Thanks to all who entered our Motors podcast competition in association with Bridgestone Tyres asking readers to nominate the best looking car of 2011.
A lot of entrants for the Range Rover Evoque, mixed with the outlandish and the bizarre. Family cars featured, with the Peugeot 508 and Hyundai i40 catching your eyes. Here’s the winning entry and a few that came close:
WINNER: Mervyn Scott In the end, it didn’t take too much thought. Many new cars – the new 3-Series is a good example – are blighted by the high bulging bonnet lines required to meet new pedestrian impact regulations.
The new Toyota GT-86 coupé has no such problem. The GT-86 is the best looking Toyota in decades, thanks in part to the low bonnet sweeping between the twin curves of the front wings, much in the style of a Ferrari or Fiat (roadster) Dino. The beauty of it is more than skin deep. Compact dimensions and a fairly simple specification promise real fun. All I need is a fairy godmother . . .
Mr Scott receives a full set of Bridgestone tyres to the value of €500, plus fitting at any First Stop Tyre Centre in Ireland.
Padraig Dalton My personal favourite for 2011 has to be the Range Rover Evoque. This is a stunning looking vehicle from every angle. I love many of the concept cars, but the actual car comes out usually totally different.
The Evoque is almost identical to the concept vehicle. The front headlights are lovely in the way they wrap around the corner like a wing. The blend of chunky toughness with the big wheels and flared wheel arches go really well with the sporty side profile of tapering windows towards the rear of the vehicle.
Then the small rear window continues the sporty theme and the skid plates add the tough look to the back and front. The interior is also stunning with leather seats and beautiful dash.
Aisling O’Meara As an Alfa owner, it’s probably some sort of sin (venal or mortal, I’m not sure which) to say that the best-looking new car of 2011 is the new Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupe. Its smooth, cat-like lines mean that it looks ready to pounce, even when it’s stationary. There’s definitely elegance in the elongated bonnet (not unlike my Alfa 159!).
The slope of the roof towards the rear may not allow for great sight lines from the rear passenger seats, but it certainly makes it look very sporty. It’s nice to see a bit of flash and panache in these troubled times.
Michael Shovelin It has to be the Jaguar XF (facelifted this year). The ghost of Arthur Daly is finally laid to rest. Rarely has a car taken on the menacing, feline, predatory qualities of its marque. In the wild, this breed is rarely spotted but should you glimpse this sleek, muscular creature as it stalks the mighty teuton Audi, BMW and Mercedes, pray the sharp intake of breath is quickly replaced by a low murmur of appreciation.
In understated British racing green with cream livery, this is the car that will help you grapple with the onslaught of middle age. You now can’t really distinguish a BMW 5-Series from a Mercedes E-Class anymore, and the A6 is as non-descript as a Ford Mondeo. You can’t even remember the Lexus. But this one, it’s well and truly etched on your mind.