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From www.forbes.com by Dan Lienert
Best Cars of 2005
Here are some words we never thought we'd see in a feature about cars: The French are back. With the recent production startup of its $1.2 million Veyron 16.4 sports car, French automaker Bugatti has restored its country's former mystique in the automotive world.
French cars of the 1930s are among the most beautiful and highly prized collector's items in the world. In 1939, a 57C model brought Bugatti its second and final championship in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race (and tragically, in the same year, a 57C killed Jean Bugatti, who was the car's designer and the son of the company's founder, as he was testing it). The 57, like other French cars of the late 1930s, drew heavily on the Art Deco style. The vehicle would be beloved on looks alone but is a landmark in motor sports as well.
Type 57 Bugattis won Le Mans in 1937 and 1939, as French cars ruled the race for a short time. In both 1937 and 1938, the top four spots at Le Mans were won by the legendary French manufacturers Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage and Talbot.
Before the Veyron, cars like the 57C represented the high point of French motoring--and many people never expected France to rise above the level of pedestrian Renaults and Peugeots and return to its former glory. But the Veyron has instantly catapulted the country back to the top of the exotic car market, and we honor it in the following slide show of 2005's best cars.
We have awarded the Veyron the title of "Most Outrageous Car Ever." It receives this honor for several reasons, none more impressive than its combination of price and top speed (over 248 mph).
The "Best Cars" list ranges from the million-dollar supercar to $20,000 minivans. We wanted this to be more than just a roundup of expensive cars (although, being the enthusiasts and dreamers we are, the list does have plenty of hilariously expensive vehicles).
We had wanted to honor one superluxury car (perhaps something from Aston Martin or Rolls-Royce) as the best-selling model of its kind, but difficulties in obtaining sales figures from the most blue-blooded automakers precluded us from doing so. We have, however, granted special distinction to the Lexus RX sport utility vehicle from Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ), which is the best-selling car on the market in the luxury category. (To read about the other best-selling luxury cars for 2005, click here.)
One other category on the list deserves a special explanation. We have awarded the title of "Best Reason To Buy American" to the GT supercar from Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ), despite the presence of the faster and more expensive American SSC Ultimate Aero on the list. We did this because we feel the GT is an instant icon with the potential to inspire not just Ford's entire lineup, but the lineups of all American automakers. (To read more about the Ultimate Aero and the other fastest American cars, click here.)
At the same time, we also want to acknowledge some of the great cars of 2005 that did not make this list--and there were quite a few--although many of them have been featured prominently in these pages in the past. We would also like like to make a special tip of the hat to DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) revived and revved-up Chrysler and Dodge divisions, especially the excellent Chrysler 300C, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger. Kudos also to Cadillac, which, despite parent company General Motors' (nyse: GM - news - people ) current woes, continues to come out with some of the best American luxury cars in recent years, such as the DTS and the STS. We would have liked to include these cars--and others--on our list, but the difference in prices and performance are just too great.
To get a closer look at the most outrageous and the sexiest cars of 2005--as well as the most utilitarian--please follow the link below.
The List:
- New Car That Most Lived Up To The Hype: BMW M5
- Greatest Driver's Car (1): Ferrari F430
- Greatest Driver's Car (2): Aston Martin DB9
- Most Outrageous Car Ever: Bugatti Veyron 16.4
- Best Reason To Buy American: Ford GT
- Best Way To Blend In With Celebrities: Bentley Continental GT
- Best Way To Make Celebrities Jealous: Lamborghini Murciélago
- Fastest Car: SSC Ultimate Aero (this thing is just cool - Blazin)
- All-New But Still The Sub-$40,000 Gold Standard: BMW 3 Series
- The Ultimate Executive Ride: Maybach 62
- Ultimate minivan: Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna (tie) (Highly odd catagory - Blazin)
- Ultimate Pickup: Dodge Ram SRT-10
- Best All-Around Wagon: Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
- Best-Selling Luxury Car: Lexus RX
- Safest Car: Volvo S80
- Best Hybrid: Lexus RX Hybrid
Best Cars of 2005
Here are some words we never thought we'd see in a feature about cars: The French are back. With the recent production startup of its $1.2 million Veyron 16.4 sports car, French automaker Bugatti has restored its country's former mystique in the automotive world.
