As we near the end of the decade, I thought that now would be a good time to reflect on what has been achieved this past ten years - how has the car world changed? A lot can happen in ten years. Companies can be changed forever, rare technologies can become mainstream, and fashions can go full circle. Some decades were known for different things, but the noughties was all about living large. Excess was the name of the game, and no other type of car does excess like the supercar. There were many amazing supercars of the noughties, and so I thought I'd summarize what they were all about in alphabetical order. Were they hits, or were they misses?

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (2007): It takes it's parts from all over the Fiat Group, but Alfa's first true sportscar in nearly twenty years hit the spot. It didn't have to be the greatest driving tool ever (and it wasn't, really - it couldn't corner to save its life), but it had to be sexy, fast, and prestigious. And it certainly hit the mark. It featured somewhat retro proportions and stance, but brought the design into the modern era with Alfa Romeo's new face. A convertible version has also recently gone into production - only 500 will be made at a mad price of $350,000 AUD. Save up, children.

Engine type 4.6 Litres, eight cylinders
Power/Torque 331kW/480Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual with paddle shift
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.2sec
Top speed: 291 kmh
Price $250,000 AUD approx

Aston Martin DBS (2007): Honestly, we could have included every new Aston Martin in this list, but instead chose to stick with the DBS. It's the fastest Aston, and the headline act in the new 007 James Bond films. So it gets a place here. There is no doubt that this is one sexy, agressive car. Attempting to build on what was probably the most beautiful design of the decade (the DB9 of course) was never going to be easy. But the DBS defines cool, and will go down in history as quite possibly the sexiest, most aggro Bond car in history. And in 2010, there will be a DBS Volante. I have heaps of photo galleries, for your pleasure.

Engine type 6.0 Litre V12
Power/Torque 380kW/570Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.3sec
Top speed: 307 kmh
Price $500,000 AUD approx

Audi R8 (2006) - (V10 model 2009): Audi set out the R8 with only one intention - to destroy the legacy of the Porsche 911. Is it better than a 911? Who knows, but when the R8 is this good, who cares? The R8 cuts a menacing figure, especially with the glowing day-time LEDs, but crucially, was a car that could be used as a daily drive. That alone was a feat of magnificence. Let alone the speed...

Engine type 5.2 Litre V10
Power/Torque 386kW/530Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.9sec
Top speed: 316 kmh
Price From $280,000 AUD approx

Bentley Continental GT (2003): Despite the sales wonders the GT has performed for Bentley, reviews for the car were largely mixed. Many could see how what a comfortable, fast, grand tourer is was, but many more saw that it was simply a Volkswagen on steroids. It didn't drive as well as it should have, and wasn't as fast as it needed to be, weighing in at 2300kg. At the time, however, it could rightly claim to be the world's fastest four-seater.

Engine type 6.0 Litre W12
Power/Torque 411kW/650Nm
Transmission Six-speed automatic with paddle-shift
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.8sec
Top speed: 319 kmh
Price From $400,000 AUD approx

Bugatti Veyron (2005): The iconic supercar of the noughties, and the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in production history (at the time). A mighty vehicle, everything about it was truly a startling feat of engineering. It will likely be the fastest accelerating road car we will see for a long time, especially since the economic meltdown, sadly. But on a lighter note: have you ever dreamed of owning a Bugatti Veyron? What two-tone colour scheme would you choose? Have a play around at this site, then, the best timewaster ever. Only 133 Veyrons were produced.

Engine type 8.0 Litre W16
Power/Torque 736kW/1250Nm
Transmission Seven-speed DSG sequential
Performance 0-100 kmh: 2.9sec
Top speed: 407.9 kmh (...!)
Price: $2,000,000 AUD approx

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (2009): The fastest production Corvette ever made was an absolute cracker - dynamite around corners, and blasting down straights. If anyone wanted a slice of delicious Yank action, the ZR1 was the perfect ticket. In a new era of "Yes we can!", the big Corvette proved that Americans could actually make a brilliant car. Sensational, in fact. And ridiculously cheap, too - though you'd want it to be, with the kind of interior you get. Americans still can't pull off a cool interior.

