In a recent blog I ranked the 10 ugliest new cars available for purchase today. I don't want to be accused of being a "glass half empty" kind of guy, so I'm going to do the same for the 10 best-looking cars currently on the showroom floor. While I found the "ugly" list to be a rather simple endeavor, the "pretty" list proved much more difficult. For starters, I couldn't even decide what to call the list. Sexiest? Prettiest? Most Attractive? I settled on "Best-Looking" because it encompasses a wide range of descriptives and leaves a lot to interpretation.
Another issue is that while most vehicles are just common transportation (Camry, Accord, Malibu, etc.) there are a lot more really good looking cars than really ugly ones. It's kind of like the grade curve in law school - there will be an F and a few Ds, an A and a bunch of Bs, but most of the class is getting Cs. The problem is that there are more B+s than Fs when it comes to car design. Perhaps the biggest problem, however, is that some of the best looking cars belong to lines that in their base form are horrible. Take the Buick LaCrosse - a decked out LaCrosse with the Touring Package is a rather handsome vehicle, but all of the base models look like run-of-the-mill rental cars.
Because there are so many real lookers out there, I've put together an alphabetized "Honorable Mention List" before I get to the Top 10:
- Aston Martin Rapide - I could just say "every Aston Martin" because they pretty much all look alike and are all rather sexy. The Rapide at least is easy to ID by counting the doors - 4 of them.
- Aston Martin Vantage - I love the "baby" Aston. It's cheap (by AM standards) and it's the best driving car they make. It's even faster than the DBS if you get the V-12. I think it looks like a sexy little English muscle car.
- Audi S5 - The very attractive two-door from Audi almost made the top 10. Even though these are quite common, the lines always catch my eye.
- Audi R8 - This is one of those cars that looks a lot better in person than it does on TV or in print. There's a white one in my hood and it really is striking. It also has the advantage of not being confused with anything else.
- BMW 6-Series - In truth, the M6 could probably make the top 10, but all the 6-series are attractive cars. The problem with BMWs though is that they all look alike.
- Chrysler 300 - I really only mean the SRT8 version of Chryslers big cruiser. The base models look like rental cars. The new 300 is stylish in a subtle way.
- Dodge Charger SRT8 - The new Charger styling is extroverted to say the least. I'm sure some will find it gaudy, but I like it.
- Ferrari 458 - Most would be shocked that this car didn't make the list with its space-ship styling. It's a phenomenal car too! There's just something about the tail that doesn't quite work for me though.
- Ferrari FF - I want one! The styling on this one is polarizing, but it's the nose that lets this Maranello machine down to me though. You can't even get on the waiting list for this car, they're all sold already (I still want one though).
- Infiniti M - With the Sport Package, this is the best looking Infiniti ever.
- Jaguar XF - Especially the XFR. All Jaguars are "stylish", but the XF is subtly distinctive.
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG - I love the way EVERY AMG Benz looks, but all SLS are attractive in a unique way. As cool looking as the Gull-Wing doors are on the coupe, the convertible is a more beautiful car.
- Porsche 911 - A lot of people think the 911 is ugly. I say the best sports car in the world for about 50 years now can't be ugly or they would have changed it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
- Volkswagen CC - Although it's nothing but a dressed up Passat, the clothes fit great. I think this is VWs best effort.
Now for the TOP 10:
#10 - Audi A7
All Audi's have gotten more attractive over the last few years, but the new A7 is stunningly good looking. They got rid of one of the best cars that nobody bought, the A6 Avant, and replaced it with this "Sportback". The first thing that catches your eyes is the hatchback, but what really transforms this A6 duckling into an A7 Swan is that it's stretched and flared. It looks equally good coming and going and it's a really good car to boot. You just know they're going to come out with an S7 - that's what I'm waiting for!
#9 - Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
If you don't like the way the newest Range Rover looks, first check your eyesight, then you'd better get used to them because they're going to be everywhere. I have a feeling Land Rover will sell more of the two-door versions than the four-door. I would find this disappointing because I think the four-door is a much better looking vehicle. My wife wants one, and has since we first saw this thing in person at the Houston Auto Show this year. Not all Land Rovers have been historically attractive to me. The LR3, LR4 and even the standard Range Rover are all rather ugly in my opinion. The Evoque, however, is fantastically styled both inside and out. Perhaps because it looks so good, I was expecting it to be a real disappointment of a driver. Everything I've read would indicate otherwise. I'm stalling on test-driving one of these because I'm afraid Branelle is going to like it even more than she thinks she does now and quite frankly, it's a bit overpriced for a small 4-cylinder SUV. The only way to buy Land Rover products is to wait a year or so until the hype wears off and leased models start showing up on the lot for about half the original sticker price with even more warranty than they had when they were new.
#8 - Jaguar XJ
I have to give Jaguar a lot of credit. I can't think of a car that was more radically redesigned than the XJ - and change isn't really Jaguars usual "cup of tea". The new XJ is stunning. It makes a statement and you absolutely can't ignore one if you see it on the street. The front looks like nothing you've seen and the rear looks even more unique. The rather lengthy XJL Supersport would be my choice, but the entire lineup is gorgeous. They didn't just stop on the outside either. The interior has a wrap around concept that is like functional art. I'm seeing more and more of these in my neighborhood and they never get old to look at. Branelle and I spent some time in one this past weekend at a Jaguar event and I have to report that the car is even better looking in person - inside and out - and a nice driver as well.
