Mid-Size/Econo-Luxury Car

2011 Kia Optima EX

Shocker here, I know. Even if there were any other cars in this category, I think the Optima would still have won, it’s that good. I’ve recommended this car to everyone I’ve come across looking for a great luxury car under 30,000 dollars. Our car was only $27,440, and in EX trim with heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, as well as cooled front seats, too. Oh, and it had navigation, panoramic sunroof, and a backup camera. It’s just so damn good, I swear.

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Sports Car

Runner-up:

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Plain and simple, if we didn’t rank this as one of the best sports cars of our year, we’d be nuts. So here ya go.

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The Winner!

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

under $40,000 with 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 times in under 4.5 seconds, enough machismo to do crazy burnouts, and then punch a BMW M3 in the face on the race track, it’s our winner.

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Utility Vehicle/Truck

Runner-up:

2011 Ford F-150 King Ranch

Seriously one of the most luxurious, coolest, and biggest trucks on the road today. Drive this anywhere, and everyone’ll know you’re better than them, and can run them over.

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The Winner!

2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD

With style, substance, comfort, navigation, backup camera, heated and cooled front seats, all-wheel drive with a locking differential, the Kia Sportage is a great vehicle. I’d recommend the new turbocharged motor since the standard 2.4-liter 170-horse, 163 lb-ft of torque doesn’t quite have what it takes to get you out of the way.

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Gas Saver/Economy Car

Runner-up:

2011 Mazda2

So it’s a tad more expensive than the Toyota Yaris, less powerful, fewer miles to the gallon, but it’s much more fun to drive. The 2 is also a great little hatch to buy for anyone you love. Safe to drive, but more than that, the gearbox and clutch are perfect.

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The Winner!

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport

$20,580 with 32 mpg between city and highway, it’s an obvious winner. It’s the car I’m trying to convince my parents to buy my 16 year old niece as her first car. ‘Nuff said. Sporty, frugal, and great looking. It’s our winner, beating the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius.

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Premium Luxury Car

Runner-up:

2011 Porsche Panamera V6

Our test car was $82,190, which makes it better than pretty much any car in its class with the amount of luxury, interesting style, and amazing double-clutch gearbox. Also, 500+ miles to a tank of gas is fun, but filling up 26.4 gallons is not. With how much fun it was, even with a V6, it would have been the best luxury car to buy…

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The Winner!

2012 Audi A7

Except for the fact that the Audi A7 with more options was only $69,630. So, uh, yeah. Congratulations to Audi for getting another car of the year award for the A7.

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What a hell of a year it’s been, right? Protests on Wall Street, riots and middle east uprisings, tsunamis, earthquakes, crazy tornado season, Osama bin Laden was killed, Steve Jobs died, and a U.S. Senator tweeted his wiener (no pun intended). There was so much more news, but not much of it would pertain to cars.

However, 2011 was the year of car reviews for RawAutos. We had 18 total car reviews, 17 of them being brand new cars (the other was my personal 2009 BMW M3 in the comparison test with the 2011 Ford Mustang GT). Think of this as a sort of RawAutos Cars of the Year Awards, the ones we’ve personally reviewed.

2012 can only prove to be better, but until then, we need your help picking the very best cars in each segment for our 2011 year in reviews. Below you’ll find the full list of categories for which the cars can win. Feel free to click on the name of each car to check out the review, or just scroll through the browser images for each one.

Premium Luxury Car

2011 Porsche Panamera V6

What we said:

The Good: Charming dynamics; you’d never know it wasn’t a V8 from inside or out; performance is better than a V6 should be.

The Bad: Navigation can be a little awkward to figure out and work; not so hot soundtrack from out back; pricey options list; rear visibility not so great; don’t buy the V6 if you really want a four door 911.

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2011 Audi A4 2.0T

What we said:

The Good: Safer feeling than any other car in its class; top notch knee bolsters; 8-speed automatic allows for good fuel economy; perfectly sized trunk; Styling is killer

The Bad: 8-speed automatic not as well suited for sportier driving; seats have very limited side bolsters; non-attractive colors used for infotainment screen; steering wheel is BIG

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2012 Audi A7

What we said:

The Good: Sexy styling coupled with a fun character; Similarly optioned cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz can be a teacher’s salary more; iPhone levels of technology and ability.

The Bad: Somewhat stiff ride with the bigger wheels and tires; A decent amount of road noise; Google Earth nav showed fewer points of interest than Google Maps on my iPhone; The 3.0 T badge is annoying when there’s a supercharged badge on the sides.

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Mid-Size/Econo-Luxury Car

2011 Kia Optima EX

What we said:

At the end of the day, is the new for 2011 Kia Optima going to steal buyers away from Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz? No, not quite. Not yet, at least. But it will make the people going to buy an Acura at $30,000+, or the Hyundai Sonata within the $20-35,000 price areas think twice. But the most likely hurt is the pile-driver it may put on the Honda Accord. The Honda Accord is, and should be, the direct competition to this car. I have no doubts that the Kia Optima will only move up the ladder from there to become the best that Asia has to offer for less than $30,000 worth of elegant sportiness.

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Sports Car

2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

What we said:

And there you have it, the car that easily takes the cake, at this price range. Let’s be honest, had the Mustang GT been closer to 50 grand, it would have been a bigger dog fight between it and the M3. But let’s get one thing straight, Ford made one hell of a sports coupe. The Sync and Mach 1 sound system are fantastic, as is the ability to stream music from my iPhone via Bluetooth for way less than $40,000, a feature no 2008-2010 M3 has. The seats are terrible, though. As comfy as they are, they’re nowhere near as hold-you-in-place bolstered as my 2008 Bullitt Mustang’s were. I will say, too, get some xenons if you’re ordering the Mustang GT, because the stock halogens aren’t too great on back roads at night.

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2011 Chevrolet Corvette

What we said:

While some may sit there and think, “Why is the only sports car coming in last?” Well, in short, because it’s not versatile enough. There’s no breakup between the hatch and the cab, and I know first hand of what it’s like to have something come flying forward at you when you make a panic stop in a Corvette. That’s not to say it isn’t a good every day car, because it certainly is. With great gas mileage, comfortable seating, and easy to use everything, the Chevrolet Corvette is no pile o’ junk. However, give me a 2012 with the new interior updates (better seats and steering wheel) and we’ll see how this test plays out then…

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

What we said:

Yes, the SLS AMG coupe was and still is a thrilling space ship landed on Earth. But it’s clear that the real SLS AMG to lust after and loathe is this remarkably sexy roadster.

But it’s not only a Côte d’Azur fun show here; the SLS Roadster gets around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:43 according to director of engine development at AMG Friedrich Eichler. The coupe can do it in 7:36 officially, so the roadster doesn’t just fall apart into a wet noodle for want of a solid roof and adding 88 pounds of curb weight. Even though the actual structural weight added to the space frame aluminum chassis is only 4.5 lbs, the stiffness suffers only minimally when I start hammering it through the many famous curves of these coastal roads. I was definitely prepared for the infuriating waggle of the frame I always hated on the SLR McLaren Roadster. But it honestly doesn’t happen here. There is just a bit of give in the structure here and there, but nowhere near what happens on an SLR or Aston DBS Volante.

