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The fastest and the fittest: Sport cars in Los Angeles (photos)

Although missing some well-known marques, other automakers were willing to pick up the sports car slack at the 2009 LA Auto Show. Porsche, Spyker, and Lotus brought speedy cars with fine coachwork, while Fisker showed off its convertible Sunset prototype, adding a green twist to sport.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Porsche Boxster Spyder

Citing the 1953 550 Spyder as inspiration for the Boxster Spyder, this new model represents Porsche's attempt to look back to its roots. Using the Boxster model as its base, Porsche simplified and lightened the car, bringing it down to 2,811 pounds.
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Porsche Boxster Spyder

As much as the style is a look back, the powertrain is Porsche's cutting edge. The 320 horsepower direct injection 3.4-liter flat six is mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox.
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Porsche Boxster Spyder

The Spyder's top is a simple cover that doesn't automatically open and close. Instead, you have to manually unhook it from the windshield and rear-attach points, fold it up, and put it into the trunk.
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Porsche Boxster Spyder

The entire double-hump rear cover swings up trunklike, exposing luggage area and engine. Closed, it echoes the aerodynamic shapes of 1950s racers.
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Porsche Boxster Spyder

Although this Spyder shows a very stripped interior, the car will be available with the Porsche Communication Manager, a cabin tech suite that includes hard-drive-based navigation.
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Lotus Evora

With the Evora, Lotus enters a new phase of practicality. Where previous models have been primarily track tools, the Evora's 2+2 seating and easier egress make it more palatable as a daily driver.
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Lotus Evora

But it appears Lotus hasn't compromised on performance, as the Evora, at 3,046 pounds, is very light. The company also stuck with a midengine architecture, keeping the weight distribution balanced.
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Lotus Evora

The engine is a 3.5-liter V-6 sourced from Toyota, which Lotus has tweaked and tuned to produce 276 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. For better packaging and weight distribution, the engine is transversely mounted and tipped to the side, making one bank of cylinder almost vertical.
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Lotus Evora

With its leather upholstery, the interior looks quite plush, but performance cues remain, such as the lightweight graphite steering wheel.
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Lotus Evora

The dashboard uses real polished aluminum, with metal buttons inset, a very nice quality touch. For cabin tech, Lotus uses an Alpine double-DIN navigation head unit. This unit has a removable GPS device.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

Spyker, an automaker started up in 2000, just released the second generation of its Aileron coupe and Spyder. These striking cars are designed by company founder Victor Mueller, a lawyer who gained his automotive experience from owning a Le Mans team.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

The Aileron is motivated by a 4.2-liter V-8 sourced from Audi, but Spyker uses port injection rather than Audi's direct-injection system. Lotus supplies some suspension elements, and the cars lack stability or traction control, relying on a limited slip differential and tight suspension tuning to keep grip.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

The interior of the Aileron is a work of art, all pillow-stitched leather and metal surfaces. In fact, plastic is difficult to find in a Spyker.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

These real metal toggle switches are sourced from an aircraft parts manufacturer and control things such as windshield wipers and head lights.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

The unique look to the shifter was achieved by removing the cover and exposing the linkage. This shifter works a six-speed automatic transmission, a new option for the Aileron. Previous Spyker models have used manual transmissions.
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Spyker Aileron coupe

Despite all this old-world coachwork and mechanical suspension design, the Aileron still gets modern technology, such as this iPod connector sticking out of the console. A navigation system and Bluetooth interface is also included.
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Fisker Karma S

The hybrid Fisker Karma may not have made it to production yet, but Fisker is already showing off a convertible version in concept form. Like the Karma, the Karma S will use the Q-Drive range-extending serial hybrid system.
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Fisker Karma S

The Karma S' hybrid system incorporates two electric drive motors generating 403 horsepower and 959 pound-feet of torque, capable of sending the Karma S to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, and a gas engine generator, giving the car additional range beyond the 50 miles it can manage on batteries alone.
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Fisker Karma S

The interior might cause problems among some environmental proponents, as it is extensively swathed in leather.
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Fisker Karma S

Being an electrically driven car, the middle bar gauge details available range. The right gauge, where a tachometer might normally sit, shows when the car is accelerating and when it is generating electricity for the batteries.

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