Engine type 6.2 Litre V8
Power/Torque 476kW/819Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.4sec
Top speed: 330.6 kmh
Price: $150,000 AUD approx

Dodge Viper SRT-10 (2008): Just because a car is fast, doesn't make it so remarkable. In fact, the Viper passed largely unnoticed when it was launched into its fourth-generation in 2008, because by that time, there were so many other cars out there that were cooler, more exciting, better quality, and even faster. There just wasn't any subtlety and quality of engineering about the Viper, though there was with the Corvette. It's hard to explain. Anyway, there just wasn't any really big reason why one should buy the Viper and not the Corvette ZR1. I'd have to agree, anyway.

Engine type 8.4 Litre V10
Power/Torque 450kW/760Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.5sec
Top speed: 325 kmh
Price: From $130,000 AUD approx

Ferrari Enzo (2002): Ferrari were so proud of their supercar creation that they named it after the company's founder, Mr. Enzo Ferrari. And what a car it was. Sure, it didn't really look that great, but just one look at it told you it would be lightning fast. It dawned the new era of supercar madness, and was super exclusive. It came at just the right time - Schumacher was at his peak, and everything about Ferrari made them seem unstoppable.
Engine type 6.0 Litre V12
Power/Torque 485kW/657Nm
Transmission Six-speed semi-automatic
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.14sec
Top speed: 365 kmh
Price: $1,000,000 AUD approx

Ferrari F430 Scuderia (2008): I was almost tempted to say that this car was a miss, and not a hit. Want to know why? Because I think the Lamborghini Gallardo is better than this car. But then I realised - so what? The F430 was an outstanding car in its own right, and in every respect. So much so that the waiting list to buy one stretched into several years. If that is anything to go by, this is one popular car. Soon to have a Spider form!
Engine type 4.3 Litre V8
Power/Torque 375kW/657Nm
Transmission Six-speed sequential
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.6sec
Top speed: 315 kmh
Price: $575,000 AUD approx

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano (2006): Ferrari continued their brilliant streak with the 599. This was a car that could go almost as fast as the god-like Enzo, yet still be as safe and easy to use as a supermarket shopping trolley. This brilliance is not to be understated - even timid drivers could come out of the 599 feeling like Michael Schumacher. Once again, it isn't stunningly pretty, but the engineering focus was remarkable.
Engine type 6.0 Litre V12
Power/Torque 456kW/608Nm
Transmission Six-speed sequential or manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.7sec
Top speed: 330 kmh
Price: $630,000 AUD approx

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (2004): Is it the ugliest Ferrari ever? Is it the most boring Ferrari ever? Sure, the 612 had a brilliant engine, and cornered fantastically, considering it's size (it has 4 seats), but nobody could really feel any compassion for it - as superficial as it seems, it's true. Why would you speed nearly 700 grand on an ugly car, and have to tell your friends: "Don't worry, it drives much better than it looks". You shouldn't have to do that, least of all when it's a Ferrari.
Engine type 5.7 Litre V12
Power/Torque 397kW/588Nm
Transmission Six-speed semi-automatic or manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.3sec
Top speed: 315 kmh
Price: $670,000 AUD approx

Ferrari California (2009): No one was really sure why the California had to look awkward. That's the way it is, I guess. And despite the California being a grand tourer, we really didn't expect it to be so much fun. Here, we simply have a case of "there are so many other convertibles I'd rather look at". But although this car has a huge arse, you could almost see yourself owning one. Not only is it quicker than a convertible F430, it has a folding metal roof, a big boot, and four [almost] useable seats. And it'll be the cheapest Ferrari - genius!
Engine type 4.3 Litre V8
Power/Torque 338kW/485Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual/Seven speed double-clutch automated manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.0sec
Top speed: 310 kmh
Price: $380,000 AUD estimated (unconfirmed)