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2011 Mazda Miata SE

What we said:

All-in-all, I had a blast with the Mazda Miata Special Edition for a whole week. I had no issues with the people looking at me a little awkwardly as I had a creepy grin on my face, having just come from either a tight cornering exit-ramp, or a long b-road. My money’s on you having a great time, too, my friends. If you’re a man and are skeptical, just go drive one and see how much you love it. Ladies, uh, well we all know what you think already. So for $31,720, the Special Edition is worth the added 225 bucks for the shiny colors and beautiful interior color. I’m not sure if any are still available, so I’ll say that you should go out and buy A Mazda Miata. Thanks to Mazda for “Staying With the Stick” and continuing to give us these great sports cars the way we want them.

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2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe

What we said:

The Good: The Mini Coupe is just plain fun; 29.3 mpg average is quite good after a couple hours on the track, hard mountain, and speedy highway driving; Rear hatch has more room than you’d think.

The Bad: At $32,400 the Mini Coupe is a bit steep for just two seats with a harsher suspension and the same amount of power; Some really don’t like the styling; Could be a little more track focused.

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Utility Vehicle/Truck

2011 Ford F-150 King Ranch

What we said:

The Good: Big, manly and sturdy; Brakes that could stop the Earth’s rotation; Power that could get it spinning again; Comfortable cabin with limo rear seating; Optional 6.5-ft bed and side bed steps make this truck more usable every day.

The Bad: 16 mpg average; Isn’t what you’re always looking for these days, in terms of size; Is a truck that can drive over slower cars a bad thing?

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2011 Kia Sorento EX AWD

What we said:

So there you have it. The 2011 Kia Sorento is actually better than its competition from Honda. Sure the interior could be a little nicer without so many plastics, but for a price of $34,925, it’s very comfortable and well suited for almost any job. But while the Sorento beats out the Honda, it’s still second to the Mazda CX-9 who is the king of this market.

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2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD

What we said:

So while certain things of the car aren’t perfect, for the as-tested price of $29,990, it’s a pretty good deal for what you do get in terms of style, options and interesting features. Something that really is great at this price point is hill assist/descent, as well as a center-locking differential.

While the 2011 Kia Sportage may not be the best value for your dollar now compared to its competitors, keep in mind that ALG, a company specializing in analyzing automotive data and determining residual values has placed the new Sportage at 61% for a three year lease. That’s up where Hondas usually are…

So how good is the new Sportage? I’ll have to give it a 3 out of 5. It’s good enough to work for most people, but not quite enough to be the right tool for each job.

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Gas Saver/Economy Car

2012 Chevrolet Volt

What we said:

In the end, I came away very impressed with how the Chevy Volt drives, acts, and the innovation of having gas, mixed with lithium ion batteries, and plug-in capabilities. GM seems to have it all covered, except for the fact that I think this is just slightly better than a good enough product. It’s good, but it’s not great, nor is it the answer, I don’t think. The answer, for me, lay in the future GM vehicles that will take advantage of the current car’s concept of the future. Is it a bad car? By no means. Yet if the Volt, or any other PHEV is to succeed, we need more battery power. I’ve been told that the Chevy Volt uses roughly 60% of its full battery power to increase the overall battery life of the car due to charging. See, each time you charge a battery, you’re actually depleting its abilities over time. This is why I believe Chevrolet need to get government assistance to replenish or replace each Volt’s battery after about 3-5 years under a factory warranty to each owner. This way, it’ll always benefit from proper technology.

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2011 Toyota Prius

What we said:

Conclusion: The Prius is a mass-produced masterpiece, and in the world of hybrids, it is king. However, if I was in the market for a mid-$20k 5-door, I would never buy a Toyota Prius or a Honda Insight… I would buy the Audi A3 because I (and likely you, a car blog reader) am not the Prius’ target buyer. The Prius and Insight are devoid of performance, solely existing to be ecologically and economically responsible and, as a result, take the fun out of driving. In fact, while I was taking pictures of the Toyota Prius, I was quite distracted by a beautiful Porsche 911 Targa that drove by. When a car company produces a reasonably priced, quick, fun-to-drive, practical hybrid with Prius-like mpg stats, only then I’ll be interested. And a 20 mpg Escalade Hybrid doesn’t count. But for non-car enthusiasts, the Prius (and for those on a tighter budget, the Insight) is the perfect choice – fuel economy, an eco-friendly image, cargo space, and all the standard creature comforts.

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Toyota Prius 2010

2011 Mazda2

What we said:

With the 5-speed manual transmission, this car is a blast to drive, though. Say what you want about its gas mileage and looks, but for what it lacks, it makes up for with sheer driving pleasure. It’s amazing, because I found myself driving the Mazda2 to the end of the earth just for the hell of it, for no better reason than to just row the gears of this baby BMW. And when I say baby BMW, I don’t mean it’s a competitor to the German car maker. No, I mean it’s the car every automaker can take a page from. The Mazda2 is a front-wheel drive master. It doesn’t act like your typical front-driver. And while it may not be as wallet loving as the Toyota Yaris, it at least makes sense to your heart. It’s not as roomy and class leading as the Honda Fit, but it does sport, luxury and spaciousness fantastically well. If BMW or any other car company wants to make FWD mpg cars, they might as well just buy a Mazda2 and slap their badge on it. If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em. This car is so solid, it’s easier to drive at highway speeds than my ’05 MINI Cooper S. At 80 or so mph, the Mazda2 feels as if it’s right at home. Sure, you know you’re going faster, but the car never really feels overloaded at speed.

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2011 Kia Forte SX 5-Door

What we said:

The Good: The style of an Audi from Kia, again; Features and amenities will never have you second guess why you spent $23,640 on this car; This is a new Kia for a new customer; Tons of fun to drive around country roads.

The Bad: Kia is still questioned by some; I was asked many times, “This is really a Kia?”; Spirited driving has you falling out of your seat; Spirited driving hijacks your wallet at the pump; Awkward seating positions; Gas mileage isn’t the best and could use some work.

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport

What we said:

The Good: Bold, sexy styling worthy of awards; Drives like a sports car with a good trunk and an extra set of doors; Dude, it’s 20-grand and gets 32 mpg!

The Bad: With tech savvy Sync, computer geeks will enjoy the ease of use; But non-tech savvy will need to fiddle a bit; Needs more rear legroom and nicer interior materials; Needs a bit more power and torque to feel less sluggish.

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Also, for the first time ever, I’ll be showcasing the best and worst awards of the 2009 year, the best green cars of the year, and also a list made out by you, the reader, on what were the best and worst things of the year. They can range from automotive bailouts, to gas prices, and even to President Obama taking government control of General Motors. Whatever you want. This is your awards ceremony.

