Top 5 car manufacturers?
Discussion
What are your top 5 car manufacturers and why? In no particular order, mine would be:
1. Alfa Romeo - not a massive fan of the MiTo or Giulietta but Alfa have made some the coolest, best looking mainstream cars over the years.
2. Maserati - Not yet convinced by the ambitious expansion plans but I for one would welcome the choice of some Italian style in the luxury sector and maybe the Maserati badge has the clout to succeeed where Alfa Romeo and Lancia failed. Just really beautiful, cool cars and not trying as hard as Ferrari or Lamborghini.
3. Aston Martin - Some of the current models may look very similar but nevertheless beautiful cars that make you feel proud to be British. I also admire them for being one of the last manufacturers to still offer large, naturally-aspirated V8 and V12 engines and manual gearboxes for the time being (V12 Vantage and DBS).
4. BMW - Have made some fantastic attainable drivers cars over the years, on the cutting edge of engine technology and I admire their decision to stick to their RWD ethos.
5. Subaru - Again I admire their resolve to persist with making 4WD cars. The Impreza Turbo is quite the working class hero. The (old) Forester and Legacy estate are both really cool yet classless cars. Perhaps they have lost their way a bit recently but the BRZ shows some promise for the future.
Ford,VW and Skoda narrowly missed out on the top 5 for me.
1. Alfa Romeo - not a massive fan of the MiTo or Giulietta but Alfa have made some the coolest, best looking mainstream cars over the years.
2. Maserati - Not yet convinced by the ambitious expansion plans but I for one would welcome the choice of some Italian style in the luxury sector and maybe the Maserati badge has the clout to succeeed where Alfa Romeo and Lancia failed. Just really beautiful, cool cars and not trying as hard as Ferrari or Lamborghini.
3. Aston Martin - Some of the current models may look very similar but nevertheless beautiful cars that make you feel proud to be British. I also admire them for being one of the last manufacturers to still offer large, naturally-aspirated V8 and V12 engines and manual gearboxes for the time being (V12 Vantage and DBS).
4. BMW - Have made some fantastic attainable drivers cars over the years, on the cutting edge of engine technology and I admire their decision to stick to their RWD ethos.
5. Subaru - Again I admire their resolve to persist with making 4WD cars. The Impreza Turbo is quite the working class hero. The (old) Forester and Legacy estate are both really cool yet classless cars. Perhaps they have lost their way a bit recently but the BRZ shows some promise for the future.
Ford,VW and Skoda narrowly missed out on the top 5 for me.
Lotus - for inspiring me to become an engineer.
Toyota - amazing engineering.
BMW - amazing engines.
Honda - amazing engineering and engines.
VAG - amazing marketing. Hateful, but you can't argue with success.
Honourable mentions to Mazda (for not giving up on the wankel until they finally fitted it in to a car with suicide doors), Hyundai (for making cars that really do all the things that VAGs reputation has been built on) and GM and Ford, without whom all other cars wouldn't seem special.
Toyota - amazing engineering.
BMW - amazing engines.
Honda - amazing engineering and engines.
VAG - amazing marketing. Hateful, but you can't argue with success.
Honourable mentions to Mazda (for not giving up on the wankel until they finally fitted it in to a car with suicide doors), Hyundai (for making cars that really do all the things that VAGs reputation has been built on) and GM and Ford, without whom all other cars wouldn't seem special.
I'd probably give a different answer if you asked me again tomorrow, but right now...
Lotus: No-one else comes close for a history of producing drivers' cars.
Porsche: Probably the best combination of user-friendly and fun (although IMO they've been increasingly off form recently).
Ferrari: Over the course of their history they've produced some of the most beautiful, evocative cars ever made. Jaded by the models of the last 30 years, though.
Kia/Hyundai: Simply the best producers of "white goods" cars of the present day, and possibly ever.
Mercedes Benz: Pretty much invented the motor-car and have been at the forefront of its technological advancement ever since.
Lotus: No-one else comes close for a history of producing drivers' cars.
Porsche: Probably the best combination of user-friendly and fun (although IMO they've been increasingly off form recently).
Ferrari: Over the course of their history they've produced some of the most beautiful, evocative cars ever made. Jaded by the models of the last 30 years, though.
Kia/Hyundai: Simply the best producers of "white goods" cars of the present day, and possibly ever.
Mercedes Benz: Pretty much invented the motor-car and have been at the forefront of its technological advancement ever since.
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