Wednesday, December 24, 2014

These Are the 10 Most Beautiful Cars Available Today

Similar to Jimmy Kimmel's Handsome Men's Club, we like to imagine all the really good-looking cars occasionally gather together to affirm each other's hotness. Yet until autonomous cars imbued with artificial intelligence—and egos—arrive, the task of identifying the 10 most beautiful cars on sale today falls to us. Before your fingers hit that keyboard to post angry comments because your Toyota Yaris didn't make the list, let us point out that, while aesthetics are subjective, these cars were chosen by our staffers based on a definition of The aging, soon-to-be-replaced R8 among today's most beautiful cars? Probably controversial. But the R8 remains every bit the design icon it was when it debuted nearly a decade ago. It's telling that the car still looks like nothing else out there, with a semi-rounded surface theme that would probably look ridiculous on anything else. But paired with Audi's delicate headlights and taillights, simple grille work, and that roofline, it makes for one gorgeous soon-to-be-retiree. The Range Rover makes this list because of its pure surfaces. The previous-generation Range Rover was a rectilinear ode to the T-square, and while it was quite handsome, the new one makes it look blocky and cheap by comparison. We like the way Land Rover introduced a subtle curve to the door sections, not to mention the body's more pronounced rearward taper. The more dynamic surfacing elevates the signature look to a new, even classier level. Even as the latest Porsche 911 has grown larger and pushed even further upmarket, there's no denying the iconic sports car looks better for it. The new 911's longer wheelbase and re-contoured tail lend it a wonderful stance, and the overall proportions still work well with Porsche's classically curvy design language and the 911's unique, tail-heavy profile. And we can't talk about the 911 without mentioning those hips—they practically beg you to grab hold and . . . okay, we'll stop. The ELR plug-in's non-traditional path to beauty—it possesses far more straight lines than curved—landed it on our list. In spite of its cab-forward, front-drive proportions, the ELR wears perhaps the most finely tuned iteration of Cadillac's crisp, Art & Science design language. And the shape, classicism be damned, is dramatic, while the jeweled detailing and trim exude class, wealth, and style. We can practically hear your fingers hovering over those keyboards—yes, the Huracán isn't as outrageous as bulls past, but that's why it's on this list. Even ignoring the badge on the stubby hood, this is an exceptionally clean yet exotic shape. Call it the High-Art Doorstop or Subtle Surfacing Perfected—either way, it's a wonderful thing to behold. Wheels pushed to the absolute corners; classic long-hood, short-deck proportions; and clean, graceful sheetmetal: We can only be talking about Aston Martin's V8 Vantage, a proper sports car through and through. This fifth-place showing comes as Aston continues to introduce special-edition models, which typically signify a car's impending doom. But as with Jennifer Aniston, this hot car shows age is just a number. In the ultra-luxury realm, size matters—and it's one of the reasons why the 2015 S-class coupe places so highly in our beauty rankings. This plus-size pinup's use of proportion and its pervasive, tapering-arc design theme accentuate both its size and grace. The hood seems unbelievably long (a neat visual trick, courtesy of the upright and forward grille), and the three body-side lines add length and catch light like Tinker Bell scooping fairy dust. Did Germans really design this thing? We like the 458 Italia because it's exactly what a Ferrari should be: race-car tech wrapped in stunning sheetmetal. In this case, the Pininfarina-penned, mid-engine sports car's aggressive and almost brutally low body suits its knife-edged personality perfectly. We could spend hours poring over the 458's numerous, carefully designed details—and we have. Sure, few Alfa Romeos are born ugly, but the mid-engine 4C sprung into this world like an 18-year-old Kate Upton: fully formed and capable of holding your eyeballs in a vice grip. Just stare at its curves, taut lines, and athletic posture, and before long you'll be mentally transported to a twisty road somewhere in northern Italy. Bellissima. The Spider's better-resolved, less-arachnidan headlight units give it the nod here, but the same pieces will soon be offered on the coupe, so you can't really go wrong either way. Whether you begin with the Jaguar F-type coupe's proportions, its muscular shape, or its amazingly purposeful stance, this is a seriously pretty kitty. What about the roadster, you say? It, too, is gorgeous, but the coupe's plunging roofline and more-defined rear haunches give it the edge. And the experience isn't merely visual—the F-type R Coupe's supercharged V-8 soundtrack is pure aural ecstasy.

from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27

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