Aston Martin: James Bond drives them. Most rational human beings salivate at the sight of them. Arguably some of the most gorgeous cars to currently grace the earth, Astons also have some legs on them as well. These cars go like Hell. Basically the perfect blend of luxury and performance....for a price.
Car to watch: Vanquish
Bentley: The cars made for dictators and pro soccer players, Bentley is currently undergoing an identity crisis. Cars like the Continental GT are roughly the size of the Death Star but also insist on trying to perform alongside the likes of Ferraris. Bentley needs to give up and just go back to making bulletproof limousines for people that deny food to their subjects.
Car to watch: EXP 9F (And pray to whatever God you believe in that it never, EVER gets made)
Jaguar: Jag is quickly evolving into Aston Martin's upstart little brother. Cheaper than modern Astons, but with the same looks, Jags now present a truly viable option in the performance luxury market.
Car to watch: F-Type
Land Rover: They make Range Rovers, which is all anyone really cares about. The Range Rover is arguably the best SUV in the world, bar none. You pay a lot, but you get a lot for your money as well. Don't count on these guys to go away any time soon.
Car to watch: Range Rover Evoque
Lotus: Lotus will go down in history as the legacy of the undoubtedly brilliant Colin Chapman. The revolutionary formula of "adding lightness" ushered in an entirely new school of automotive engineering. Unfortunately, the company has been plagued by financial and corporate problems in recent years. The brand's future is uncertain.
Car to watch: Eterne & Esprit
Mini Cooper: Love it or hate it, the Mini is certainly an icon. Although some question the car's shelf life, the recent redesigns have proven that people of all generations seem to love the small car. Frankly, it's easy to see why. Cheap, powerful, fun, and efficient, the Mini is a little bit of everything.
Car to watch: Mini Cooper S
Morgan: These are what cars should be. Achingly beautiful, handbuilt, powerful, and unique, Morgans are, in my opinion, the world's coolest cars. They look like a 1940's Jag, they drive like a modern BMW, and they go like an old Italian supercar. If you have the money, do yourself a favor and buy yourself a Morgan. You won't regret it.
Car to watch: Aerosports
Rolls Royce: I actually prefer old Rolls, as the new ones are a tad tasteless. That said, nothing makes a statement like a Rolls Royce. If a status symbol is what you want, look no further. Everyone will know that you are part of the one percent as you crush their welfare-dependent bones into a fine dust with the gravity field generated by these absurdly large cars.
Car to watch: Phantom
Volvo: Ah yes. Volvo. Many people might consider Volvo to be the most boring brand on Earth, but the company is making a serious effort to change that. The marque's foray into racing and the debut of some new, sportier models like the S60 are slowly changing Volvo's image for the better.
Car to watch: S60
Alfa Romeo: Although the Alfas of the past had the tendency to spontaneously combust when started (if they remembered to start) there is no denying that Alfas have soul, a trait that many new cars seriously lack. They also have some serious style. If you want a lesson in art, go look up the 8C. The brand's return to the USA will determine Alfa's future for quite some time.
Car to watch: Giulietta & 4C Coupe
Ferrari: Supercar royalty. Ferrari is the unchallenged champion of cool. Cars like the 458 Italia and upcoming Enzo successor set the bar for excellence across the automotive world. The only conceivable complaint that anyone could have is the company's increased reliance on computers and electronic driver aids that are leaving some drivers feeling increasingly isolated. That said, the Prancing Horse is still the undisputed king.
Car to watch: F70 (Enzo Successor)
Fiat: The only reason that Chrysler isn't gone, Fiat relies on youth culture, cute city cars, and excessive marketing to female 20somethings that live in Notting Hill. Most of the cars lack any real substance, case in point: Fiat 500. That said, Fiat's management of Chrysler has been spectacular.
Car to watch: Fiat 500 Abarth
Lamborghini: The former upstart tractor makers that gained notoriety through their sheer insanity are still going strong. In recent years, Volkswagen acquired Lambo, and that was probably the greatest thing to ever happen to the company. Now, the supercars are engineered by the Germans but styled by the Italians. This works well for all involved. It means that the cars aren't reduced the the bland executive boxes they would be if designed by the Germans and it means that the cars actually run, which they wouldn't if they were built by the Italians. This synthesis and general adherence to Lamborghini's original mad vision is putting the company is a position to legitimately topple Ferrari as the king of the supercars.
Car to watch: Aventador
Pagani: Few carmakers ever manage to break into the pantheon of supercar greatness. Arguably, only one has managed to do so in the last few years. Pagani accomplished this by closely studying the madness of Lamborghini and styling of Ferrari, and simply doing more. I believe that the general design process involves a famous painter being drugged out of his mind, placing him in a small room, and giving him a set of crayons and a huge amount of carbon fiber. Somehow, the cars look decent, at least on the outside. The interiors are predictably insane. The cars don't just get by on craziness though. Paganis are truly engineering marvels.