Ford GT (2003): The Ford GT probably isn't the sharpest supercar tool in the shed, in hindsight. But that doesn't mean it wasn't fantastic. Just like the GT40 its styling is based on, the Ford GT was out to kick some Ferrari butt. And, in a way, it did. It was super fast, turned pretty well, and looked gobsmackingly good. Sure, the interior was retro and cheap. But you could forgive this car for anything, simply for the way it looks.
Engine type 5.4 Litre V8
Power/Torque 410kW/680Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.8sec
Top speed: 341 kmh
Price: $200,000 AUD approx

Gumpert Apollo (2005): The ugliest supercar ever? Possibly. Least glamourous sounding name ever? Possibly. Mind-bendingly fast? Definitely. So the Apollo doesn't have a cool badge, or exclusivity. But if you're looking for a wild track weapon, this Gumpert has it covered. No other production car can give you this much quickness on straights and around corners. It surpasses the Bugatti Veyron, and is in a class all of its own. And guess what? It's about to get a whole lot faster, with a 600kW version in the works.
Engine type 4.2 Litre V8
Power/Torque 478kW/850Nm
Transmission Six-speed sequential manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.0sec
Top speed: 360 kmh
Price: $400,000 AUD approx

Koenigsegg CCXR (2008): Fast and furious - this car is dangerous, and not for the faint hearted. The kind of car that instils the fear of god into you. Not many cars can do that, and for this reason, the Koenigsegg was a hit. For people everywhere in the quest for speed, (or just daredevils) the CCX was the ultimate, something you can't go past. But the CCXR did the impossible - not only did it get faster than the CCX, it was greener than the CCX. I still don't understand how - the CCXR can run on E85 ethanol blend fuel, and because of that, somehow, we get the titanic kilowatt figure.
Engine type 4.8 Litre V8
Power/Torque 759kW/1080Nm
Transmission Six-speed paddleshift manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 2.9sec
Top speed: 414 kmh
Price: $3,150,000 AUD approx (seriously)

Lamborghini Reventon (2008): Only 21 were produced, but everyone who is anyone knows that the Reventon is the most aggro looking supercar the world has ever seen. Mess with this car, and its looks will kill. Although I have never seen a Reventon in any colour but that boring grey - wish it was yellow. The mechanicals of the car are basically lifted from a Murcielago, but who cares - you can drive down the street and scare small children.
Engine type 6.5 Litre V12
Power/Torque 480kW/680Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.4sec
Top speed: 356 kmh
Price: $1,800,000 AUD approx

Lamborghini Murcielago LP460 (2006): When the original Murcielago was released in 2002, the motoring world was in awe of it. It was quite simply the wildest car the world had ever seen, but yet it was inexplicably beautiful. Not only that, it was fast. The LP460 was simply faster, and even more jaw-droppingly striking. Need I say more?
Engine type 6.5 Litre V12
Power/Torque 471kW/660Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual/sequential manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.4sec
Top speed: 356 kmh
Price: $750,000 AUD approx

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (2008): Once again, the original Gallardo was not slouchy, nor bad looking, but the LP560-4 is simply a triumph of design and engineering. The Gallardo will go down in history as one of the truly great looking supercars, as it deserves to. Edgy lines are somehow rendered dramatic and emotive, not to mention the fact that this car is a Ferrari F430 killer.
Engine type 5.2 Litre V10
Power/Torque 412kW/540Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual/sequential manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.7sec
Top speed: 325 kmh
Price: From $475,000 AUD approx

Maserati MC12 (2004): It didn't take a genius to work out the the MC12 was simply an Enzo Ferrari with a Maserati badge stuck on the bonnet. They shared the same engine, gearbox, suspension... blah, blah, blah... but because the body work of the MC12 is bigger than the Enzo (and bizarrely uglier), it was also slower than the Enzo. So what was the point of Maserati making this car? They wanted to create a racing variant of it to enter in the FIA GT Championship, so they had to have a production car to work from. The world largely ignored it.