So, hey, get your google fingers ready, your old car magazines out, and start filling out your top cars of the year. Remember to send them to me in order for your voice to be heard.

josh@rawautos.com

There are 27 cars this year, so the numbering will be from 1-27; one being the best, of course. One way that I’ve found it easiest, is to break it down with your top 10 first, your top 15 after that, and then finish out the numbering. It certainly won’t be easy to vote, especially with the various surprises I have set up for this year.

P.S. If you don’t see a car on the list that you want to add on, feel free to add it and number it. I just have to make the final approval of it whenever you send me your list. Some friends of mine have already put cars on the list that would never see the light of day on RawAutos CotY Awards. Also, major production vehicles only, folks. Not the new Ariel Atom, or anything of that sort. It’s not a car that too many people can really get a hold of.

In alphabetical order:

Audi R8 5.2 V10

Audi S4

Audi TTS

BMW 5-Series GT

BMW 7-Series

BMW X5 M

BMW X6 M

BMW Z4

Chevrolet Camaro

Ferrari 16 M Spider

Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford Mustang/GT500

Ford Taurus SHO

Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Jaguar XF-R

Lamborghini LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

Lamborghini LP670-4 Super Veloce

Lexus LF-A

Mazda Mazdaspeed 3

Mazda Miata

Mercedes-Benz E-Class/E63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Nissan 370Z

Porsche 911 GT3/GT3 RS

Porsche Panamera

Volkswagen GTI

I have a few surprises set for you guys tomorrow and Tuesday. There will be a lot of new from BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, GM, Ford, and the likes. So stay tuned to RawAutos for all of your real auto show wants and needs.

-Josh

“Happy Motoring!”

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally upon us! 2008 has been a monumental year for so many good and bad reasons. It was a year that saw a number of firsts. Our nation’s first African-American President was voted into office. Global warming is supposedly causing record cooling spells now, too. And Jeremy Clarkson voted a Corvette as Top Gear’s 2008 Car of the Year. It’s also been a year of downturns. The economy has been dropping so fast that it made the rise in gas prices seem cheap. We did, however, get a decent reprieve in our monthly gas bills. But, auto sales in 2008 tanked so bad that even car salesman were using food stamps.

To start us off, I’ll just tell you that only the top 15 cars get their pictures and possible vidoes added into the mix. But, before I give you those, I’ll share with you the bottom cars on the list… The ones that didn’t make it.

25: Bentley Continental GT Speed- “A boat with no regard for the performance it claims.” Yikes! That’s saying that Bentley isn’t an exotic race car company. Keep the power out of something with no proper way of handling it, was a high theme. I’ve talked to people who have driven this car all out, and they all say the same thing. It carries amazing speed and actually handles for a car weighing more than 5,000lbs. They loved it, why can’t you?

24: Bentley Brooklands- “AMAZING POWER. But why do I want that in a luxury coupe cruiser sort of thing?”, said one reader. I don’t know if I agree… But, I understand. I personally like that the Bentley has 774lb-ft of earth peeling torque, and available from just 3,250 RPM. I like doing burnouts in my half million dollar boat with wheels.

23: Dodge Challenger- The muscle era is back. But, unlike the baby boomers that drove this car in the 60′s and 70′s, it’s not on a weight watchers, or some other sort of diet program. That cost it any sort of title shot for 2008. Too expensive, too much weight, not enough European style performance, seemed to be the main theme of the votes. Ouch… Seems like the, supposedly, fat old Americans are tired of getting beat by the Euro snobs afterall. Also, you have to pay $695 for a 6-spd manual transmission. What is this world coming to?

22: Tesla Roadster- Fast econo car. That’s what most people called it. But, even though it saves the environment, and shows you how many terrorists you aren’t supporting with its neat digital showing of how much gas you haven’t used and wasted money on, it was too expensive and not too incredible. Some people cited the Top Gear test drive of the Tesla for reasons why it’s not worth $100,000+. That’s if you can even get one.

21: Jaguar XF- The Aston Martin flavor and flare to this Jaguar wasn’t enough for people to get all excited like others did in Europe. Maybe once the XF-R debuts, it will have a better chance next year? Cool interior workings, but too much gadgetry to make America happy.

20: Lexus IS-F- Toyota’s first performance car in ages didn’t have the luster to pull off a top-15 choice picking. The main reason was, too much refinement with not enough performance value. Who exactly wants an 8-speed automatic gearbox in their BMW M3 fighter? I don’t, and obviously it showed that you didn’t either. Traditional manual as an option, or bust. This one went bust…

19: Mercedes-Benz SL550/SL63 AMG/SL600/SL65 AMG- Even though Mercedes-Benz has seriously upgraded its new SL, it still hasn’t done enough. While it’s been made into more of a driver’s car, it’s still not a BMW, Audi or Porsche contender. With the SL550, alone, weighing 4,220lbs, and only going up from there for the AMG models, that’s just too much weight.

18: Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series- Not enough sport, but too much in some cases. Odd, I really love this car. And I expected it to rate better. But, it still has that old AMG auto-manual that wasn’t very impressive, it costs lots of money to purchase and maintain this car, as well. But, you would be most likely the only person in and around town to have one… Radical design, but not enough radical performance.

17: Maserati Gran Turismo/Gran Turismo S-The everyday man’s Ferrari. The engines are sourced from Ferrari, the build quality is finally up to snuff, and there’s a price tag that isn’t too bad on the eyes. All-in-all, you could have a GTS for about $130,000. It has the same performance as an SL63 AMG, looks better, and has four decent seats. Also, it’s Italian. But, it’s still a heavy sports car with too many ammenities. No manual, also. These are the two biggest complaints the voters had. Take note everyone, the people still want a manual over an auto-paddle-crap gearbox!

16: Ford Bullitt Mustang- Most of the popularity of RawAutos was built around this car. The hype that surrounded the Bullitt, and the even bigger event of me buying one, made this site twice as popular as it was. Thanks for that! But, unfortunately, and I have to agree, it’s not Car of the Year winning material. While I would have liked it to be in the top-15, it wasn’t. And I understand. I do still love my car. I love what it is, I love what it isn’t and I especially love what it represents. Oh, and I love the fact that the Bullitt was built to demolish the GT500 on the road courses. It succeeded.

Now, finally, I give you the real winners. These are the cars that you voted to be the best 15 of the 26 cars I asked you to number. I’m still shocked at some of these numberings. Here goes:

15: Porsche 911- Can you believe it? I hardly can. an update to the 997 model 911 is pretty all this is. Sure, you’ve got better suspension, brakes, interior, more engine power, better economy, the new PDK transmission. Some people even say that the new PDK tranny is the way of the future. Whether that’s true, I’ve yet to find out. But, I just need to know one thing, Why would you have the buttons where they are on the steering wheel? Weird. But let’s face it, it’s just a 911 update, not the 998… But, it was number 15 in your hearts, and God bless ya! It just goes to show that just a simple refresh still makes Porsche one of the baddest cars for any money on the planet.

