flat-out revelation.  Then again, I had high hopes for the new SHO and I found it deeply disappointing, so who knows.  But a 32-valve all-aluminum V8 with 414bhp, a six-speed, and a mass that puts it more in my interest zone than the lardy Camaro/Challenger means I'm interested.  Who knows, maybe America's redneck muscle car has what it takes to stomp on the establishment?  At the other end, I'm itching to get behind the wheel of the new Focus and Fiesta (US spec.)  Ford's been making superb small cars for decades, and neglecting to send them over to the land of apple pie and pickup trucks, but growing market concern for efficiency and eco-friendliness has finally changed their mind.  The Fiesta is supposed to be the most fun-to-drive subcompact, but we'll have to see.

Rounding out my list of 2010 curiosities is the upcoming (I'd guess late 2010 availability) Hyundai Sonata Turbo.  With a 2.0L all-aluminum I4 under the hood of this mid-sized sedan, it doesn't sound like a recipe for fun - but direct injection, a twin-scroll single turbocharger, and 274bhp at 17.4 pounds of boost (stock!) definitely perk my eyebrows.  I've been an unabashed Hyundai fanboy as of late, and the upcoming Sonata Turbo is, at least on paper, the best reason yet to carry their banner.

So, how about you, CT readers?  What upcoming model has got your palms itching in anticipation?  Share your comments below.