Engine type 6.0 Litre V12
Power/Torque 465kW/652Nm
Transmission Six-speed semi-automatic
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.8sec
Top speed: 330 kmh
Price: $1,250,000 AUD approx

Maybach Exelero (2005): Pointless from the very start, you probably wouldn't have minded if the Exelero was a car of superlatives. It's not. It's not the fastest car ever made, although it's almost the longest (5.9 Metres), it's not the prettiest, not the most luxurious (but it should have been! It's a Maybach for god's sake!), but... it did have a most riduculous price tag. I've got to be fair though - how much would you really pay for a car like this? A million dollars? Two Million? No, try upwards of $12 Million. Makes the Bugatti Veyron seem like a bargain.
Engine type 5.9 Litre V12
Power/Torque 522kW/1020Nm
Transmission Seven-speed auto
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.4sec
Top speed: 351 kmh
Price: From $12,000,000 AUD approx

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2004): We were honestly getting ready for a monster of a car, when Mercedes showed us pictures of their new McLaren supercar. After all, the last McLaren effort was the legendary F1, a car that was, for a long time (until the Bugatti Veyron) easily the fastest production car the world had ever seen. The SLR however, was comparitively soft-core. It had a rather slushy automatic gearbox, and wasn't quick enough (there was enough power, though!) to really make it feel like a supercar on the road. It did look very spectacular, even if it wasn't to everyone's taste. I think the convertible version is the better option - that way, you can enjoy the SLR as a seriously fast cruiser, and soak up some sunshine as you expend very little effort going very fast.
Engine type 5.4 Litre V8
Power/Torque 467kW/780Nm
Transmission Five-speed automatic
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.7sec
Top speed: 334 kmh
Price: $650,000 AUD approx

Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss (2009): "Thought the SLR McLaren was too soft, did you? DID YOU?!?!" Mercedes-Benz finally responded, with the properly hard-core version the SLR always should have been. The Stirling Moss is wild, with a bonnet longer than an airport runway, no windscreen, no roof - so you can imagine that it's ultra-light and fast. It had the kind of "no compromise" attitude we always wanted to see from the SLR. At least this tribute to Sir Stirling Moss lives up to the legend of the great man himself.
Engine type 5.4 Litre V8
Power/Torque 478kW/780Nm
Transmission Six-speed Manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.5sec
Top speed: 350 kmh
Price: $1,550,000 AUD approx

Morgan Aeromax (2005): Everyone laughed at the cross-eyed Aero 8, but when the Aeromax was released, everyone sat up and took notice. This was a very twenty-first century car, in a fusion with techniques and fashions of old. But nevertheless, it had the character and talent to hold it's own in the thoroughly over-the-top noughties. It was fast, eccentric, and very different. Loveable, one could say. It still wasn't a pin-up, but it now has cult status.

Engine type 4.8 Litre V8
Power/Torque 276kW/489Nm
Transmission Six-speed Manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 4.2sec
Top speed: 274 kmh
Price: $230,000 AUD approx

Nissan GT-R (2008): Everyone wants one. The car they nicknamed "Godzilla" (as with other GT-Rs) truly is the most accessible rendition yet of "the people's supercar". It is [almost] within the reach of the masses, and has almost Ferrari Enzo rivalling speed. It doesn't look that great, it's a bit characterless, but who cares? You can have a ridiculously fast supercar for the price of something far more mundane.
Engine type 3.8 Litre V6
Power/Torque 360kW/580Nm
Transmission Six-speed dual-clutch automated manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.2sec
Top speed: 311 kmh
Price: $170,000 AUD approx

Pagani Zonda F (2005): How can one leave out the Pagani Zonda? In 2005, when the better-than-ever-before Zonda F was released, the world once again fell in love with this spaceship of a car. There simply isn't anything remotely like the Zonda, and there probably never will be. There's a sense of theatre in it you just can't go past.
Engine type 7.3 Litre V12
Power/Torque 478kW/760Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.5sec
Top speed: 346 kmh
Price: $900,000 AUD approx
Porsche Carrera GT (2004): A great car, but totally overshadowed by the Ferrari Enzo, which it was so often compared against. In fact, it was as though Porsche really could have done better, but didn't try hard enough - perhaps they're waiting to shock us all with a successor (there is a rumour it'll be called Porsche GT1). Still, it was cheaper than the Ferrari, and Porsche lovers, well... loved it.