14: Pontiac G8- Technically, this car should be #1, if you think about it. Okay, let’s take this slow before you cut my manhood off for such a comment; each one of the cars on this list, save the Tesla, X6 and IS-F, are spin-offs of other cars, previous or current models just with better performance. This was the car that came onto the scene and challenged the BMW 5-Series. Granted, I think that the advertising was a bit out of its league, you still have to applaud Pontiac for truely going after a big name like BMW with a brand new car that’s never been heard of. Many people bought the car just for that reason. Now, Pontiac did have a few misguided sentences in their ads against the 5er, but hey… It did the job, didn’t it? I test drove the G8 GT while I was in Chicago months back, and I quite liked it. A lot, in fact. My only gripe was that I wanted a manual. But other than that, the car rode and drove well. Lots of power, coupled with good amounts of luxury for a car costing 30-grand, not bad in my book. 361hp and 385lb-ft of torque give this baby a 5.2s 0-60. I can dig it.

13: Nissan GT-R- I’m still really surprised that the GT-R didn’t win. “I’d rather not have a 350Z interior in my 80,000 supercar”, said one angry voter. “The best car ever made! What other car is as fast for as cheap?!”, said an enthusiastic reader. However, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it. There are still quiet reports that engineers inside Nissan say the 7:29s Nürburgring was staged with a more powerful GT-R. Then there was the gearbox woes. As soon as you turned off VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), you could lose your gearbox. The owner’s manual says that you’re not supposed to turn VDC off in order to use launch control, even though you can’t use it without disabling the system. So, basically, you’re not supposed to use a button that’s there for you to use. One driver found this out the hard way when he overused the launch control and fried his tranny, which Nissan wouldn’t fix under the factory warranty. That’s a $20,000 bill he had to incur on his own. This didn’t help with popularity. But, GT-R owners have still be faithful. Still, though, this car has roughly 520hp from a 3.8L Twin-TurboV6 and an all-wheel drive system that all helps it do 3.3s to 60. That’s amazing! Especially since the GT-R weighs over 3800lbs. That’s not exactly supercar weight. Also, the GT-R costs under $80,000. That’s extremely impressive. So, this car carries Porsche 911 Turbo performance, Corvette Z06 pricing, and the ability to, supposedly, school a GT2 around the ‘Ring? Hmm… Sounds like a 50/50 of scandal vs. perfection to me. All this coupled with the PS3 style navigation system that doubles as a digital readout for any piece of performance information you need to know about your car. You need to know what lateral g’s you were just carrying? It’s there… You need to know exactly what your engine is doing right now? It’s there, too. It has it all right there at your fingertips to see. Behold, the exotic car of the future!

12: Aston Martin DBS- Would anyone really question why the most beautiful car in the world made the top-15? I doubt it! It is, afterall, the Bond car of choice. It’s my favorite James Bond car, and I’m a lifetime fan of the series. The 6.0L V12 with 510hp and 420lb-ft of torque is a little underpowered to go against its main rival from Italy, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, but it’s got a certain elegance the Ferrari can’t have. As much as I don’t like saying that the 599 has less elegance, it’s true. The DBS originally only came in 6-spd manual, but now is offered in Aston’s Touchtronic automatic. A 4.1s 0-60 isn’t too shabby for a car that weighs over 3,700lbs. It’ll also do over 190mph flat out. Like the Ferrari, it comes with carbon ceramic brakes, and a limited-slip differential. It deserves this spot. It’s one of the best looking and best going cars in the world at any price. Even if it is almost $300,000… Sure, it could use another 100hp and 100lb-ft of torque, but it still does alright. And it’s much more limited.

11: BMW X6- It’s the car that shaped a world that no one even knew was out there. It’s a four-passenger SAC, or Sports Activity Coupe. And where BMW comes up with these ideas and names, I have no clue… But nonetheless, it was a different step forward, even by BMW’s standards. The X6, however, proved to defy all odds. It handles like a sports car, has room for you, three friends, your luggage, and will still ride down the highway in luxury, sportiness and style. BMW’s X6 comes in two flavors, xDrive35i or xDrive50i. The 35i comes with the standard 3 liter twin-turbo Inline-6 with 300hp and 300lb-ft of torque. The latter, the 50i, comes with a brand new V8 that also powers the new 2009 750, and also rumored to power the 2012 M5. It is a 4.4L twin-turbo unit pushing 400hp and 450lb-ft of torque. One reader says, “I love the fact that I can have a medium sized SUV that carries just enough stuff that I want to carry, I can drive to the track, do a few laps, then go home in more style than the rest of the guys.” I don’t think I could have put it better myself… Thanks, Charles for the words of wisdom. Don’t think of the X6 as just some show and no go truck thing. It does a 0-60 in 6.2s for the xDrive35i and 4.8s for the 50i. That’s really impressive, especially since they weight 4,894 and 5,269 pounds, respectively. They can also properly tow 6,000lbs.

10: Ferrari California- It’s a Ferrari with more class than it ought to. The first, true, twin-clutch F1 gearbox from Ferrari goes into the California. That’s supposed to help this, mainly, GT style convertible to get to 60 in about 3.8s and will be flat out at 193mph at the end of the rev range. Still incredibly fast! With styling cues that date back to the original California Spiders of the 50′s and 60′s. A hard-top convertible dons the new Ferrari. It’s a first ever for them, too. And, as many road tests have gone, it holds up really well to the SL series. “It’s one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen! It takes to the road the way it did back in its original days.”. “What a remarkable car. If I had the $300,000 to throw my name on the waiting list, I’d do it tomorrow…”. “It’s quite possibly the ugliest, but still most interesting Ferrari I’ve seen in modern times. It seems that Ferrari is taking a page out of BMW’s design book.” Those are just a few quotes from some interesting readers. the front-mid-engine 4.3L V8 setup produces 453hp and 457lb-ft of torque. It’ll make mince meat of anything that tries to come after it.

9: BMW 135i- When I drove the 135 I couldn’t stop saying that it was the best BMW on sale today, and that it was like a baby ///M car. It really is. And everyone else pretty much agrees. Just look at the picture. Look what’s sitting in front of it. If you’ve driven the M3 and the 135i, you’ll most likely agree with me that it would be a hard decision on which one you’d rather have. Now, I know that you’re saying an M3 is an M3 and a 135 isn’t. You’re right. To an extent. The 135i was made for the hardcore BMW enthusiast. The one who knows what a 2002tii is. The enthusiast who has driven many BMWs, loves them all, but still always yearns for more. That’s what the 135 is. It’s the BMW that gave us something more to talk about, and dream about. Where the 3-Series was good, the 1-Series is better. The 3-Series has grown in weight, classiness, technology and the likes. The 135i takes more of a classic BMW approach; less is more. I had one reader say, “I’ve driven the new M3 and the new 135i BMWs. I was impressed with the M3, more so than most cars I’ve ever driven. But the 135 had a different feeling about it. It took all of the M3′s abilities and bottled them up into a pocket rocket.” I couldn’t have said it better myself…

Click here to view the embedded video.

