Top Ten Cars of 2012

Here is writer Russell Bray's pick of the glitziest and most glamorous cars this year.

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  1. Porsche Boxster S: Porsche’s push me-pull me looks for the Boxster convertible have never quite worked, but with design ideas snatched from the fabulous Carrera GT there’s now an elegance and purpose
  2. BMW M135i: Okay, it’s visually challenged from some angles despite a subtle bodykit, but this ‘junior’ M car is such fun to drive and one of the surprises of 2012. It always feels fast thanks to a 31
  3. Aston Martin DB9: Grand touring, in the grandest of manner, is what Aston Martin’s two-plus-two DB9 does best. The extra space of those two ‘kiddy’ seats means room to toss a couple of coats or bags.
  4. Vauxhall Astra VXR: With a storming 276bhp from its turbocharged 2-litre engine Vauxhall’s VXR Astra doesn’t often stand still long enough for folk to admire its racy styling. The body comes from the
  5. Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series: Taking most family saloons to a race track would be a waste of time. Take a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series and you’ll discover a data logging system so you can comp
  6. Chevrolet Camaro convertible: Yes, there are faster cars, and better handling ones, and despite a rumbling 6.2 litre V8 engine, more powerful ones; but when it comes to personality mixed with style t
  7. Ferrari F12 Berlinetta: No-one ever moaned their Ferrari 599GTB lacked power, but its F12 replacement has a titanic 6.3 litre V12 engine capable of delivering 730bhp – 119bhp more than the 599 – if t
  8. Range Rover: It’s the new Range Rover’s job to look good everywhere, from deserts to driveways, and though the press drives off-road were the tamest I’ve ever seen, and the car slid about on its fat
  9. McLaren MP4 12C Spider: Near effortlessly fast so you’re never quite sure if it’s you or the on-board computers doing the driving if you’re pushing the grip envelope, but it’s great to have a world c
  10. Toyota GT86: Proving lotsa money doesn’t mean more fun when it comes to cars, my Car of the Year is Toyota’s GT86 Coupe for £25,000. It’s a real driver’s car that you have to work hard to make the mo