Alright, due to recent criticism, I have been asked to write something a little less scathing. So I will write out my top ten car list. This list does change, and it will continue to revise, but here it is, at the moment, and in no particular order.

a)BMW M5

The current ‘Q’ car. I realise that this has just hit the marketplace, and everywhere you look another magazine has tested the car, and has made glorious comments regarding it, and its brother, the M6. I didn’t pick the M6 purely because the average buyer of a 5 series can option it up to look like a M5, minus the badge and the quad exhausts. So really, what you have is a very fast car with a V10, and no one none the wiser. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I know BMW have had a lot of criticism in recent years due to the controversial look of their vehicles, with Christopher Bangle’s flame surfacing look, but it has been brought to perfection with the 5 series. It is the most cohesive of all his vehicles, and looks stunning from any angle. I wasn’t a fan of Mr. Bangle’s work until the 5 series, but now that he’s been moved away from the drawing board, I now lament this decision by BMW. Their cars have something that neither of the other two large German manufacturers have; on road presence.

b)Aston Martin DB9

Anyone who does not find this car beautiful, is either dead, or thinks a Holden Camira is a good car. This car is so achingly beautiful, I have said before, that I would do almost anything to drive one, let alone own one. I know 007 had the DB7 Vanquish (the car in the movie was a modified Vanquish with a Ford Explorer running gear and a Mustang V8 powering it, hence the cheap looking exhaust pipes protruding from the rear, watch the film) but it’s not the Bond connection that draws me to it. Just look at the car. It is so beautiful, it has perfect notes of aggressiveness in the rear flared haunches, giving it a muscled, toned and taut look ready to pounce, but contrasted perfectly with flowing graceful lines. This car looks fast sitting still, aggressive on the move and very, very desirable. Its little brother the Aston Martin V8 (AMV8) has the looks, but runs a Jaguar derived, Aston Martin fettled V8.

But the DB9 runs a V12, and everyone knows a V12 is better than a V8. To anyone who has heard this car, you know what I mean when I say it has a glorious exhaust note. The distinctive metallic howl exuding from the engine is a mixture of induction noise and exhaust note (tuned, of course) finishes off this package. The perfect GT (Grand Touring) car ever. And you can now get one in manual.

c)Koenigsegg CCR

Sweden is normally associated with making sensible family cars. Volvo and Saab make family friendly vehicles, although owned by larger corporations, still stick faithfully to their roots by providing the world with safe reliable cars you wouldn’t hesitated to recommend to anyone with a family. But Koenigsegg came along a few years ago and turned Sweden’s little world upside down. They have produced the world’s fastest production vehicle, and still have more to give. The car has rather interesting doors, which roll forward, free of the door opening area for easy access into and out from the car.

The engine has a Ford block base, but built up of completely bespoke parts from Koenigsegg. Then a supercharger is bolted on for good measure. This car produces an astonishing amount of power, 620kW at 6900 rpm. It’s a light car, weighing in under 1200 kg, perfect to exploit all that power.

d)Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer 9

The World Rally Championship has influenced the design on many cars over the years. More of the notable cars springs to mind are the Ford Escort Cosworth (all of them!), Ford RS200, and the Audi Quattro, the car that changed the face of rallying forever, through the introduction of all wheel drive. When Audi brought the Quattro into rallying, they completely decimated their rivals. The Group B class of cars still stick firmly in the memories of fans, prodigious power outputs and huge winged cars. The F1 of rallying if you like.

