Gallery: Best Of What's New In Auto Tech, 2012

Grand Award Winner: Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S sets the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured. It’s faster than any other street-legal EV: The Performance edition, propelled by motors that generate a peak 416 horsepower, darts from 0 to 60 mph in a Porsche-rivaling 4.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 130 mph.
The family-size sedan also travels farther on a charge than any electric car in history—up to 300 miles on the optional 85-kilowatt-hour battery—and recharges three times as fast as the industry standard. It’s not clear how many Americans will pay the Model S’s $59,000 to $107,000 price tag, but Tesla thinks so highly of the car that it’s betting the company on it: The carmaker has stopped building its famed Roadster and now produces only the Model S.

TESLA MODEL S
Range: Up to 300 miles (with 85-kWh battery)
Seats: Five adults, two children (with optional jump seats)
Price: $59,000 (base) to $107,000

BMW 328i

As stricter emissions standards kick in, auto manufacturers are downsizing engines, which typically means less power. But the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the new 328i—the first four-cylinder engine to go into a 3-Series since 1999—produces 10 more horses and 55 more pound-feet than the six-cylinder it replaces. That’s 240 horses and 255 pound-feet of torque, enough to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds while achieving 34 mpg on the highway. From $37,395