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Top-15 Imports

Posted July 24, 2008

Recently, I listed my top-10 favorite domestic cars. In a rare stroke of genius, I decided to do the same — this time expanding the list to include 15 of my favorite rides from abroad. This exhaustive list is, of course, just an opinion — and certainly not the most educated of them.

15. Volkswagen Thing — It’s my favorite variation of the iconic Beetle, from its warehouse-spec exterior to the flat-four engine. In a way, it was a challenge to the Jeep CJ — albeit not a very serious one. Without four-wheel drive and an engine output in the triple digits, the CJ ruled off-road while Thing was more of a fashion statement. And you wonder why we won World War II?

14. Mercedes SL65 AMG — This is a tech-laden treat for those with a need for torque. In fact, the 612 horsepower doesn’t seem much compared with the 738 pound-feet of torque it churns out. AMG has always been the bearers of brutal horsepower in Mercedes, and they’ve been given a lot more license recently. Will these sky-high numbers ever come down? Perhaps only by the influx of sky-high gas prices, as this uber-Benz no doubt uses it liberally. In the end, the conservative — though increasingly racy — styling keeps this Benz off my top 5.

13. Lotus Elise — It’s hard to imagine a featherweight car today, since most of them come packed with 1,000 pounds worth of airbags, entertainment systems and comfort features. That’s what makes the Lotus a favorite of mine. It’s small, sleek and a demon on the racetrack. It’ll do with 200 horsepower what a Corvette will do with 400. Throw in reasonable fuel economy and a low entry price (for a sports car, that is), and it’s not hard to see why Lotus has emerged as a premiere sports car producer. I even give them kudos for using the bullet-proof 1.8-liter, high-revving Toyota engine, rather than going with a dodgy, in-house product that will just waste money and drive sticker prices up. As production costs climb, I’m sure you’ll see more companies borrowing from larger corporations like this in the future.

12. Honda FCX Clarity — As a sheep among wolves, at least on this list, the FCX seems an unlikely character. It looks much anything else in Honda’s lineup. In fact, it’s the first hydrogen-powered car to be offered to the public, provided you have really good connections, you live in California and have the bread to afford the $600 per month lease payment. Nonetheless, it’s another step in the right direction, bypassing OPEC and their league of oil speculators. I’m a bit wary that oil companies are working hard to sink their teeth into the hydrogen market, thus keeping us in their pocket, but that’s another argument for another blog.

11. Porsche Cayman — The rear-engined 911 is becoming an anachronism. In its place, I bring you the mid-engined, drop-dead gorgeous Cayman, a true spiritual successor to the long-dead 356, the car that James Dean bit the dust in. It's smaller and sleeker, and finally ditches the Beetle-esque profile the 911 carried on way too long. I think everyone's fantasy garage should include at least the Cayman.

10. Pagani Zonda — Packing a Mercedes-sourced V-12 of various displacement and tune — depending on how much of a death wish you have — the Pagani Zonda went on to capture the hearts and minds of enthusiasts, while burning up records. It was a sports car turned up to 11, with the outrageous bodywork to prove it. It’s not a stunner, but neither is any other true supercar. It’s built for one thing — speed. If you can’t deal with that, then there’s a Smart car with your name on it.

8. Jaguar XK-E — Brushing aside my dislike for British cars (you must like putting out engine fires and changing head gaskets to own one), the XK-E (or, E-type to the Brits) had sleek, sexy styling compared with other British cars that were either Titanic-sized (Bentley and Rolls-Royce) or smaller than a Power Wheels (MG, Caterham 7). The XK-E packed Jag’s storied racing history (and its lauded 3.8/4.2-liter inline six) into a stately, yet sporting package.

8. Subaru WRX STI — The STI is a car you can enjoy in just about any climate — all-wheel drive for when the weather gets nasty and 300 horsepower for when you’re at the track. It seems at home in either environment. Though we’ve known the STI (which stands for Subaru Technica International, by the way) a few years, it’s come to symbolize the growing influx of Japanese-branded horsepower mongers. Yea, the 426 Hemi made 425 horsepower, but could any of the Scat Pack hit 60 in fewer than 5 seconds while actually handling? The latest model may have been the butt of some jokes over its Kia-esque styling, but it still has the heart of a beast. And that’s what truly matters in my book.