8: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione- It’s the car that brings Alfa back stateside after over a decade. Quite possibly the most beautiful car of all time, or the ugliest. I’ve heard it go either way. With it’s Ferrari supplied and Maserati massaged 4.7L 450hp V8, Maserati made and tuned suspension, how could it go wrong? The car is actually made in a Maser factory right alongside the Gran Turismo. It also comes standard with a Ferrari F-1 transmission. No other tranny is optional, though. That’s the biggest downfall according to most readers. But, it’s still pretty quick. Jeremy Clarkson loved it on Top Gear. Just look at it. Could you expect it to not drive like a masterpiece? It’s one of the closest things to a piece of art I’ve ever seen. In fact, this car is just so perfect, I can just post some picture above this writing. I’m posting the Top Gear video of it. It’s just breathtaking. I don’t get how it didn’t win… Still, with its 10 mile long list of perfection is a list, short, but still a list, of imperfections. No manual transmission, only 500 will be made, with 84 coming to America. All of them are spoken for. Worst of all, it has Maserati suspension… That’s the list of suck. Still, even if it’s crap to drive, at least you can just sit and look at it. $240,000 dollars could buy you a much funner car…

7: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG- If this thing had a manual, I may just take it over the M3… Yes, I, the proposed BMW “fanboy”, said it. If you’ve driven one, you’ll never fault me. It drives phenomenally! I’ve never driven a car that will spin the tires at 50 mph upon stomping on the gas with the traction control still engaged. It’s got Mercedes-Benz luxury and comfort with M3 performance. Too bad it’s not quite as driver oriented as the M3. But, just great, it was. There is one huge fault, its gearbox is awful! The most dismal thing I’ve ever had the displeasure of driving. But, even though the automatic gearbox is slower to downshift than a fat kid running after the football when prompted, it was still seductively fun. I could have gotten myself in lots of trouble, so I decided to tone it down. The chassis and suspension are really nice, too. The car rides really well, goes very fast and feels nothing less than a rocket ship. Mercedes, you’ve made a winner with the C63. Now, do us all one favor… Either add a proper manual gearbox, or get some flappy paddles that actually work for this car’s speed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

6: Ferrari F430 Scuderia- All of the F1 technology for you to enjoy on the road. This is the car that you want if you want the ultimate Ferrari for the road and track; that’s if people actually would put their Ferrari on a racetrack… I’m thinking not highly likely. But still, if you want a car that has the latest and greatest Formula 1 abilities for the road, this is the one for you! It’ll hit 60 in 3.2-seconds; the same time for the Ferrari Enzo… It reportedly laps Ferrari’s Fiorano Test Circuit in 1:23.9. The Enzo does it in 1:24.9. Yeah, it’s that insane. When you buy a Scuderia, you know you’re getting a car that can be talked about in the same conversation as the Ferrari 250 GTO, Ferrari 288 GTO, Ferrari F40, F50, and the Enzo. That’s just to name a few of the best collector Italian dream cars that Ferrari has made. The only draw back to the Scudie, as I like to call it, is there is no option for a manual. Ferrari, along with pretty much every other automaker in the world, has gotten on this kick of the paddle shift transmissions. Granted, the Ferraris are a bit more technologically advanced since they damn near come straight out of an F1 car. But still, can’t I just get a manual option? Even with that, I’d still buy this. Just wait until the RawAutos 2009 CotY Awards, when you’ll see the F430 Scuderia 16M Spyder. A Scuderia two years in a row…

Click here to view the embedded video.

5: Lamborghini LP560-4- As fast and as nimble as the F430 Scuderia, comes in a manual, and makes you drool harder. Talk about a car that will make you cry for buying anything but. The new LP560-4 will do 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. That’s just as fast as the LP640, Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Corvette Z06, Ford GT, McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo, Porsche 911 Turbo and GT2 and the Saleen S7. Talk about pretty amazing for a car that is  considered to be a baby Lambo, and by some, not a true Lamborghini since it doesn’t have “Lambo” doors. You can get the LP in standard manual or slightly quicker E-Gear form. It’s still not quite as technologically advanced as Ferrari’s F1 tranny, but it’s still pretty quick. And, word is from a Ferrari source, E-Gear transmissions are pretty much old technology sold to Lambo by Ferrari. That’s neither here nor there when the baby LP can run just as quick as the F430 Scuderia. I’ll take one in a manual with either white, green, orange, red, black, yellow, blue, or any other color the LP560-4 comes in. Let’s just hope the Superleggera version of this Gallardo is something to really hunt down Ferraris at the race track.

4: Dodge Viper ACR- 7:22.1. That was 3-tenths of a second better than the Corvette ZR1 around the Nürburgring. Why didn’t it get the top spot? Easy, most people didn’t like that you can’t drive it like a normal sports car. You have to be careful with any Viper, and extra careful with the ACR. Dodge recommends that you sign up for racing classes to learn and understand how to drive the Viper ACR. Yeah, it’s that scary! But, there is something to love about a car with no traction or stability control, no automatic gearboxes, not electronic gizmos to get in your way. Just raw 600+hp pumping out of an exhaust system that comes out of pipes underneath your door. Autoblog recently ran a story about the ACR on a dyno. It shows the true tail of why the Viper is really so fast… You see, when Dodge released this car, they simply said that it had no extra horsepower over the 2008 model, it simply had better aerodynamics. This seemed to be true, since, afterall, there was a giant wing on the rear deck and massive splitters on the front of the car. Well, the dyno showed that it actually had 546hp and 510lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. So…they lied to us? Yep! That’s another main reason why it didn’t get above 4th. But, it should be said that with an estimated 15% drivetrain loss, it still only has 642hp. Only, being the keyword there. I’ll take two, please! One for the track, and the other for when I wreck the first one.

3: Porsche 911 GT2- It’s one of the few that’s actually faster than a Carrera GT on the Nürburgring. It makes no apologies for being what it is. It’s the first GT2 to ever come with any sort of traction and/or stability control. Still, with a slightly tweaked 911 Turbo engine and no all-wheel drive, I’m not sure it would do much good. With a bump from 480 to 520hp over the 911 Turbo, it’s a very wild animal. The suspension and ride has been firmed up to make it closer to a GT3 style experience with the speed of the Turbo. It’s good for a 3.2s 0-60 and will hit over 204mph when the road runs out. Motor Trend has had this car stop from 60mph in 98ft and do a 1.1 lateral grip. It posted a lap time on Top Gear’s test track, with The Stig driving, of 1:19.5. That was the same as the Lamborghini LP560-4, and .2s faster than the Nissan GT-R and Ferrari F430 Scuderia… All those other cars come only with paddle shift automatic gearboxes, with exception to the LP, which comes standard in E-Gear, but optional with manual. But, those times were recorded with paddle shift transmissions. Which goes to show that if you truly know how to drive, a manual CAN be as fast as a paddle shift, even if it has less power… Like the GT2 does. Why didn’t this thing win 1st place just for that reason alone?

