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" Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA  // What is it: The Alfa MiTo is basically an exotic Mini Cooper. The &amp;quot;GTA&amp;quot; stands for &amp;quot;Gran Turismo Alleggerito,&amp;quot; but all you need to know is that the mission statement was to optimize the power-to-weight ratio. And unlike most modern cars, that didn&amp;#039;t just mean additional power. Extensive use of exotic materials such as carbon-fiber bodywork and aluminum brakes and suspension components show us just how determined the company was to shed those pounds. // Why it&amp;#039;s cool: Until now, owning a good-looking hot hatch meant that you had to get something, well, cute. But that stigma might be a thing of the past, as Alfa Romeo has found a way to make even a tiny hatchback look sexy and tough at the same time. With a 1.7-liter 240-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it&amp;#039;s sure to move well too. Oh, and we all know 1.7-liter engines are easy on the wallet when it comes time for a fill up. // Why it matters: Alfa Romeo is coming to America late this year, so you might just be able to park this sweet little hatchback in your driveway soon.       CLICK FOR MORE  Top 5 Fun, Fuel-Efficient European Cars (You Can&amp;#039;t Get in America)       Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA    Ford Focus RS     Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;     Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept     M\u00E9gane Renault Sport      RELATED STORIES * EARLIER: Top 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy In America--Yet  * PLUS: Will Chrysler-Fiat Merger Save the Struggling U.S. Automaker?  * TEST DRIVE: 5 Cheap, Fuel-Sipping Nissans We Can&amp;#039;t Get in the States  * GALLERY: Retro Eco-Supercars, Top Fuel Sippers of the Past 34 Years   Ford Focus RS  // What is it: The next evolution in a series of high performance Foci that we&amp;#039;ll never see--this time with 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine (sourced from Volvo). Oh, and it returns a claimed 30 mpg in Europe. // Why it&amp;#039;s cool: In a nutshell, rally heritage. This is the closest thing to the WRC rally car that you can buy and use on the (European) street. It looks tough, the aerodynamics are functional, and it comes in the green you see here--a stylish color Ford calls Ultimate Green. It wears 19-inch wheels and potentially fluorescent green Recaro bucket seats, so make sure you&amp;#039;re up for being seen before lusting after this one. // Why it matters: Ford is cool in Europe--has been for years--which gives us hope for the company&amp;#039;s future on our side of the Atlantic. Though there is little chance this car will come to our shores, Ford has announced plans to implement what it calls One Ford, which will guarantee that at least some of the European gems come to America.       CLICK FOR MORE  Top 5 Fun, Fuel-Efficient European Cars (You Can&amp;#039;t Get in America)       Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA    Ford Focus RS     Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;     Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept     M\u00E9gane Renault Sport      RELATED STORIES * EARLIER: Top 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy In America--Yet  * PLUS: Will Chrysler-Fiat Merger Save the Struggling U.S. Automaker?  * TEST DRIVE: 5 Cheap, Fuel-Sipping Nissans We Can&amp;#039;t Get in the States  * GALLERY: Retro Eco-Supercars, Top Fuel Sippers of the Past 34 Years   Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;  // What is it: The latest hot hatch from Abarth, a division you can think of as Fiat&amp;#039;s AMG. The diminutive 1.4-liter engine has been pumped up to deliver 180 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque at as little as 3000 rpm. Offered in &amp;quot;Airfield Grey&amp;quot; with a racing-inspired livery, the sporting little car looks the part as well. // Why it&amp;#039;s cool: Abarth is perhaps most well known for its tuning of Fiat&amp;#039;s 500, making as much as 190 hp in the race versions of these tiny cars, and campaigning them alongside the Ferrari Challenge series in a race called the 500 Abarth Trophy. A storied racing history is rare for a tiny hatchback, and this one shows its roots with Sabelt bucket seats inside, and giant (on this little car) 18-inch wheels. // Why it matters: If Alfa Romeo is coming stateside, there&amp;#039;s a chance Fiat will tag along with the Abarth brand. And if that&amp;#039;s the case, you may be able to test-drive the SuperSport in a dealer soon.       CLICK FOR MORE  Top 5 Fun, Fuel-Efficient European Cars (You Can&amp;#039;t Get in America)       Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA    Ford Focus RS     Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;     Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept     M\u00E9gane Renault Sport      RELATED STORIES * EARLIER: Top 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy In America--Yet  * PLUS: Will Chrysler-Fiat Merger Save the Struggling U.S. Automaker?  * TEST DRIVE: 5 Cheap, Fuel-Sipping Nissans We Can&amp;#039;t Get in the States  * GALLERY: Retro Eco-Supercars, Top Fuel Sippers of the Past 34 Years   Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept Car  // What is it: A highly efficient version of the small Volkswagen Polo, which exists just about everywhere but the USA. It&amp;#039;s always been a solid practical choice, and this time around BlueMotion adds a level of rather insane efficiency to the equation--more than 70 mpg on the European cycle, to be exact. // Why it&amp;#039;s cool: The Polo BlueMotion will make do with just 1.2-liters of common-rail diesel, helping to make the car one of the most economical in the world, as well as one of the cleanest. // Why it matters: The Polo is the little VW we don&amp;#039;t get in the US, but rumor has it the car will be on our shores soon enough, thanks to recently improved crash test ratings. And as small, efficient hatchbacks go, this one&amp;#039;s a looker. It promises to be inexpensive, too. Polo prices start in Europe at 12,150 euro ($15,262 US).       CLICK FOR MORE  Top 5 Fun, Fuel-Efficient European Cars (You Can&amp;#039;t Get in America)       Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA    Ford Focus RS     Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;     Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept     M\u00E9gane Renault Sport      RELATED STORIES * EARLIER: Top 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy In America--Yet  * PLUS: Will Chrysler-Fiat Merger Save the Struggling U.S. Automaker?  * TEST DRIVE: 5 Cheap, Fuel-Sipping Nissans We Can&amp;#039;t Get in the States  * GALLERY: Retro Eco-Supercars, Top Fuel Sippers of the Past 34 Years   M\u00E9gane Renault Sport  // What is it: The M\u00E9gane Renault Sport is powered by a turbocharged inline-4, which would seem to be the universal answer to the balance of frugality and excitement in Geneva this year. This one produces 250 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque available in full at 3000 rpm.  // Why it&amp;#039;s cool: This isn&amp;#039;t your standard M\u00E9gane. The power steering is quicker, the suspension is stiffer, and if you opt for the &amp;quot;Cup&amp;quot; chassis, you get a limited-slip differential. The aggressive nose comes with LED running lights--just like a Porsche 911 Turbo--and the front splitter is designed to mimic that of the company&amp;#039;s R28 Formula 1 car. // Why it matters: It doesn&amp;#039;t, really. As cool as it looks, it&amp;#039;s one more fun and frugal car we&amp;#039;ll never see on this side of the Atlantic. Pity.        CLICK FOR MORE  Top 5 Fun, Fuel-Efficient European Cars (You Can&amp;#039;t Get in America)       Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA    Ford Focus RS     Grande Punto Abarth &amp;quot;SuperSport&amp;quot;     Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Concept     M\u00E9gane Renault Sport      RELATED STORIES * EARLIER: Top 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy In America--Yet  * PLUS: Will Chrysler-Fiat Merger Save the Struggling U.S. Automaker?  * TEST DRIVE: 5 Cheap, Fuel-Sipping Nissans We Can&amp;#039;t Get in the States  * GALLERY: Retro Eco-Supercars, Top Fuel Sippers of the Past 34 Years   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a4045/4307154/>