Engine type 5.7 Litre V10
Power/Torque 416kW/589Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.9sec
Top speed: 330 kmh
Price: $700,000 AUD approx

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (2005): The American S7 is truly a stunning testament to supercar engineering. The Saleen has huge presence, in a sort of NASCAR racing kind of way, and shows that ultrafast cars will never die. This is the quintessential American supercar (forget the Corvette, this will eat it for breakfast), and don't you forget it. Posters of this car are all over the bedroom walls of millions of young North American boys. And for good reason.

Engine type 7.0 Litre V8
Power/Torque 559kW/949Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Performance 0-100 kmh: 3.2sec
Top speed: 399 kmh (ouch! That's so close to 400)
Price: $850,000 AUD approx

The Noughties (00's) In Cars - - The Decade of the Supercar

Like many hopeless car fanatics, I have a huge collection of digital car pictures. Sort of like my own private stash. They serve as my desktop backgrounds, and my slideshow screensaver, and with about 1300 high resolution pictures on my hard drive, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourites. They aren't necessarily the coolest cars on the planet, but as a desktop wallpaper, they're all pretty hard to go past.

But of course, I'll start with the supercars. Although the Mercedes-McLaren SLR isn't one of my favourite supercars (awkward proportions), there's something about the cold, brutal foreground of this photo clashing with the background that makes me love it.But I really do love Aston Martins. And although I think the DBS is merely an adulterated (with bodykits, etc.) DB9, and silver is my least favourite colour of all time, this picture has got it all. It's better than any scene out of Casino Royale of Quantum of Solace, anyway.While this picture of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione doesn't have such an amazing background to match the last two, it does have a superb paint job - just look at the tones of red present in the front flanks of this car. Doesn't hurt that it's a brilliant looking car, either.This next picture convinced me that when James Bond isn't driving Aston Martins, he should definitely be driving a Jaguar XF. No, it isn't the XFR, but it's a stunning picture, nonetheless. Only makes me love the big Jag sedan even more.Everything about the Bentley Azure is encapsulated in this next wallpaper. Serene rivers, mountain ranges that appear to have been dusted with icing sugar, and bright warm sunshine. Not to mention a huge, rich, sumptuous convertible.Small cars can make some great wallpapers too. I couldn't choose between these two Fiat 500 wallpapers, so I'm showing you both. I just love the way the scenes are laid out, and the way light and shadow are handled. Little car, big impact.And you're probably wondering why I love this one of a Lancia Ypsilon. It's not as immediately stunning as the others, but the use of colour (or lack of it) really strikes a chord with me, and the way the puddles are black makes the scene menacing and austere.In contrast, this little picture of a Peugeot 107 is all about fun, vibrant colours, and sexy attitude. And again, the use of colour is what attracts you to it - I wish I was doing the samba around a Peugeot 107 now too.
Interestingly, 4x4s can sometimes provide some of the most beautiful car landscapes you can find. Especially if the company wants their car to appear butch and outdoorsy. Like this Ford Explorer, whose occupant has gone on a camping trip in the mountains. Fantastic.This is another interpretation of this "butch and outdoorsy" theme, courtesy of the Land Rover Discovery 4, which will be released next year. The elements are all there - steaming river, gnarly rocks, rugged (yet impeccably polished...) car - so what more could you want?This next one is just a really good landscape photo, I figured. It just happens to contain a car - a Land Rover Freelander 2 - so for that reason, it's awesome.But not all 4x4s are trying to appear rugged. Volvo, for instance, doesn't want its XC60 to appear rugged - because it isn't. It's a city slicker, and that's what's represented here. I have never seen a photo that appears so colourful and interesting, but in reality would be ordinary and boring. Genius.This one's a bit of a laugh. It always makes me chuckle - that the Subaru Forester could make it to the antarctic, where a group of exactly three penguins would examine it's spotless body in the musky moonlight.And I leave you with an Aussie company - HSV. This picture of the Clubsport R8 Tourer is a really nice one - I just wish it had been driving past the MCG.