2: Cadillac CTS-V- It was created by John Heinricy and his special team inside of GM. He is a factory GM racing driver, and just recently retired as the head of GM’s performance division. Why did he retire? He created his masterpiece. Who needs to go on after they finally make the car that beats the Germans on their home turf of the Nürburgring? The CTS-V was able to record the fastest ever sedan lap time on the ‘Ring. Heinricy was the driver who did it, and his lap time was, 7:59.22. That bests the BMW M5 and M3′s of 8:13 and 8:05, respectively. You can either get the new CTS-V in 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with paddles formation. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, all this speed is thanks to an, all new, supercharged 6.2L V8 from the Corvette ZR1. Except, instead of producing 634hp and 604lb-ft of torque, the V produces 556hp and 551lb-ft of torque. Still an immense amount of power from any car, much less a sports sedan that’s just slightly smaller than a 5-Series. This also helps give the Cadillac a 3.9s 0-60 edge, with a top speed of 191mph. The car maxes out price wise, at just over $68,500. The one drawback, though, is that you have to spend $3,400 for the Recaro sport seats. If you don’t, you get the cheap, unfitting, uncomfortable standard CTS seats. What the hell, Cadillac? Really?

And, the most special moment in all the automotive land. You picked them. For the second year in a row, we have a special prize for you! I still can’t believe this happened.

1: TIE- BMW M3/Chevrolet Corvette ZR1- I really can’t believe this. For the second year in a row, we have a tie. At the 2007 RawAutos Car of the Year Awards, the BMW 3-Series and Audi R8 took the checkered flag. It would be interesting if it becomes a tradition to have a tie. But, here you go.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Corvette ZR1- It’s mean, it’s not too green, but it’s a $119,135 fully loaded Corvette with an Eaton supercharger, carbon fiber bits and panels, a see-through hood, touring car suspension with a race suspension setup. Oh, and did I mention it has a 6.2L supercharged V8 that plows out 638hp and 604lb-ft of torque? If that’s not enough to make your head spin, this will make your head explode; the ZR1 will do a 3.0-second 0-60 time and hit well over 200mph. All that for the price of less than a 911 Turbo? Well, it gets better. The new ZR1 offers the LARGEST brakes ever seen on a road car. They are from Brembo, and nearly identical to the ones that Ferrari had made for the Enzo. They’re Carbon Ceramic cross-drilled discs that measure 15.5 inches in the front 15 inches in the rear. That’s nuts! That’s super car presence for BMW M6 Convertible money. “The greatest car in the world!” Identically said by 16 readers.

But, there was a downside, and this is the main reason why it tied for first instead of running away with it -like it has in every publication- “The seats and interior quality are not worthy of a $100,000 super car.” That’s what more than one person said. Not too surprising to me. I hate the seats in the Corvettes. If I’m spending that kind of money, I want 100,000 dollar seats. I don’t care if they’re leather, alcantara, suede, dog hide, human hide, it doesn’t matter, so long as they hold me in place when I’m flying around a turn at 100mph. “The Corvette’s bolsters aren’t even worthy of a Lexus ES350…” That’s rough…

The final verdict, though, is that hell has officially frozen over. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear loves this car. He voted it as his best car for the year on Top Gear and in the magazine. He hates American cars, especially the Corvette. So that’s saying something. The world will end, soon. Better start finding someone to make love to before it’s over.

Click here to view the embedded video.

BMW M3- My personal favorite car on this list. It’s the cream of the crop. It’s the first time that an M3 has come with a V8. And this one packs the power to do battle with anyone. Its 4.0L V8 with 414hp and 295lb-ft of torque weighs less than the outgoing Inline-6 from the E46 M3. Everyone thinks the torque is a bit low. Well, that’s until you drive it. I was sad to see such low torque numbers on the new V8 M3. But, when I first drove it February, 2008, I remarked on how hard the torque will throw your ass into the seat. You will get out and have a permanent g-force mark on your pants.

The skinny bit on the M3 is simple, 4.1s 0-60, 12.3s 1/4 mile, and up to 25-27mpg on the highway. It will also tick well over 170, probably into 180, if not more, flat out. Don’t even attempt to call B.S. on me until you’ve driven this car.

M3-o-philes, including myself, were worried about there no longer being an I-6, more luxury, and a heftier weight complex. But once the specs were released and it was written abundantly that the incoming V8 weighed less than the outgoing Inline-6. That was so beautiful to read and hear everywhere you turned your head. However, it’s not until you get near the M3 that you realize the true passion of the E30 M3 was retained more than the E46 M3 was able to do. The E90 series M3 has the subtle looks of the E30, but the all-out smiles of fun and awe-inspiring tracking abilities that the E46 lacked just a tad more of. You can’t have a Car of the Year Awards program or article without including the new M3. It’s just that damn good. Drive one and realize the dreams you’ll have for years to come, even after you’ve owned one. It’s a classic in the making.

-Josh

“Happy Motoring!”

You’ll never guess who wins… I’ll leave it at that.

You forgive me? Well, you’re going to have to… Because…well, you just have to. 

-Josh

“Happy Motoring!”

So far, the voting has been rather shocking… Even I’ve been shocked. And I usually don’t get surprised by other people’s opinions of cars. 

Voting ends at 8pm, Sunday February 1st. 

-Josh

“Happy Motoring!”

So this week’s blog is fairly simple and easy to read. Our second annual RawAutos Car of the Year is coming up! But, this year I want your input!!! Last year I chose a group of cars myself and picked the winner. While that was fine. This year I’ve decided to get your opinions. I will chose 10-15 of the cars listed for the awards. I won’t list them in any particular order of numbering. But what I will do is do the top 10-15 cars that you guys have picked. It will be hard for me to do, but I’m willing to do it.  Here’s basically what I need you guys to do. Rate each car on this list 1-26, as the most important cars in your mind for 2008. Your reasons can be anything. If you want to rate the Bentley Brooklands the best of 2008 simply because it has over 700lb-ft of torque, weighs over 5000lbs, has the luxury to match a private jet and still gets to 60 in roughly 5 seconds, go right ahead. If you want to rate the Tesla Roadster the best of 08 because of its environmentally friendly electric motor that still does a 0-60 of 4.0s and is built on the Lotus Elise chassis and frame, be my guest. Feel free to add a car to the list… If you don’t like a car, take it off and don’t rate it. Just tell me what you added and/or deleted. The only rules are these: The vehicle(s) had to be on sale for at least 1 month in the United States and/or road tested by major American automotive publications at some point in 2008. The Alfa Romeo 8C wasn’t necessarily on sale, it was already sold out… But, a few deliveries, if any, were made inside the United States. However, it had such a major impact on the exotic market in 2008, along with being Alfa’s first car to return to the states in over a decade, it gets special privileges. If you don’t know of a car, Google it and/or YouTube it. Most of these cars have been tested by Fifth Gear and Top Gear over in England. So in your search simply type, Top Gear or Fifth Gear and then the name and model of the particular car. If I could get this list back with your signature, or typed name along with the date it was filled out by the end of this week, that would be great. You can e-mail it to me at josh@rawautos.com. Now, onto the list:

