December 8, 2016

Top Cars of 2016

2016 was a great year for cars. Whether you love a hot hatch or a hyper car, this year has had something for you. We count down the best cars of the year.
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2016 was a great year for petrol heads. Whether you love a hot hatch or the latest hair-raising hyper car, this year has had something for you. Over the past twelve months we’ve seen reveals at motor shows in Paris, L.A., New York and other places across the globe. So we’ve gathered together the best cars of 2016 from all over the world!

Abarth 124 Spider

A suped up Fiat 124, the Abarth 124 Spider is like an Mx-5, only noisier! Does it have faults? Sure. Gear changes are a little heavy and it comes off a little crude in its drive, but it sure is fun. If you’re looking for an MX-5 experience that’s a little less “hairdresser”, this is it.

Aston Martin Vulcan

Given that only 24 of these have been made, you’re unlikely to ever see one, but Aston Martin’s answer to the McLaren P1 is a force of nature. Drive it into a circular tunnel and you can drive it upside down. This is because with 820bhp and a top speed in excess of 190mph, the Vulcan produces more kilos of downforce than it weighs. This is also thanks to that massive rear wing that allows you to make the most of every drop of this monstrous power and experience an addictive and extraordinary track car.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Revealed back in 2015, the Giulia marks a re-birth for Alfa Romeo. Stylish to a fault, this 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol saloon is as exciting to drive as it is to look at. Truly, a thing of beauty.

BMW M2

The M2 is a proper driver’s car and the best M car, BMW has ever made. The new M2 has a turbocharged 3-litre straight six with 360bhp, mated to a manual gearbox as standard. 0-62mph is gone in just 4.5 seconds all the way up to its limited top speed of 155mph.

Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta

It’s a topless LaFerrari. This makes it better because it offers the same straight-line performance as the coupe, while making the most of that Riviera sunshine. The 6.3-litre V12 engine produces 950bhp, with 0-62 vanishing in just three seconds. On top of all this, it’s a hybrid Ferrari, making it the sexiest tree hugger imaginable.

Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe

The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato is one of those rare gems: a concept car made real. It’s identical, down to the extraordinary exterior design and tuned up V12 engine. It produces 592bph, up from 568 of the Vanquish and carries the carbon fibre body from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds.

Mercedes-AMG GT R

The Mercedes-AMG GT R is lighter, faster, and more mental than the GT S. A barely street legal racing car, this machine was born for the track. Clever electrical magic wrangles the 577 fevered horses into a lightweight body that leaves 62mph in the dust from zero in 3.6 seconds all the way up to 198mph. This blistering speed is kept in check not just by that clever electronic diff, but an epic four-wheel steering system. This gives you stability at break-neck speeds and makes this mean, green machine one of the best cars of the year.

Honda NSX

Featuring 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo that produces 500bhp, this clever hybrid uses the electric motor to fill in power while the turbos spool up – goodbye turbo lag! The hybrid extras do add to the weight, but the NSX carries it stylishly, with bold lines pulled straight from the draftsman’s concepts crafted from aluminium. While complex under the hood, all you need to do is choose from Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track drive modes to suit and settle in for some pin-point pleasure.

Bugatti Chiron

It costs £1.9m. It has four turbos. It has 1,479bhp, and it has a limited top speed of 261mph. This car is all about its BIG numbers. Whether it’s the catalytic converters that are six times bigger than those on a Mondeo, or the cooling system that moves 60,000 litres of air every minute, you can’t not be awed by this marvel of engineering. Everything on this car is big and, thanks to some specially designed Michelin tyres, it’s aiming to exceed the huge speed of 270mph and break the world record… again.

These are our top cars for 2016. Do you agree? Which was your top car of 2016? Let us know on our Facebook page.