As the year 2011 has come to an epic close, I am listing the Top 40 cars of 2011, and this could be the best memorabilia ever made for a car aficionado.
40) Daihatsu Mira e:S - This is Daihatsu's most fuel efficient kei car ever built. It was great until its fuel economy reign was overtaken by the Suzuki Alto Eco.
39) Volkswagen up! - The new Volkswagen up! is the replacement for the Fox and this is going to be the cheapest of VW range. Klein ist Gross!
38) Honda Fit Shuttle range - This is what happens when the Honda Fit/Jazz got ended up in an ugly oversived wagon look. Still, I would take that for reconsideration.
37) Honda N BOX range - Honda's answer to the Suzuki Palette and the Daihatsu Tanto. It comes with an all new engine that was part of the new EARTH DREAMS TECHNOLOGY and it was the first Honda to come with idling stop function.
36) Subaru Stella - Now, the second-generation Subaru Stella is now based on the TNP27 Daihatsu Move.
35) Volkswagen Jetta - The VW Jetta is now on its 6th generation and still this is somewhat a poor man's Passat for sure...
34) Hyundai Accent Wit - This is the 5-door cousin to the Hyundai Accent Wit. I really like the one with the CRDi engine on it. Hope this one will reach the Philippines soon...
33) Kia Pride/Rio UB - The new Pride/Rio is now even stylish than ever. It comes in sedan and hatchback variants. Unlike the Accent, the new Pride/Rio doesn't come with a CRDi engine on it. It only has a 1.4 MPi and a 1.6 GDi engine.
32) MG6 GT and Magnette - The MG brand is back in the UK with the MG6. It comes with the GT hatchback and Magnette sedan. Sadly, when it came out, no one got it. Seems that their underpants went brown because only a few bought it.
31) Toyota Prius α - This has to be known as the larger side of the Toyota Prius. This is definitely the best hybrid MPV to relax, unwind, and be quiet. This is the first Toyota to come with a Lithium-ion battery but that's applicable to the 7-seater variant.
30) Toyota Aqua - Toyota's answer to the Honda Fit Hybrid is proven to be more fuel efficient than the Prius. Fact is that it was built from the Tohoku region, the region where it was heavily destroyed by the March 11 disaster. This is Toyota's road to recovery. The car the Tohoku people stood up and man up.
29) Peugeot 508 - This is one of the best looking sedans from Europe. It looks better than the Renault Fluence but not as gorgeous as the Citroen C5.
28) GM Korea Chevrolet Orlando - The first Chevy to be sold in South Korea. This MPV is made to be sold globally but not in USA and Japan. We saw this during the Chevy Motorama.
27) Nissan Lafesta Highway Star - Today's Lafesta is yesterday's Mazda Premacy.
26) Hyundai Veloster - Correct. You probably seen this car on the City Hunter Korean Drama starring Lee Min-Ho. I kinda love it's 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission though. Sadly, this car is not intended to come in the Philippines but direct importers got those for grabs.
25) Hyundai i40 - The Hyundai i40 has got to be one of the best looking station wagons ever made. It looks better than the Honda Accord Tourer and the Toyota Avensis.
24) Hyundai i30 - I bet this is what happens when the Europeans admit one thing...
23) Suzuki MR Wagon/Nissan Moco - Looks weird on the outside but on the inside, the new "Touch Panel Audio" makes it addicting if you love music.
22) Renault-Samsung SM7 - Now all-original and no longer based on the Nissan Teana. Guess what? It was featured in an episode of Top Gear Korea.
21) Dodge Charger - This new model is now meaner and badder than before. The SRT8 version is even more aggressive.
20) Range Rover Evoque - The best Range Rover ever built because it acts like the original, the ride's better, and the interior design is perfect. Too bad it's hard to access at the back if you have the Coupe version and the door mirrors are too big.
19) Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class - The car that invented the "4-door coupe" genre, reloaded.
18) Suzuki Swift Sport - Yes it's back. The Swift Sport's back and now even menacing than ever.
17) Honda CR-V - the 4th generation Honda CR-V is now much more intriguing. The face is much more intriguing. The rear kinda looks like the Volvo XC60. The interior is somewhat borrowed from the Kia Sportage. What's next?
16) Subaru Impreza Sport and G4 - No longer an rally icon and it's now focused on safety and fuel economy.
15) GM Korea Chevrolet Captiva - The whole world realized that this is the facelifted version but in South Korea, it's their debutante. It replaced the Daewoo Winstorm as part of reorganization.
14) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - this sports car sacrificed its gullwings for a soft-top roof.
13) Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe - The facelifted C-Class sparked the arrival of its newcomer, the coupe version.
12) Audi A6 - This new model looks better than the old one. Even technological as well...
11) Toyota Alphard Hybrid and Vellfire Hybrid - The Alphard Hybrid is back and the Vellfire now gets a hybrid version.
10) BMW 6-Series - The new 6-Series is now made even more better and the design is just strikingly perfect. It even made an appearance on Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.
9) Citroen DS5 - Definitely one of the best looking Citroen ever made. That makes it revolutionary is the HYbrid4 drivetrain that was lifted from the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4.
8) Citroen DS4 - This Giulietta-killer is much better to look at, better to drive at. Might be a luxurious alternative to the Citroen C4.
7) BMW M5 F10 - Gone are the V10 engine and the manual transmission in favor of a powerful twin-turbo V8 engine and a double-clutch flappy-paddle gearbox. This new M5 is somewhat easier to drive, scarier to look at, better to brag against your rivals.
6) Aston Martin Virage - This new Aston Martin slots between the DB9 and the DBS. Looks the same but it claims to be all-new.
5) Ford Focus - The third-generation Ford Focus is now made to be a global-class vehicle that is part of the One Ford Approach. Next year, the Asians get it.
4) Porsche 911 - the 991 is the first sportscar that comes with the world's first 7-speed manual transmission. I just wish RUF will make their own version of the Porsche 991...
3) Lexus CT 200h - One of the best handling hybrids ever made.
2) Ferrari FF - this is the first time Ferrari made a 4WD hatchback with four seats. Amazing!
The number one car of the year 2011 is...
THE LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR!!!
This is my pick because what Lamborghini made is very powerful indeed. It even comes with the all new 6.5L V12 engine, which is the first for over 50 years. I expect great things to be happened at the Aventador for the year 2012, which includes adding a convertible variant or a more powerful version.
That's it! This is my Top 40 cars of 2011. The Aventador is my pick and that's how I'll conclude the year 2011 with a bang. I expect the best 2012 ever happened in the car industry and I hope this would be the best year for the automotive industry, I think...
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!