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Photo taken from: MotorAuthority.com

Aston Martin DBS (James Bond’s car)

Photo taken from: EGMCarTech.com

Bentley Brooklands

Photo taken from: DesktopCar.net

Bentley Continental GT Speed

Photo taken from: BentleyCarCover

BMW M3

Photo taken from: EGMCarTech.com

BMW 135i

Photo taken from: RoadFly.com

BMW X6

Photo taken from: BMW.com

Cadillac CTS-V

Photo taken from: RoadFly.com

Corvette ZR1

Photo taken from: Auto.cooone.com

Dodge Challenger

Photo taken from: ChryslerWeBlog.com

Dodge Viper ACR

Photo taken from: TheTorqueReport.com

Ferrari F430 Scuderia

Photo taken from: RawAutos.com

Ferrari California

Photo taken from: WallpaperGate.com

Ford Bullitt Mustang

Photo taken from: Zimbio.com

Jaguar XF

Photo taken from: GoldenStateCars.com

Lamborghini LP560-4

Photo taken from: MotorTrend.com

Lexus IS-F

Photo taken from: Pit-Auto-News

Maserati Gran Turismo/Gran Turismo S

Photo taken from: Evo.co.uk

Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series

Photo taken from: ZCars.com.au

Mercedes-Benz SL550/SL63 AMG/SL65 AMG/SL600

Photo taken from: TuningNews.com

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Photo taken from: Cars.About.com

Nissan GT-R

Photo taken from: CorvetteForum.com

Pontiac G8

Photo taken from: MotorTrend.com

Porsche 911

Photo taken from: Flickr.com

Porsche 911 GT2

Photo taken from: PorscheUSA.com

Tesla Roadster

Photo taken from: RSportsCars.com

One thing I must add, the reason that the Bullitt Mustang is on here isn’t because I own one. I love my car. But, it’s primary purpose for being on this list is that fact that it was limited production of 7000 United States units and 700 in Canada, it has a natural legacy with the movie of the same name and Steve McQueen, and it is a HUGE turning point and stepping stone for the 2010 Mustang GT. I broke the news about the 2008-09 Bullitt was the chassis and suspension basis for the 2010 GT, and I was proud to know that. When speaking with Paul Randle, head of the Mustang program, in LA at the Auto Show, he told me that the Bullitt is faster around road courses than the GT500 due to weight, the 3.73 final drive and the limited-slip differential. The GT500 has no LSD and no 3.73 rear. So, there you have it…  Thanks for your help and support, guys and gals! -Josh “Happy Motoring!”

RawAutos 2007 Car of the Year Awards!

2007 was a wild year in so many ways. The horrible shootings at Virginia Tech took place, Nancy Pelosi became the first speaker of the house, California almost burned down, I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minnesota collapsed, the New England Patriots became just the second team in NFL history to go undefeated in the regular season and I turned 21. Last year was also, just like any other year, a big year for new model cars. Plenty of new cars were released, some to good reviews and some to bad ones also. This is the first ever Car of the Year awards held by RawAutos.com. Some of these you may not view as exact 2007 first year models, because some are considered 2008’s like the Audi A5/S5, but, it was on the road in 2007 and did battle, so therefore it makes it eligible.

This past year was a very big year for quite a few automakers. BMW released its more powerful 3-Series E92 coupe and E93 hardtop-convertible along with more powerful engines for the E90 sedan as well. Audi like BMW released some new cars and updates, two of their new vehicle lines are the R8 to so much critical acclaim and the A5 and S5 to just as much public view. Lamborghini came out with its super Gallardo in the Superleggera. Porsche had the 911 Turbo that defied all odds. Rolls-Royce came out with the awe inspiring Drophead Coupé. And Infiniti was just as hard at it as anyone else, their mission to create the new G35 sedan and G37 coupe to beat BMW at their own game.

Every automaker was up to lots of good in 07, but, few really matched the level that Audi went after the world. They opened up new development opportunities for themselves by installing more dealerships and made their cars much sportier in every way to compete with BMW. Of course their interiors remained perfect and elegant as they always are.

The Audi A5 came out to make a coupe version of the popular A4 to compete with the BMW 3-Series. The 3-Series has always provided the benchmark for sport coupes and Audi was out to overthrow them as the kings. The standard A5 came with the same AWD just like the A4 and a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic to go along with the 3.2l V6 with 265hp and 243lb-ft of torque. The S5 comes standard with AWD and a 6-speed manual only and really packs in the horses with a 354hp 325lb-ft of torque 4.2l V8. Audi has gotten into a new theme of pushing the engine as far back into the middle as possible while still being front-engined. The Audi S5 has done intense battles with the BMW E92 335i, and has shown what Audi can really do when they set their minds to something. The cars are so beautiful and provide a good background to what Audi has planned for the 2009 A4 and the rest of the lineup.

The Audi R8 is a familiar name. You may know the name from the famous ALMS (American Le Mans Series) race car that bore the same name, but, not the engine. The R8 is Audi’s way of saying “move over Porsche, we are going after the world ourselves.” Since Audi owns part of Lamborghini with VW, some of the R8 driving components, including the transmission are shared with the Gallardo. Not that that’s a bad thing, because Audi helped create the Gallardo to begin with and it’s all from Audi’s parts bin anyways. The R8 goes fantastically with a 4.2l V8 that pushes 420hp and 317lb-ft of torque, attached to the revolutionary Audi AWD system. This little mid-engine pocket rocket flies to 60 in about 4 seconds on its way to 187mph top speed according to Audi. The R8 is without a doubt the supercar of the future. It has LED daytime running lights that will start becoming standard on all Audis soon. Basically the R8 is a more refined; more German Lamborghini Gallardo mixed with a little Porsche 911 every day usability. I say perfection with AWD and a manual tranny. All this and it’s still the slowest car that Audi has ever built.

Rolls-Royce, what more can you say? We all know of the Phantom. We all know how luxurious it is, how stylish it is and well, how expensive it is as well. The Drophead Coupé is no different. With its 6.75l V12 borrowed from the Phantom it has 460hp and 531lb-ft of torque that makes it best of propelling the 5700lb car anywhere it goes. 60 comes in only 5.7s according to Rolls-Royce and it hauls to an impressive 14.0s ¼ mile and a 149mph top speed. This is an oddly awesome car. Sure, it really has nothing to do with any of the other cars on this list; really it has nothing to do with any other car produced in the world. It just simply is a very cool car. Costing well over 500,000 dollars, this is the car to have if you just want to cruise in a car that is as classy as a yacht. That much money and why still a soft-top? Simple, RR says that a soft-top is beautiful, classy and never ages. A hardtop is just that. Rolls wanted a convertible, not an identity crisis on which car it would be today, a hardtop or a convertible. There is a teak wood deck lid that covers the convertible top that has to be specially oiled and waxed at different intervals of service. There is also a stainless steel hood and grill that don’t come cheap either. By far the coolest thing though is the doors, they open suicidal and just engulf you into the car.

