In Your Garage Today, Collector's Item Tomorrow

Collector car insurer McKeel Hagerty predicts that these current models will be hot auction items in decades to come.

Two-seat sports cars always have some collectible potential. For starters, they're just plain fun.

Saturn Sky

The Saturn Sky and its close cousin the Pontiac Solstice also have the added advantage of significance. Together, they're the first affordable drop-top sports cars to come out of Detroit in a long time.

With prices staring in the low $20,000 range for the base versions and a few thousand more for the more performance-oriented Solstice GXP and Sky Red Line versions, these cars also have an "every-man" affordability that will only add to their appeal.

Smart ForTwo

Official EPA fuel economy estimates aren't available yet but, let's face it, most buyers aren't going to snap up the ForTwo for its high mpg rating. (Its highway fuel economy will likely approach that of the hybrid Toyota Prius.) They're going to buy it because it looks weird. At least it does to Americans.

The tiny ForTwo is, in many ways, an ideal car for unattached city dwellers. It can fit into the half the parking space needed by other cars. With prices starting at less than $12,000, it's also attractively cheap.

It's just odd-looking and impractical enough - it has only enough seating and luggage space for two people on a short trip - that it probably won't swarm American roads. Collectors may someday warm to early Smart models the way they now fawn over early compact cars from the 1960s.

Honda S2000 CR

Fewer than 2,000 "Club Racer" versions of Honda's only true sports car will be built. Priced at about $36,000, the S2000 costs about $2,000 more than the the base version.

For that extra money you get track-tuned suspension, a removable aluminum top and a big rear-wing. Power is supplied by the same 237-horsepower 4-cylinder engine used in the base version.

Cadillac XLR-V

The XLR is Cadillac's answer to the Mercedes-Benz SL. Priced at about $100,000, the performance-tuned XLR-V is powered by a supercharged 443-horsepower, 4.4-liter V8.

Created by the same team of General Motors engineers responsible for the Chevrolet Corvette, the XLR-V leans a bit more toward luxury and style.

Its unique status as a serious Cadillac-badged sports car and its low production numbers mean that the XLR-V will likely attract collector interest in years to come.

Subaru WRX STi

Subaru's little monster has grown up - a little. For its 2008 model year redesign, Subaru did away with the sedan body for the STi. That means no more tall rear wing sticking up from the trunk lid.

The new STi's high-tech suspension provides a smooth ride around town but still hunkers down when the turns get tight. The driver can also control how the car's all-wheel-drive system functions, dialing up more power to the back wheels to enable sliding the rear around in turns.

Chevrolet Corvette ZO6

Soon to become the affordable little brother to the Corvette ZR1, the $71,000 ZO6 still packs plenty of punch. Its 7.0-liter V8 engine can belt out 505 horsepower.

History shows that, if you keep them right, most Corvettes will eventually become collectors items. Some will be worth more than others, though. The ZO6 will surely take its place among the front ranks.

Dodge Charger Super Bee

The Super Bee takes the Dodge Charger SRT8 with its 420-horsepower 6.1-liter V8 and adds special paint, stripes and the return of the helmeted bee that first made its appearance on a version of the 1968 Dodge Coronet.

This time around, the Super Bee offers the practicality of a family car along with the thrill of tire-smoking performance. New fuel-economy regulations could spell at least a temporary hiatus for this kind of excessive power, making cars like this even more sought after by future car collectors.

Audi S5

Relatively affordable - prices start at about $50,000 - the S5 offers impressive performance with all-wheel-drive handling.

Audi's sharp styling, inside and out, will also continue attracting interest after this version passes out of production.

Lotus Exige S

The Exige is definitely not a family-friendly little car. This one's strictly for weekend jaunts on mountain roads and the occasional track attack. It's all about light and agile driving performance.

With prices starting at just under $60,000, the Exige S is, in some sense, a bargain. You won't get a car as exotic in looks and performance for less money. And the Exige's peculiar appearance and purity of purpose are just the sorts of things car collectors love.