R&T sorts through the finest factory-fast front-wheel drivers

Damn you, alliteration. Seven factory-tuned front-wheel-drive vehicles rumble in Road & Track's desert showdown. I'll save you time and energy and debilitating headaches: the uncoveted, un-Evo-like Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart finishes last; the slick but powerless Honda HFP Civic Si takes home sixth; Mazda's tossable, understeer-hampered Mazdaspeed Protégé grabs fifth; the genuinely fast but softly-sprung Dodge SRT-4 nestles into fourth; the grippy, torque-free Ford SVT Focus nabs bronze; the very competent but conservative-looking Nissan Nismo Sentra SE-R Spec V S-Tune screeches into second place; and, completely out of nowhere, the Toyota TRD Celica GT-S wins the whole shebang, feeling like a real sports car, with a super-responsive chassis, great gearbox, and cramped interior all included.