Top 100 Cars Part 2: 50-1

50. Peugeot 106 GTi (1997-2004)- Possibly one of the best hot hatchbacks of its time, looks smart and has good performance even compared to the bigger 306 GTI-6, but where’s the aircon?

49. Fiat Panda (2004-2012)- The Panda was a giant leap forward over the old Seicento, simple and funky and with the hot 100 HP version its also a cheap junior hot hatch. Genuinely turned Fiats fortunes around.

48. Skoda Yeti (2011-2024)- I like Skodas, but not their drivers. Anyways, the Yeti is a highly capable car, maybe not a driver’s car but it’s practical, solid, good off-road and quirky. Pity the restyle took away the funky lights. Plain and simple engineering.

47. Nissan 200SX (1994-2001)- A fantastic coupe of the 90s. Rear-wheel drive and packing a healthy turbo motor that can get it to 60 in 6.8 seconds and a facelift brought some more aggressive styling too.

46. Aston Martin Vantage (1993-2000)- Aston’s flagship was always called a dinosaur but the “Rolls-Royce with attitude” suits it better, full of character and a hard charger that rides on V8 thunder and supercharger whine.

45. Lamborghini Diablo (1991-2001)- The last of the old school Lambos. Audi input post ’98 did civilize the later VT & SV models a bit but the SE30 & GT’s were the best. 

44. Audi Quattro 20V (1989-1991)- The best version of the Quattro we ever got, a great all-rounder but aspects like the interior and quality have aged poorly. 

43. Audi RS4 (2005-2008)- Audi’s V8 small saloon sounds great and despite having its engine up front and packing 4-wheel drive it’s considered a fine handling car, choosing between this and the V8 M3, I’d take the Audi almost every time. 

42. Ferrari 456 GT (1993-2004)- The Ferrari for the refined. I think this is actually one of the best-looking Ferrari’s, it’s understated but still sleek and recognisably a Ferrari. Don’t forget the V12, chromed gear lever and fine interior. 

41. Vauxhall VXR8 (2007-2010)- For the price of a dull 2.8 Merc E-Class you can have this, a V8 super saloon, not technically brilliant but it’s all about bang for your buck V8 power, better yet, go for the Bathurst with it’s shrieking supercharger. 

40. Honda Accord Type-R (1998-2002)- Honda junior sports saloon was one of the best front-wheel drive cars of it’s time that’s only let down by niggles like high oil usage and the interior. Future classic.

39. Volvo S60/V70 (2001-2007)- Smoothed out and curvier than the previous S70/V70 and is a refined and unpretentious saloon/estate with the incredibly clever and rapid R version being the best.

38. Fiat Coupe (1993-2000)- One of the best cars of the 90s, unique styling, good pricing and a fantastic engine that gives great performance, it’s a pity it died a quite death with no replacement. 

37. Dodge Viper GTS (1997-2002)- One of the all-time great looking cars, its so good you can almost forgive the low-rent interior and that it’s not the greatest to drive, think of it as America’s Countach.

36. Porsche 911 GT3 RS (2007-2012)- Lightened and focussed, I know some may not like the bold colours or stickers but driving pleasure is what this is all about, and I love cars that put the driver first.

35. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (2006-2011)- The C6 Corvette was where the Vette finally got taken seriously, the Z06 had a 7 litre V8 with various bits of carbon fibre, magnesium and aluminium used throughout the car that makes it a giant slayer on the track but it’s not quite the relaxed cruiser you wish it could be on the road.

34. Noble M600 (2010-2023)- Noble’s hypercar may be expensive for a car from a small manufacture but look past the steep price and you find an effective machine that echoes the Ferrari F40, simple, lightweight and powered by twin turbo V8 with plenty of punch. Just mind out for the lack of ABS.

33. Ferrari 458 Italia (2010-2015)- Possibly the best modern supercar yet. Is there anything it can’t do? My only gripes are niggles like the choice between sat nav and speedo, and dare I say not the best-looking Ferrari. 

32. Ferrari Enzo (2002-2003)- My main complaint about the Enzo as is the case with all other limited run Ferrari’s bar the F40 is that you had to be chosen to buy an Enzo which doesn’t stop people from crashing it. But as a machine, the Enzo is full of all Ferrari’s engineering know-how 

31. Mazda RX-7 (1993-1996)- One of the best-looking cars ever, well-priced and incredibly rapid, dearly missed indeed.

30. Maserati Quattroporte (2004-2012)- It may be flawed, but on a good road, the Quattroporte shows its stuff as a sub-zero cool 4-door supercar, looks nice too.