Car to watch: Huayra
Audi: Probably the best of the German manufacturers currently. Audi represents the performance of BMW melded with the class of Mercedes, but also lacks the annoyingly superior air that surrounds Mercedes and the hatred normally evoked by BMW. They are truly well built, fun, and cool cars.
Car to watch: R8 Etron & A7
BMW: The makers of arguably the best sports sedan on the planet, the M3, BMW also evokes an irrational feeling of loathing in most people as their cars are driven almost exclusively by pretentious fools. When this is combined with the ludicrous and impossible iDrive system, the cars quickly lose their appeal, which is a shame, considering their technical brilliance.
Car to watch: M3 (big surprise there.....)
Mercedes-Benz: The other big German luxury car company. Mercedes has the downside of a range of cars that are indistinguishable from each other. Mercedes has the upside of AMG, which turns what would otherwise be sedans driven by dentists into ludicrous, fire breathing monsters that melt the bones of those too weak to drive them.
Car to watch: C63 AMG
Porsche: Porsches don't make sense. Porsches have the laziest design on earth (the flagship 911 has not evolved since the Second World War). However, they also have some truly brilliant engineers, which have been able to prevent the cars from killing everything that steps within 10 feet with their stupid rear-mounted engines.
Car to watch: 911
Volkswagen: Sensible and dull in all facets except one: the Beetle. The only reason that the Beetle isn't dull is because it invokes surging hatred in most living creatures.
Car to watch: Scirrocco Diesel, Touareg
Hyundai: What used to be a second-rate Honda knockoff is now a legitimate force in the automotive world. Hyundai has some great design and they make extremely dependable products. The brand is also developing an increasingly sporty focus, which should help with marketing.
Car to watch: Genesis Coupe
Kia: The purveyor of sensible Korean hatchbacks, Kia is still struggling for a real toehold in the USA. That said, they make good cars. They may not be the most exciting thing on the road, but crucially, they are safe, cheap, reasonably reliable, and efficient.
Car to watch: Rio
Honda: Hondas were the height of cool...in 1987. Now, they are overengineered boxes that are guaranteed to suck your soul out through your mouth the second you take a seat in one. Mechanically, Hondas are great cars. That said, they have dated designs and woefully dull interiors that won't do anything to woo new customers.
Car to watch: NSX (2015)
Lexus: They try so, so hard to emulate BMW in every facet, and they consistently come up just short. This isn't a bad thing, necessarily. Lexus makes some good cars. The only truly great car that they make though, is the LFA. Unfortunately, the LFA is worth more than many Sub-Saharan countries, and is completely unattainable, even for many of the world's financial elite. Although the LFA isn't practical, it does represent a new, even more performance oriented, direction for the company.
Car to watch: LFA & Whatever it Spawns
Mazda: Whatever happened to 'Zoom Zoom'? Mazda has gone from being a maker of affordable, sporty little cars to a bloated and self-important company that lacks definition and uses terms like 'skyactiv' that simply illustrate how badly the company has lost touch with the market. It's a shame, because Mazda makes some great cars. Unfortunately, their brand image has grown stale, and they seem to be latching onto the innovations of other companies rather than developing their own.
Car to watch: CX5
Nissan: Nissan has quietly crept forward in the automotive world. Look around you the next time you drive on the highway. Try to count the Altimas that you see. Just try. Nissan isn't generally regarded as an incredibly desirable brand. That said, their rock-solid reliability and solid styling has helped Nissan become a viable alternative to other major brands. From cutting edge supercars to green electric cars, Nissan provides something for everyone, and crucially, they do it affordably Watch out for the major model refresh coming later this year, it could rocket Nissan to the forefront of the market.
Car to watch: GTR, Leaf
Subaru: Long known for their dependable hatchbacks and sedans, Subaru has officially conquered all facets of the automotive market with the introduction of the truly excellent BRZ. Subarus are generally cheap and will run until the end of time, as you can see here.
Car to watch: BRZ
Toyota: The world's largest car manufacturer has its title for a reason. The problem is, I have no idea what that reason might be. When they aren't accelerating uncontrollably and running over children, Toyotas sit in place looking boring and ugly. I would rather be gored by a bison than spend an appreciable amount of time inside of one. Regrettably, Toyota also gave us the Prius, which is universally acknowledged as a car that people drive so that other people think they're environmentally friendly.
Car to watch: Prius (unfortunately....)
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