Your Rig: Chevy Corvette
So you didn't go to law school, but you still have a hankerin' for
six-figure performance cars? Chevy's got you covered. The 2005
'Vette comes with the strongest (and largest) standard engine ever
factory-installed in a new Corvette. At 6 liters and 400
horsepower, the new V8 is mightier than even the turbo-jet 396 and
427 big blocks of the 1960s. The '05 also features a suspension
system that uses electricity and magnetism to continuously adjust
ride quality and shock firmness. Corvette fans will also notice
that the traditional pop-up headlamps that have been a 'Vette
mainstay for decades are gone, replaced by more conventional (and
aerodynamic) flush-fitted Xenon projector beams that are very
Ferrari-like in appearance. Turn off the ASR traction control, put
in Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run," and lay a smoldering patch in
front of the Porsche dealer's showroom - just for fun.
Your Gig: Real estate agent
Your Budget: $46K
Your Rig: Cadillac SRX V8
There's really only one downside to owning Caddy's stylish, all-new
2004 seven-passenger luxury-sport SUV - your clients may be more
impressed with your ride than with the listing you're taking them
to see. The SRX is powered by the same Northstar V8 used in the
$75,000 XLR roadster - tuned to 320 horsepower in this role. It
rides low on a modified version of the same chassis used to build
the CTS sport sedan - so it hugs the road like a sports car - but
it isn't stopped by bad weather, thanks to its full-time
all-wheel-drive system. Amenities include leather sport buckets
with multi-step heaters, flip-up LCD screen and DVD player for
rear-seat occupants, infrared headphones, DVD navigation, XM
satellite radio, OnStar - and an absolutely stunning panoramic
sunroof that retracts almost the full length of the roof.