You can find a dialed-up performance variant of cars all across the price range; from the accessible Honda Civic Si and Ford Focus ST to the heavy-hitters like BMW M cars, Mercedes AMGs, and beyond. But what cars don't get the factory tuning treatment and desperately deserve it?
I'll nominate the Acura TLX to start. In the past, Honda's luxury line has delivered some fantastic sport near-luxury vehicles like the Integra Type-R, RSX Type-S, and third-generation TL Type-S.
I drive a third-gen TL myself with many of the Type-S's upgrades; factory sway bar, Brembo brakes, a crispy six-speed manual, and performance tires. It's no M5 rival, but it makes an otherwise hum-drum commuter car just spicy enough to fire me up every time I climb inside.
Similar treatment could do wonders for the TLX and probably get most of us to stop complaining about Acura "losing its way." What else makes this list?