French cars of the 1930s are among the most beautiful and highly prized collector's items in the world. In 1939, a 57C model brought Bugatti its second and final championship in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race (and tragically, in the same year, a 57C killed Jean Bugatti, who was the car's designer and the son of the company's founder, as he was testing it). The 57, like other French cars of the late 1930s, drew heavily on the Art Deco style. The vehicle would be beloved on looks alone but is a landmark in motor sports as well.
Type 57 Bugattis won Le Mans in 1937 and 1939, as French cars ruled the race for a short time. In both 1937 and 1938, the top four spots at Le Mans were won by the legendary French manufacturers Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage and Talbot.
Before the Veyron, cars like the 57C represented the high point of French motoring--and many people never expected France to rise above the level of pedestrian Renaults and Peugeots and return to its former glory. But the Veyron has instantly catapulted the country back to the top of the exotic car market, and we honor it in the following slide show of 2005's best cars.
We have awarded the Veyron the title of "Most Outrageous Car Ever." It receives this honor for several reasons, none more impressive than its combination of price and top speed (over 248 mph).
The "Best Cars" list ranges from the million-dollar supercar to $20,000 minivans. We wanted this to be more than just a roundup of expensive cars (although, being the enthusiasts and dreamers we are, the list does have plenty of hilariously expensive vehicles).
We had wanted to honor one superluxury car (perhaps something from Aston Martin or Rolls-Royce) as the best-selling model of its kind, but difficulties in obtaining sales figures from the most blue-blooded automakers precluded us from doing so. We have, however, granted special distinction to the Lexus RX sport utility vehicle from Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ), which is the best-selling car on the market in the luxury category. (To read about the other best-selling luxury cars for 2005, click here.)
One other category on the list deserves a special explanation. We have awarded the title of "Best Reason To Buy American" to the GT supercar from Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ), despite the presence of the faster and more expensive American SSC Ultimate Aero on the list. We did this because we feel the GT is an instant icon with the potential to inspire not just Ford's entire lineup, but the lineups of all American automakers. (To read more about the Ultimate Aero and the other fastest American cars, click here.)
At the same time, we also want to acknowledge some of the great cars of 2005 that did not make this list--and there were quite a few--although many of them have been featured prominently in these pages in the past. We would also like like to make a special tip of the hat to DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) revived and revved-up Chrysler and Dodge divisions, especially the excellent Chrysler 300C, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger. Kudos also to Cadillac, which, despite parent company General Motors' (nyse: GM - news - people ) current woes, continues to come out with some of the best American luxury cars in recent years, such as the DTS and the STS. We would have liked to include these cars--and others--on our list, but the difference in prices and performance are just too great.
To get a closer look at the most outrageous and the sexiest cars of 2005--as well as the most utilitarian--please follow the link below.
The List:
- New Car That Most Lived Up To The Hype: BMW M5
- Greatest Driver's Car (1): Ferrari F430
- Greatest Driver's Car (2): Aston Martin DB9
- Most Outrageous Car Ever: Bugatti Veyron 16.4
- Best Reason To Buy American: Ford GT
- Best Way To Blend In With Celebrities: Bentley Continental GT
- Best Way To Make Celebrities Jealous: Lamborghini Murciélago
- Fastest Car: SSC Ultimate Aero (this thing is just cool - Blazin)
- All-New But Still The Sub-$40,000 Gold Standard: BMW 3 Series
- The Ultimate Executive Ride: Maybach 62
- Ultimate minivan: Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna (tie) (Highly odd catagory - Blazin)
- Ultimate Pickup: Dodge Ram SRT-10
- Best All-Around Wagon: Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
- Best-Selling Luxury Car: Lexus RX
- Safest Car: Volvo S80
- Best Hybrid: Lexus RX Hybrid
) I would change the following: (note: only my opinion)