Which brings me to the Mitsubishi. Australians by nature generally go for the underdog, as we relate well to them, with our troubled start as a nation, being merely a dumping ground for the Empire to send their miscreants to. Mitsubishi have been in quite a bit of trouble in the past few years, with declining profits, and not much real hope of a future. They have taken the odd step of focusing on performance cars, and four wheel drives to stay in business. Their Lancer Evolution cars are a testament to a continuing development of the original recipe. The cars have gotten faster, lighter, with more and more technology poured into the chassis and drivetrain. Their engineers have bent the laws of physics progressively, to the extent this car can make the most ham fisted of drivers look like driving gods.

e)Mercedes Benz S600

So it has a big engine. And the new S Class is on its way soon. When I first started to read about this car, it astonished me with the amount of, well, stuff in it. It has 140 motors inside, with only one driving the car. If you want to see what direction technology in cars are going to be taking, Mercedes have always set the trend with the S Class. First with dual glazed windows, radar controlled cruise control, ABS, Airbags, the list just goes on. Quite simply, an astonishing car.

f)Land Rover Discovery

The most capable 4wd you can buy. Remarkable value for money, for roughly, $50,000 Australian, you get an astonishingly capable 4wd, with complete independent suspension, that has all the off road abilities of a live axle 4wd, but has on road comfort as well. Make sure you get one with the locking rear differential. Now with a Jaguar derived supercharged V8, rapid pace is included. The interior ambience has a touch of Aston Martin to it; it’s a very nice place to be.

g)Ford FPV Typhoon

I am a Ford fan, yes. But even if I wasn’t biased towards Ford, this car is amazing. An inline 6, displacing 4 litres with a turbo hung on to the side of it, creating 240kW of power, and 550nM of torque. Did I also mention it has the same clutch mechanism of an Aston Martin DB9 manual? There have been rumours of FPV testing their vehicles with ZF transmissions, which should defiantly see 6 speed automatic transmissions, and hopefully, a ZF derived manual transmission. Hopefully.

h)Ford Focus ST220

Yes, I am aware, that this is another Ford product. So far that makes it 4 all up. The first generation Focus came out to critical acclaim. It was a fresh faced, good looking car. The interior was well packaged, and if you could get over the slash that cut the dash in twine, well appointed inside. The engines on the other hand were a little disappointing, but the ride was something else. It had an independent rear suspension that gave this little car a very planted feel, great feel, and made it handle very well indeed.

The latest generation Focus has hit the market, and whilst the looks have been toned down, the negatives of the original car have been addressed. The interior is a very nice place to be, nice expensive soft touch plastics, a Jaguar derived manual gearbox, and new engines. The ST220 hasn’t been released yet, but it has been graced with a Volvo 2.5 Litre 5 cylinder engine, with 169kW of power (220 bhp, hence the 220 bit in the name). Already a fantastic engine in the Volvo, put into this little car, it will undoubtedly a fantastic hot hatch.

i)Porsche 911 S

I have always been a Porsche fan. The 911 are a testament to German stubbornness (stupidity?), with the engine in exactly the wrong spot. The latest incarnation has a flat 6, of 3.8 litres, with 261kW of power. The latest generation has an updated interior; it does eventually match the feel of spending $220,000 on an astonishing supercar. The car has been developed over the years and whilst it has gotten heavier and wider, it still mimics the original, but without the provocative nature that throws you into the nearest tree, rear end first.

j)Bentley Arnage T

Simple summed up, but a very complex car. The Bentley name implies luxury, at 200kph. A fantastic car for the wealthy owner who prefers to drive themselves around, rather than let a chauffer do the work. This is a stately car, with mind blowing performance from its 6.75 litre, twin turbo V8. Make sure you can afford the gigantic fuel bills that will follow. The finest materials are used throughout the interior, the dash is hewn from wood, 17 cows gave up their skins for your backside, and crushed nut husks are used to bolster the supports for the seats. The organ plungers used for the air vents are just an example of the thought and effort that has gone into this car to separate it from the rest of the pack. For the true captains of industry.

This list will change, undoubtedly. Some of these cars will stay on this list for years to come, such as the Porsche 911, and the Bentley. I realise there are no Lamborghini’s or Ferrari’s on the list, they both do produce desirable cars, yes, but this 10 car garage fulfils the thrills they provide.

My favourite from the list, still is the Aston Martin. So its engine is two Ford V6’s spliced together. It’s the sum of all parts, that makes this car the greatest, and the best.