29. TVR Griffith 500 (1993-2002)- TVR got serious with this one, it set the tone for the rest of TVR’s cars following. Maybe not dynamically as good as their later cars but it has that cracking Rover V8 and a classy interior.

28. Rolls-Royce Phantom- Oh how they thought Rolls-Royce was doomed when BMW bought it, but they were badly wrong. BMW knew exactly how to make a Rolls-Royce for the modern age, silent, simple and classy. I also like the little details like the integrated umbrella and the power reserve dial as opposed to a rev counter. Marvellous.

27. TVR Cerbera (1996-2004)- TVR’s budget supercar was Diablo fast at a sub 50k price and was still incredibly fast when it went out of production. Simple and unique so I can ignore the reliability concerns.

26. Noble M12 (2000-2006)- One of the best sports cars ever, great on the track but with just enough refinement to make it usable on the road for long trips.

25. Ferrari 550 Maranello (1996-2002)- Ferrari continued to make their cars more usable with this model, less flash and shouty than the Testarossa and more conservative whilst still being an incredible car, fast on the straights, good in the corners and easy to use.

24. Ford GT40 (1964)- Technically several MK1 GT40’s were converted for road use so this can be on the list. We all know the story behind the GT40 and how it went from failure to success.

23. Koenigsegg CC8S (2003)- The first Koenigsegg was the best in my view, not too outrageous or over powerful (well 655 is still a lot for 2003). But like the Zonda, you get a bespoke interior but being the first meant there was still fine tuning to be done at it.

22. BMW M5 (1999-2010)- I couldn’t choose between the E39 and E60 M5, so both can share this spot. Both really moved on the sports saloon games, The E39 had 400 BHP which in 1999 put it in the same ballpark as the Ferrari 360, Aston DB7 Vantage, Porsche 911 Turbo & TVR Cerbera 4.5. And yet it could travel long distances in great comfort with plenty of equipment and is still pretty understated, until you put your foot down. Ditto the E60, except the V10 is an all-time great engine, but all the I-Drive tech does spoil it a bit, so that evens that out.

21. McLaren F1 (1994-1997)- One of the all-time greats, no compromises in its creation make it a fantastic car that can be used as much as any conventional car. And what about the Le Mans win? World Record? And the fact that its just an amazing creation.  

20. Bugatti Veyron (2005-2016)- Like the F1, the Veyron is an incredible creation, pushing the boundaries of what engineers and designers can do, especially as most people thought it would never come to be, that it was too much. The Veyron is a testament to just how civilised 1000 BHP can feel and how much effort can be put into a car to get the most out of it.

19. Ferrari F40 (1987-1992)- If the Veyron or even the BMW M5 is all about using technology to get the most out of a car, then the F40 is using raw, simple techniques and philosophy to go fast, but it’s that simplicity that has made it so popular with keen drivers, no distractions, just focus on driving and getting the best out of it. 

18. Ford Focus (1998-2004)- Revolutionized family cars by being great to drive, great to look at whilst also being perfectly sensible and reliable. Focus RS was a winner too!

17. Mitsubishi EVO 8 (2003-2005)- Mitsubishi clearly made efforts to civilize the 8 over it’s previous efforts, but it’s still the faster more track orientated counterpart to the Subaru Impreza, when the Subaru understeers, the Mitsubishi oversteers, pity it just doesn’t sound as good as the Subaru.

16. Subaru Impreza 22B (1998)- There were plenty of hot Imprezas to choose from but the 22B was the best, designed to be as close to the WRC car as possible. It beats the EVO 8 by having the more well proven Subaru boxer engine, classic engine note and being even faster than all bar the fastest EVO 8’s.  

15. Honda FCX Clarity (2008-2014)- I’ve sung the praises of the Clarity before so all I’ll say is this brought hydrogen fuel cell technology to the mass market, it’s just a pity it didn’t catch on.