Lamborghini Gallardo, a name that makes you sweat just when saying it. The simple Italian and Spanish thrown together sound so orgasmic. Add the word Superleggera to that. It sounds so sexy. And then you start the car up and you bleed from your ears it’s so loud. They say you can hear the exhaust note from over a mile away, treacherous I say. Lamborghini made their new SL to compete directly with the new F430 Scuderia. The SL does well with being on the weight watchers diet, and shaving over 150lbs by using carbon fiber trim all over the body and carbon ceramic disc brakes, while adding 10 horsepower to the mix to make 530. The E-gear transmission is now standard and shifts a little quicker, thanks to updated software. The interior is lined in Alcantara. So all in all this car uses a lot of fancy words, and still manages to produce a 3.5s 0-60 and a top speed in the Lambo tradition of over 200mph.

The Porsche 911 has for many years now been the benchmark for everyday drivability in an exotic like sports car. It comes as no surprise then that the new 997 911 Turbo came out to rave reviews and people hailing it as the best performance car in the world. Of course it was amazing, simply that it could do 3.4s to 60 with a new automatic gearbox that is smarter than the average driver, or a 6-speed manual with all sorts of tech gadgets to launch it correctly and even a button to give you more torque when needed. The turbo is all new, and has a special VTG (Variable Turbine Geometry) which is a turbine system that opens up the turbo blades at higher speeds to maximize the breathing of the engine and ensure no turbo lag. Porsche has once again done it, they threw 480hp with 460lb-ft of torque or 505lb-ft of torque with the optional Sport Chrono Package that adds a nice track timer and the button that I mentioned earlier to allow you to gain 45 more lb-ft of torque for 10 seconds. All of this into a small 3.6l six cylinder rear mounted engine. The car can do 193mph and turns a Nürburgring lap time in just 7:40. That is booking it I say. There are plenty of computers that measure the entire cars road going habits and constantly measure everything to help keep you safer, especially with the AWD system. The car also comes with carbon ceramic disc brakes as an option to help stop you better than the rest.

On now to the two cars that have challenged BMW more so than anyone else. Please welcome the all new Infiniti G35 Sport sedan and the G37 Sport coupe. The old G35 was either a coupe or sedan, but, Infiniti realized that in order to keep up with Bimmer, they had to create two totally different cars just like BMW. The G35 offers a 306hp 268lb-ft of torque V6 engine that is good for 5.4s 0-60’s in a 3500lb car, and offers a much sportier ride then its predecessor with a smoother manual transmission and better automatic. The best thing about the car is the interior. It didn’t change much from the old car. It did however add better sport seats that now fold out behind your knees just like BMW’s sport seats. The G37 on the other hand is a radical change. It is aggressive on the outside and just as elegant on the inside as the G35. Motor Trend did dub it the king killer, and they believed that it was better than the 335i Sport BMW. The car is a little faster than the G35 making due with a 330hp 270lb-ft of torque 3.7l V6 pushing the 3600lb car to about a 5.2s 0-60. The biggest advantage of the cars is that the G35 has a base price of $32,400 for the Sport 6MT while the coupe bases out at $35,550 for the Sport 6MT. Not bad for cars that are about as quick as the BMW 335i. Costing less and performing as well is a big seller in any market.

Last but not least on this list is the one and only BMW 3-Series. BMW has gone against all of its criticisms and look at them. Everyone went nuts over their crazy and wild designs, now everyone is designing cars just like them. Every car since the 2003 745i has a wild butt and a crazy looking face. For the 3-Series though enthusiasts and everyday people alike were shocked to see such a subtle and sleek design come out. People still talk badly about the E90 3-Series (E90=sedan, E92=coupe and E93=hardtop convertible), but, the E92 and E93 has quitted a lot of people. The drive is so much better than people expected too. With an all new twin-turbocharged inline 6 that produces 300hp and 300lb-ft of torque. Automobile magazine did a dyno run of the E92 335i when they first got hold of one and the figures came in to show the horsepower was 275 and 299lb-ft of torque all at the rear wheels. The new 3-Series convertible shined through with a new hardtop convertible, and also the first in its class to do so. For 2007 the 335i wasn’t the only big name of the 3ers in the news. The E90 328i was in there quite a bit beating the G35 in a Car and Driver comparison test, even though it had less power and was a tad slower to 60. Also the 328i beat the all new Cadillac CTS, G35 (again!) and the Mercedes-Benz C300 in another C&D test. All cars were equipped with manuals and sport packages. The 328i was the 2^nd fastest of the group with only 2 more horsepower than the lowest rated MB C300 at 228. The 328i does very well with 230hp and 200lb-ft of torque.

So who is the winner here? We have plenty of great cars. No shortage of horsepower or enthusiast drive for any one of these amazing cars. There can only be one winner. Wait a minute; this is the RawAutos Car of the Year Awards. By my count there is a tie. Welcome the BMW 3-Series and the Audi R8. Both cars deserve this award more than the others. The R8 came into its own showing the world what it had while being under powered and having AWD instead of RWD like most of the other major sports cars out there. It comes in with the most beautiful design of the year and shows what Audi can do. Now the 3-Series isn’t an all new car like the R8, but, it has successfully for decades now shoved off the competition and has been awarded 16 straight ten best award years by Car and Driver. There is no real competition to the BMW simply because it is its own competition. Once the other automakers start trying to be less like BMW and more like themselves they will finally have competition, until that day comes the Bimmer is the clear cut winner. Thank you to Audi and BMW for producing the two best cars of 2007.

I hope you enjoyed the awards ceremony and keep coming back to RawAutos.com, “Where the fables stop and the truth begins.”

-Josh

Photos courtesy of: http://www.automobilemag.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0609_2007_bmw_335i_coupe_dynamometer_chart/index.html

http://blogs.automotive.com//miscellaneous/2008-audi-a5-fast-luxurious-starting-under-40000/index.html

http://www.germancarblog.com/2007/05/audi-s5-comparison-against-bmw-335i.html

http://www.edbmw.com/blog/2007/06/27/g37-vs-bmw-3-series/

http://digiads.com.au/car-news/latest-INFINITI-news/Infiniti_G35_/photos_0.html

http://www.vtm.be/auto/forum/showthread.php?t=19380

http://www.ziomal.itl.pl/opisy/prezentacje/E90_335i/BMW_335i_sedan15.jpg

http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0706_americas_best_handling_car/photo_24.html

http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0706_americas_best_handling_car/photo_24.html

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/automotive/newmodels/29728/

http://www.automobilemag.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0702_2007_rolls_royce_drophead_coupe/index.html

http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/audi/r8/7779/4

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