Coolest car ever made?

[white_goodman]

Not that middle-aged men (as I expect most of us are) are the best arbiters of "cool" but just for fun, what do you consider to be the coolest car ever made? Note not the best or the best-looking and it may be very subjective but I think:

1) it needs to look good, whether it be in a beautiful or purposeful/functional way;

2) it should come from a globally respected/recognisable brand (hard to define but I don't think something like a Hyundai, Kia or Skoda could ever be the coolest car no matter how good they are) but not so rare/obscure that no-one knows what it is;

3) there should be some "substance" behind the looks/badge whether that be performance/capability or "character".

My initial thoughts are:

"Classic" Land Rover Defender
"Classic" Mini Cooper
VW Type 2 Camper
Aston Martin Vantage (1980s)
Mercedes-Benz SL "Pagoda"
Lamborghini Miura SV
S1 Jaguar E-Type FHC

Audi Quattro, McLaren F1 and Porsche Carrera GT have to be in with a shout too? Nothing Japanese or brand new in my list, I love Japanese performance cars but perhaps they tend to be a bit "geeky" to be truly cool. Toyota 2000GT perhaps? New cars tend to be a bit too "try hard", flash or contrived to be cool but I guess there are still some cool new cars.

Edited by white_goodman on Monday 21st March 03:24

[talksthetorque]

If you think about whether cars are cool or not, then you are not cool enough to decide which cars are cool and which aren't.
I include myself in this, as I have now thought about it. It's a bit like The Game.

[PAUL.S.]

The King of Cool rather liked this

[LuS1fer]

Countach

[200Plus Club]

Beautiful/effortlessly cool/heritage/purposeful.

[Ivan stewart]

Any Audi or German car for that matter init bro maybe a range rover sport !

[simonrockman]

Stratos

[nick1871]

This.

[Katzenjammer]

[Pica-Pica]

For me it was a Citroen DS. When I first saw one, they were so different to run of the mill British cars of that time.

[Carlososos]

VW High UP! With basic engine. All the car you ever need cheap to run, comfy for 4, looks good with out trying. Most importantly is not pretentious. Very cool.

[Julian Thompson]

[white_goodman]

Glad to see some more Italian stuff in there.

I love those old Alfa Giulia Coupes and the 1960s Duetto Spider. I also have a thing for the Lancia Fulvia and the Citroen SM, as someone mentioned the DS. Old Italian/French cars aren't for everyone though.

I wouldn't say that any Audis are cool apart from the original Quattro, maybe the R8 at a push? The current TT has also gone up in my estimations, perhaps because it is less prolific than the mk1/2 and everyone is driving Q3s/Q5s instead.

Not sure about modern Land Rovers. New Defender possibly but perhaps a little contrived, "classic" Range Rover certainly.

[deeen]

Ferrari 400, because it's not trying too hard.

[white_goodman]

Carlososos said:

VW High UP! With basic engine. All the car you ever need cheap to run, comfy for 4, looks good with out trying. Most importantly is not pretentious. Very cool.

The Up! Is one of the few new cars that I find cool for that very reason but why not the GTi?

In comparison to a Miura, S1 E-Type or "Pagoda" SL is it in the same league though? Will people still remember the Up! In 40/50/60 years time? I know that I would feel infinitely cooler driving any of those cars, whereas in an Up!, I would just feel like myself, as likeable a little car as it is.

Likewise, the Defender, VW Type 2 and Mini Cooper are all instantly recognisable icons that in many cases people who don't even like cars that much seem to love. Nothing in my list under 20 years old, I guess that's a sign of marketing BS and legislation taking over in automotive design. The coolest, most iconic vehicles seem to have either been the vision of one person or built by a team of enthusiastic engineers for a purpose rather than to fit in to some kind of "lifestyle niche".

[Brooksay]

K.I.T.T, of course.

[rupro]

Mini Cooper.

Brooksay said:

K.I.T.T, of course.

Always going to be that for me.

Edited by rupro on Monday 14th March 08:55

[bristolracer]

Come to Cornwall on any holiday weekend, and tell me afterwards if you think any VW van is cool.

Cool would be something like the Fiat Dino

[Carlososos]

white_goodman said:

Carlososos said:

VW High UP! With basic engine. All the car you ever need cheap to run, comfy for 4, looks good with out trying. Most importantly is not pretentious. Very cool.

The Up! Is one of the few new cars that I find cool for that very reason but why not the GTi?

In comparison to a Miura, S1 E-Type or "Pagoda" SL is it in the same league though? Will people still remember the Up! In 40/50/60 years time? I know that I would feel infinitely cooler driving any of those cars, whereas in an Up!, I would just feel like myself, as likeable a little car as it is.

Likewise, the Defender, VW Type 2 and Mini Cooper are all instantly recognisable icons that in many cases people who don't even like cars that much seem to love. Nothing in my list under 20 years old, I guess that's a sign of marketing BS and legislation taking over in automotive design. The coolest, most iconic vehicles seem to have either been the vision of one person or built by a team of enthusiastic engineers for a purpose rather than to fit in to some kind of "lifestyle niche".

The gti is lovely and I would have one over the normal up any day but as for cool, it’s trying to hard compared to the normal model.

[Debaser]

This