FEATURE STORY: 15 Amazing Car Wallpapers You've Never Seen

Yes, it's been a long time since I've last posted - I took a break while I got my wisdom teeth yanked out, and living on tomato soup isn't exactly the ideal diet for the development of creative and witty automotive prose. Nevertheless, I will post the cars that will keep you at the height of your game should you indulge in buying a car in the sales rush before the year is out. Here are the dos and don'ts - kind of like my annual awards story. It's the Really Cool and Really Not Cool awards. Italian car-makers are well represented, as is Citroen, and Mazda walks away with the crucially important Real-World Family Car award. BMW has fared poorly, with no less than five "Really Not Cool" nominations, and other German makers (with the exception of Audi) are dusted around the other "Really Not Cool" awards and nominations. Oddly enough, this seems to be a reflection of the human populations in these two countries - in Italy, the ladies are like beautiful supermodels, whereas in Germany, you cannot tell the women apart from the men. Could the fact that German women are cosmetically challenged be the cause of a lack of inspiration amongst German designers?

"REALLY COOL SPORTS COUPE" Award 2008

Probably the only car that truly gobsmacked me not only when I first saw it, but the hundreds of times I've booted up my computer just to look at pictures of it. These few sentences are taking an age to write, just because it incapacitates my faculties and leaves my mouth gaping open. And yes, it must be in this "Infa Red" colour - the bodykit of the DBS was never my cup of tea, until I saw the car in this loud colour. I don't think I like the bazillion-dollar One-77 as much as I like this curvaceous beauty - I'm a straight guy, so I like curves. What else can I say?

Also Nominated:


Maserati GranTurismo S



"REALLY NOT COOL SPORTS COUPE" Award 2008
First of all, it's a Porsche. Second, how can anyone really believe that this isn't just a try-hard cut-price 911? It looks exactly like a 911, which is hardly at the cutting edge of design, but isn't as good. If you're going to be a wanker, you should at least have a car that is fast enough to smoke your aggressor's HSV GTS at the traffic lights. Can the Cayman even do that? Nope, the Holden will outpower the Porsche. Sad.

Also Nominated:


BMW Z4 Coupe




"REALLY COOL EXECUTIVE SEDAN" Award 2008
It sure isn't perfect, and I've always thought that the nose is ill-proportioned, but every time I see a 159 on the road, I'm convinced it deserves this award. What other executive sedan has the sheer road presence that this car has? Certainly nothing German does, although the Audi A4 comes close. This is a car that flatters the owner, because it insinuates that the driver has good fashion sense, is an automotive enthusiast, and probably has a spicy sex-life. But it's a sedan! Surely it doesn't get any better than that.

Also Nominated:


Audi A4




Citroen C5




"REALLY NOT COOL EXECUTIVE SEDAN" Award 2008
Is this car at all classy? Nope. It is as classy as tucking your business shirt into your (visible and above trouser-line) underpants. It screams "I wanna be an old-school socialite", if anything, and while the 159 is modern and probably timeless, this bubbly oddity loses it's sheen very quickly. Really, it doesn't deserve to have a leaping cat on the bonnet, but there you go - it sure does, unfortunately.


Also Nominated:


BMW 3-Series




Renault Laguna




"REALLY COOL LUXURY LIMOUSINE SEDAN" Award 2008Really, is this any surprise? The new Phantom is the last word in rich stylish transport. It's big, and square, and a face like a Mack truck, but it sure is cool. It infers that you are of as noble blood as all of the royal families in Europe, or you own all the royal families in Europe. It is truly brilliant in every single way, and I don't see why anyone with the need for a million-dollar luxury car buys anything else.