#7 - Aston Martin DBS
Aston Martin doesn't make an ugly car, but the DBS is probably their most attractive effort. It manages to look elegant and butch at the same time. To the untrained eye, it would be difficult to distinguish the DBS from a DB9, Vantage, or even the new Virage, in spite of the fact that you would have just paid a great deal more for your DBS - around $300K - than you would have for any of the "lesser" Astons. The subtle differences, which really make this car Jessica Biel sexy instead of just Cameron Diaz cute, are its deeper front spoiler, an extra-wide intake for the oil cooler, a larger rear spoiler, flared wheel arches and a wider track. It's hard to say why a DBS looks so much better than a DB9 - it just does.
#6 - Ferrari California
The worst Ferrari is the best looking Ferrari. It's no secret in the Ferrari community that the California isn't exactly regarded as a masterpiece. It's not really the most involving to drive and is really considered by many enthusiasts to be a "chick car" (if that's possible with 454 horsepower). That said, I think it's easily the most attractive Ferrari in the stable with the hard top up or down. The cars lines just work. The nose is pretty, the hard top is seamless, and the tail isn't as bad as some Ferraris. Sometimes Ferrari gets carried away with functional intakes and diffusers, etc., to the detriment of the cars aesthetics - remember the Enzo or the F50? Not here. Perhaps because the California isn't a hyper-performance supercar, its body has survived without the Frankenstein treatment. There are a couple of these in my 'hood' and I never get tired of seeing them.
#5 - Bentley Continental GT
The two-door Bentley has been looking good for nearly a decade now. This year, an even better looking drop top joins the lineup. There's nothing subtle about the Continental. There's a bright red one and a black one in our community, and when I see either at the grocery store they kind of look out of place to me. It's such an attractive car that I feel like it shouldn’t be dirty - almost like art. These things are beasts too with twin-turbo V12s that pump out between 567 and 621 horsepower, depending on configuration, but they don't look like driver's cars to me. I have a feeling if I had one that I'd go out to the garage a lot and just look at it.
#4 - Lamborghini Aventador
I almost didn't put this car on the list…and then I saw one in person. The newest Lambo probably has more "presence" than any car on the road today. It's kind of like seeing the Batmobile in your rear-view mirror. Lamborghini has never been accused of being subtle. The Countach was so gaudy that it was actually sexy and even some of the older models were just as bazaar - I want an old Espada and that's about as weird looking of a car as you'll find. The Aventador is, for one thing, a really big car. It has more angles than a Stealth Fighter - and it's probably about as loud as one too. The carbon-fiber body shell is stunning from every angle. If any car in the world "looks fast" just sitting there, this is it. This is a car that makes a statement - a really big, really fast, really loud one.
#3 - Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG
I have to admit that I'm a bit biased when it comes to the big factory AMG efforts from Mercedes. I've had a few and even when I get away from them for a while I always seem to come back when it's time for a new ride. I've never had a CLS though. The reason is that it's kind of a pointless car. It's basically just a re-bodied E-Class that seats only four due to a center console that runs the length of the car's interior. The S-Class is bigger and even a little faster. The E-Class is as good but a little cheaper. The CL-Class is sportier. Actually, the ONLY reason to buy this car is the way it looks - and that's enough. Mercedes started the whole "four-door coupe" thing with this car, and now some of the best looking and driving cars on the road are basically copies: Audi A7, Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte, etc. The CLS63 is a beast when you drop the hammer and it looks the part, but when it's just sitting there it looks sensuous to me. The aggressive front and the sloping rear end with angles and curves in all the right places. Reizvoll!
#2 - Fisker Karma
I think maybe the only reason the Fisker Karma isn't #1 is because I'm afraid it isn't going to sound good. The reason for that is, and I can't believe I'm saying this, the beautiful Karma is a (gasp) electric car! Forget for a moment what powers the Karma and just look at it. It's absolutely gorgeous! From every angle and in any color, it's an absolute work of art. That's the good news. The great news is that it's not a 100% electric like the useless Nissan Leaf. It's an electric with a range extending gas engine - ala the Chevy Volt. Unlike the Volt, however, this one has claws. It puts out a little over 400 horsepower and 981 lb-ft of torque! The stunning looks derive in part from the fantastic lines of the car, and in part from the stance - it's low, wide, and long. And as good as it looks driving by, the four-place interior is perhaps even more stunning. The guy responsible for this gift to our eyes is Henrik Fisker. I don't know the man, but I'll gladly buy him a drink for finally making "green" sexy!
#1 - Maserati GranTurismo
Unlike the Fisker, my choice for the top spot has no issues with how it sounds. Maserati is back, and in a big way. The Quattroporte is a fantastic looking car, but the GranTurismo is just damn sexy! It may not be a track star like a Ferrari, it may not have the raw power of the AMG Benz's, and it may not "save the planet" like the Fisker, but nothing looks better at the curb than the GT. Nothing sounds better pulling away either - like Barry White eating wasps. You can get this Italian beauty in either coupe or convertible form - there is no wrong choice. I'm not telling you to buy one. Maserati isn't exactly known for building reliable cars and the resale value in America is appalling. That said, if you have the money and want a car with soul that will be the best-looking girl at any party you attend, find a nicely cared for low mileage GranTurismo and take her out.
No comments:
Post a Comment