7. BMW M3 — I’ve always wanted an M3. It’s a sub-$100K muscle coupe backed by an automaker that truly knows its stuff. Sure, the M3 has — arguably — picked up its share of technology that some say takes away from the driving experience. And, of course, it’s a long way away from its 1986 patriarch that employed a meager 192-horsepower four cylinder. Now, you can double both those numbers — and throw in BMW’s much-criticized iDrive controller. Given my choice, I might pick the E46 M3 — the one with a 333-horsepower inline six and Bangle-free styling.

6. Ferrari F40 — This car is a perfect example of how Ferrari’s commitment to racing bled into its road cars. Forget radios, creature comforts or even door handles — you were driving the world’s fastest production car, the first one capable of 200 mph. The 2.9-liter V-8 doesn’t sound entirely up to the task of such velocities, but coupled with twin IHI turbos, a 2,500-pound curb weight and a specially designed exterior, you could reach 60 mph in as little as 3.2 seconds (depending, of course, on which road test you believe). Forget listening to the radio — the real soundtrack is sitting behind you. It was one of the only cars that could get away with less-than-Spartan amenities while charging obscenely high prices.

5. Lamborghini Miura — I’ve often fournd Lambos to be grossly overstated supercars appealing more to rap stars than true connoisseurs. The Miura, however, started off on the right foot, and it’s more for its gorgeous, Bertone-penned exterior than anything else (but it also boasted a hearty V-12). The Miura essentially set the bar for mid-engined supercars in the ’60s, following the likes of the Ford GT-40. Notorious European traits, like engine fires, crept up, but couldn’t snuff out this budding Italian supercar manufacturer.

4. 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R — The R-32 version of the iconic Japanese performer returned, this time bringing turbo technology, all-wheel-drive and 280 horsepower. Of course, the GT-R moniker stayed off our shores until just recently, but the GT-R version remained an underground phenomenon in the states, with some spending thousands to import Japanese-market versions (yea, that means right-hand drive) to the States. And can you blame them? The 280 horsepower number was merely a starting point for negotiations. With the aftermarket swarming with high-tech mods, the GT-R is capable of mind-boggling horsepower. Just make sure you have the tools and know-how to make it happen.

3. Ferrari 275 — One of the best cars to come from Maranello (but who can pick just one?), this front engine sports car showed that you didn’t need huge displacement to perform. In fact, the 275 made due with a 3.3-liter V-12. The four-cam version made 300 horsepower (nearly 100 horsepower per liter in 1966), and it was good for 165 mph. The exterior was as beautiful as its powertrain options, as it pushed for understated comeliness as opposed to slab-sided excess.

2. McLaren F1 — When Formula One heavyweights McClaren debuted its seven-figure sports car, people took notice. And it wasn’t just a big name and huge horsepower. Until the Koenigsegg CCX stole its thunder, it was the fastest production car ever made. Buying an F1, you were getting more than just the mere bragging rights of owning a super-priced supercar. Even still, with an F1, you were good for 240 mph, and it could hit freeway speeds in a scant 3.2 seconds. It boasted a unique three-seat cockpit — I’m not sure why you’d need that — and gold foil as a heat shield.

1. Bugatti Veryon — How could this not top anyone’s list? It wasn’t just a car with eye-popping numbers; it was an engineering tour-de-force. It made all those huge numbers work together. How many 1,000-horsepower tuner Vipers can accomplish what the Veyron can? It seems like it does all things spectacularly. Its cockpit is a gallery of uncompromising European luxury. But it doesn’t stop there. It will hit 60 in fewer than three seconds and top out at a staggering 250 mph. 1,001 horsepower, 10 radiators, $1.4 million, 10 mpg — those are just a few of the huge numbers for the Veyron.

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