14. Porsche Carrera GT (2004-2006)- Porsche’s hypercar that came in at the peak of hypercars (Enzo, Zonda etc) equipped with a racing derived V10 and carbon composite body and carbon ceramic brakes. But don’t be fooled, the Carrera GT is back to basics, using engineering to make the best car Porsche can make, cool beachwood gear lever too.  

13. McLaren Mercedes SLR (2004-2010)- 80% as good as the Carrera GT on a track, but day to day, you’d take this every time over the Porsche.

12. Lamborghini Murcielago (2002-2010)- Audi influence gives us a V12 hypercar that ditches the over-the-top spoilers for clean elegance and whilst it’s still big and brash, but as owners will testify, you can use it for long trips and make full use of it’s power. 

11. Jaguar XJR (2003-2010)- Think of this as a 4-door Ferrari and your spot on as it is short on space inside but it’s a refined saloon that can go great distances in great comfort.

10. Bugatti EB110 (1991-1995)- One of the few usable supercars from the 90s, as luxurious and civilised as a big Jag but with it’s quad cam, quad turbo V12 it can leave it’s rivals for dead. Except the McLaren F1.

9. Ferrari F355 (1994-2000)- Probably the first usable Ferrari, it was a giant leap from the 348, great engine, styling, big on driver appeal and that noise. Ferrari got it so right with this one, a car everyone should drive before they die, just to experience the “Ferrari magic”.

8. Mercedes S-Class (1991-2014)- Innovation through cutting edge technology and attention to detail whilst also having the power to rival purpose-built sports cars. Sat nav, infrared headlights, TV, radar guided cruise control, massaging seats, parking sensors, you name it the, W140,W220 & W221 have got it all. Just don’t go for the entry level or AMG models, stay in the middle with the S500/600.

7. Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 (2010-2013)- The best version of the Gallardo, lighter, more powerful but with a bit of extra flamboyance with the spoiler and Superleggera on the side but is still usable on the road. And the noise, don’t forget that.

6. Ford Puma (1997-2002)- Take a Fiesta but tweak the engine and mechanicals and drop a coupe body and BOOM! You’ve got one of the best cars Ford has ever made, consistently ranked by owners as one of the most satisfying Fords to own and whilst the Racing Puma was expensive it’s actually really cheap to buy, I love it.

5. Pagani Zonda F (2005-2007)- The ultimate outrageous supercar, the attention to detail much like the Veyron or the F1 is just fantastic, for a bespoke car is just amazing, and then there’s the engine and the fact that it’s not just a chest of draws with a jet engine but a genuine drivers car. And the noise, sound is a huge part of a cars appeal for me and this one, well, its the best engine note ever.

4. Jaguar XK (2006-2015)- Call it an old man’s car if you want but the XK is a fantastic car, it still looks fantastic today, and goes fantastic with or without the supercharger, it’s a refined cruiser but can kick down and be a fantastic sports car. 

3. Porsche 911 Turbo (2000-2012)- Like with the M5, choosing between the 996 & 997 models was tough, both are brilliant ground coverers that are probably the fastest cars in the real world of blind bends, dips and bumps. Some may say supercars should stay extreme and unwieldy but I say no and the 911 Turbo along will plenty of others on this list prove big power and high speed can be harnessed on to the road to make an incredible machine.

2. Aston Martin DB9 (2004-2015)- The most good-looking car ever made and of the best looking man-made things ever made. It’s not designed to be as much of a drivers car as say a Ferrari 550 but it was a giant leap ahead of the old DB7, the interior is classy but modern, the gearbox is way more reliable and smoother than the Vanquish’s and the engine maybe 2 Mondeo V6’s but it goes and sounds fantastic.

1. Nissan Skyline GT-R (1989-2002)- Why is this car number 1 you may ask? Well, first off, I like the way it looks, second: the racing legacy, this car destroyed the competition in Australian touring cars hence its nickname "Godzilla" but also dominated the early years of JGTC as well. Third: its usability, the 4-wheel drive system and race car suspension mean on-board computers split power to which wheel has the most power, it solves your mistakes, you can get sideways so much your looking out of the side window and you can still get back on the straight and narrow. I know it's 2.6 litre engine maybe isn't the most exciting or nice to listen to and it's quite thirsty and not the most luxurious sports car, but for me, there's no other car I'd want to drive more than this one. You don't have to explain the Skyline GT-R, just get in and drive one of the all time greats of the car world.