Also Nominated:


Maserati Quattroporte




Bentley Continental GT Flying Spur Speed (who needs a car with a 6 word name, though?)


"REALLY NOT COOL LUXURY LIMOUSINE SEDAN" Award 2008
Really, this involves all the Maybachs, because they all look cheap and anonymous and tacky, with paintjobs that are worse that your Ford Falcon. But this is just gross stupidity and snobbishness. Why on earth should you, a bazillionaire, get to ride in an open-topped limousine, while you're driver is in what is basically a black tinted box up the front? Are they not cool enough to soak up the sun's rays?


Also Nominated:


BMW 7-Series




It's just nice. That's how I would sum up the XC60. It is executed without flaw, yet it doesn't look bland or boring either. To be honest, it's one of the most classy luxury SUV out there - many other are vary garish and some are just rude. I wouldn't say this SUV is offensive in any way - on the contrary, it's rather likeable. It only seats five, but hey, for those who appreciate the high driving position and practicality of an SUV, this one is just perfect.

Also Nominated:


Mazda CX-9




"REALLY NOT COOL SUV" Award 2008
There will be somewhere in the world where the Hummer H3 is cool. Somewhere in America. For the rest of the world, it is gross stupidity and ignorance of a growing environmental problem, and a statement of American excess. And that is not cool at all. I really was thinking about putting the Porsche Cayenne up here, because it is hideously ugly also, but it does serve another purpose - it is (somewhat) a performance car. The H3 is a statement of idiocy.

Also Nominated: (here we go...!)


Porsche Cayenne (Close 2nd)




BMW X6




BMW X3




Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class




Ssangyong Actyon




Ssangyong Kyron




Subaru Tribeca




"REALLY COOL FASHION ACCESSORY" Award 2008I've raved about this little car here before, and I won't go into too much of that now, but the 500 manages to balance retro good looks, with a kind of European class that is missing from other fashion accessory cars. And then it's cute, too. Great! And you can make this car to be exactly as you'd like, so it will suit your fashion personality - not my thing, but I can tell that some others will be grateful for this. Bizarrely. I still really like this car. If I was an old pensioner, with little long-distance driving to do (mostly city stuff), I have no doubt in my mind that I would buy this car. Because it would put a smile on my wrinkled and aged face.

Also Nominated:


Mini Cooper




"REALLY UNCOOL FASHION ACCESSORY" Award 2008
I'm sorry, but I don't get this car. You would have to be living in a bubble to think that other people thought you looked funky or cool driving it. But then again, being inside a Beetle is living inside a bubble. The main irk I have with this car is that it doesn't have any substance to back up those superficial looks. I don't have any reason to love it - some women who must be taking hallucinogenic drugs will disagree, but that doesn't stop them looking uncool to the rest of the world living outside her pink bubble.

Also Nominated:


Smart ForTwo




"REALLY COOL REAL-WORLD FAMILY CAR" Award 2008
I think this car seems to have a positive outlook on life - I mean, look at it, you can't help but feel optimistic when it looks at you like that. But the design is so smooth, yet so characterful, that it puts all but the highest of Italian supermodels (the 159 of course) to shame. And it is available in what is probably the most intoxicatingly loveable light blue (which sadly isn't pictured) I have ever seen on a car. I sound decidedly female saying that, but there you go. It also happens to be the perfect family car - not too big, but roomy enough for a family of five. I don't understand why people buy Falcons and Commodores actually - why don't they buy one of these?

Also Nominated:


Citroen C4




Fiat Ritmo



"REALLY NOT COOL REAL-WORLD FAMILY CAR" Award 2008
Oh god, why would anyone feel the need to buy this? It looks awful! And it's American, very American. Shoddy quality, plastics that feel like a child's lunchbox, and an inability to function properly as a car. Not to mention that it actually looks worse in real life than it does in the pictures. I don't want to talk more about the Sebring - it makes me feel ill thinking about it.


Also Nominated:


Kia Magentis




Toyota Camry

FEATURE STORY: The Really Cool (and not) Cars of 2008