Allow me to start with the topic at hand and work from there:
My favourite automobile manufacturer is Subaru, by a country mile. The way the company conducts itself, the automobiles in its current line up, as well as the adverts it puts out have cemented Subaru as my all time favourite. That being said, I do not own my absolute favourite Subaru, which is the WRX STi 5-door. I do, however, own a very nice 2009 Legacy, which, if I might add, is utterly brilliant to drive and own. My family has owned a few Subarus, and as it has been stated before, they run just about forever and take whatever you can throw at them.
The list of runner-ups is rather long, so please excuse the length (though it should be noted that the following list is more about individual cars than manufacturers). In no particular order, here we go:
Jeep, most notably the Wrangler. The Wrangler is unquestionably American, even if parts of it come from other countries. That's a small price for Jeep's signature model, which has been around since the 1940's, well, the basic design has been. First penned by Bantam during World War II, the US government accepted Bantam's design of a light, personnel vehicle capable of rapid off-road transport. However, Bantam couldn't meet the production demands, so the contract was then given to Ford and Chrysler, who together, pumped out ten's of thousands of the venerable and lovable little Jeep. After the war, returning G.I.'s bought them in droves, using them from the mundane grocery-getter, to farm work. The Jeep, with it's tiny "Go Devil" four cylinder proved that being rough and ready didn't have to mean complicated and overly engineered. Today the same basic formula exists in the JK platform of the Wrangler. The Chrysler corporation updates the Wrangler ever so much without changing the essentials, and, in my honest opinion, that's what keeps the Wrangler selling like hot cakes.
From the early 90's all the way up until two years ago, Dodge (under Chrysler LLC) made a rather raw sports car named the Viper. It was powered by an enormous V-10 engine that some said sounded like a farm engine. Me, I just think it sounded vicious. It was low, wide and could blow the doors off any other sports car of its day. Power rose from 400hp in the 90's to over 500 near the end of its production cycle. It was made in two main forms, a removable hardtop version dubbed the RT-10, and a coupe version dubbed the GT-S. In true sports car fashion, it was only ever built with one transmission, a Tremec 6-speed manual. From its styling to its performance, the Viper was loud, raw, raucous, and drop dead gorgeous. Of course, the $80k price tag has kept me from owning one, but that doesn't mean I can't dream.
Some say that Porsches are for silly businessmen who have no imagination. Others claim that Porsches are a pure driver's car. Me, I just have a soft-spot for the Cayman S, 997 911 Carrera, and the Cayenne Turbo S (yeah, say what you wish, but that exhaust note is music to my ears). Honestly, I couldn't care less what the nay-sayers have to voice about Porsche. I like them, even if the Carrera does seem like a glorified Beetle. Let's be honest, the company, Porsche, was founded by Ferdinand Porsche's son after WWII. It only makes sense then, that Porsche's main production model, the 911, share a resemblance to VW's oldest model, the Beetle. That all aside, having sat in a 911, I can only say that the seats are simply marvelous. It's not unlike sitting in a baseball glove. One's backside is coddled and held in place by the thin, yet superbly bolstered seats. All the controls were where they should be and operated with a measure of intuitiveness. My wallet would likely walk out on me if I were ever serious of buying a Porsche, though my practical side would make a stand, saying that a Porsche is a car that could be used every day.
Maserati has been around for ages, and as such, it has crafted a nice little niche for itself. As far as Italians go, Maserati was, at one point, owned by Ferrari, a manufacturer that goes without introduction. Under Ferrari's management, Maserati turned up a four door saloon that has been stuck in my mind ever since, the Quattroporte. Translate it into English and it literally means "four doors", but let's be honest, it sounds so much more seductive in Italian. It can be configured in many, many different ways, so many in fact, that you can easily spend the better part of a day sifting through colour combinations. According to Jeremy Clarkson, the Quattroporte is "definitely going to Heaven."
Maserati isn't the only Italian automaker on my list of favourites. Lamborghini had quite the humble beginning, with farm tractors being its main product, Lamborghini went to Ferrari and suggested he start making his cars more durable and reliable. Enzo Ferrari scoffed at this, a farm tractor manufacturer telling him how to make his sports cars. So, Lamborghini made his own. Fast forward to today, where Lamborghini is now under the Volkswagen tent, and you'll find a blithering array of techno gadgets underpinning the Lambo of today. However, Lambo has managed to keep its soul intact, which is a good thing, since the soul of the car, is what helps to make a Lamborghini, a Lamborghini. The rest of it is being flashy, and the Aventador, as well as the Countach and Diablo before it, have flash in spades. Angles, angles, and more angles, from whatever direction you chose to view the car, the Aventador is about as angular as anything on the road today. What's more, the Aventador has an exhaust note to die for.
As far as honourable mentions go, here's the short list:
1970 Buick GSX
1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
Bugatti Veyron Supersport
Land Rover Discovery and Defender 90
Bentley Continental GT and Mulsanne
Chyros, on 18 Jul 2011, 11:54, said:
It drove 150 km through Death Valley. I'd call that off-roading
. Also it's able to ford water better than any Land Rover in existence because its air intake is in the roof.
I'd hardly count driving through Death Valley as "off-road". Sounds more like hot weather testing to me. Don't try to tell me the Evoque's air intake is on the roof. Don't be silly. Only Jeep's, FJ40's, and Discoveries/Defender 90's with snorkels have the intake "on the roof". The Evoque is too sleek to have what you are suggesting mate.
Edit: Having the intake between the bonnet and roof does not make it "on the roof". All that makes it is elevated, and pretty much, all that means is that the intake (filter and air inlet hole) are above the top of the engine. Yes, I am aware the Death Valley is quite a bit more than just fine ground sand. Come on, I live in the United States (even took some Geography courses while I was at it). There's a fair bit of rock and rocky outcrops to go along with the sand and dried up rivers/lakes. Here's a bit you didn't mention: Death Valley represents the farthest below sea level you can go in the United States. Still, the bit where May tried to scale a rocky portion with all season tires is ridiculous. He wasn't going any further than he did without a transfer case, a proper 4WD system (and there is a difference between AWD and 4WD) and proper off-road tires.
Edited by Sgt. Nuker, 18 July 2011 - 22:28.
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It works brilliantly off-road, it's tough, quiet, very economical, the ride is outstanding even on very rough terrain, a very good interior and in the opinion of quite a huge amount of people it looks stunning. There's a year-long waiting list for it and it's only getting fantastic reviews everywhere I look.
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