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MANUFACTURERS’ BEST CARS

Here at Autocar, arguments rage over which is the best car from each manufacturer’s back catalogue. FELIX PAGE decides to settle things

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The office bickering began with the first manufacturer on the list, but it was inevitable: how could anyone possibly agree on a ‘best’ Alfa? 33 Stradale, 75, SZ, GTA, 156, 147, 8C… There was no chance of us even agreeing a top five, surely.

But while the debate rumbled on, Alfa coincidentally announced it was keeping the Giulia Quadrifoglio on sale for another year, and we were all so happy about it that we realised it was the obvious answer.

Kris Culmer was among the loudest supporters: “They designed the most handsome car of the 2010s, spent a mad amount on its chassis and gave it a stonking V6 of Ferrari parentage. When not broken, the Quadrifoglio is amazing.”

A reassuringly traditional and endlessly appealing Alfa that still stuns even in its old age – and one we now have extra time to enjoy.

RUNNER-UP

8C Competizione The 8C isn’t just any old V8 sports car: this is a snarling piece of automotive art that wouldn’t look out of place in the Uffizi Gallery.

SP

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

A good old fashioned underdog victory here, as the ‘baby’ Aston snarls ahead of full-blooded bedroom poster cars like the DB9, DB5 and Valkyrie to emerge as Gaydon’s greatest.

Charlie Martin said Britain’s answer to the Porsche 911 “is what brought Aston back to the fold as a maker of proper 21st-century sports cars”, adding: “It’s powered by what is probably the angriest-sounding V8 ever built.”

Matt Prior seemed a bit surprised at his own choice – “I’d rather have a DB9” – but conceded he had fond memories of racing one in the 24 Hours of Silverstone. “Great car. Best weekend ever.”

RUNNER-UP

DB9 Henrik Fisker’s timeless and handsome design, a smooth V12 and an all-round superb GT makes this my modern-day Aston highlight.

RB

Audi Quattro

Michèle Mouton once acknowledged that Audi’s original four-wheel-drive sports coupé had a powerful aura: “If I have some emotion, of course it’s the noise of the Quattro. Nobody can forget the noise.” That from the woman who famously “didn’t feel at all” when preparing to tackle a WRC stage. How’s that for proof of this Group B legend’s unfaltering legacy?

Resident rally fanatic James Attwood certainly ‘didn’t feel’ there was much more to say about the warbling wonder: “Just type ‘Audi Quattro Group B’ into YouTube and you’ll see.”

Jack Harrison said the Quattro is one of those rare cars that “is not only a style icon but also a mechanical milestone”. Seriously quick, too, even by modern standards.

RUNNER-UP

R8 For years the Porsche 911 had been the default German sports car. Audi threw everything at knocking it off the top spot, and the quietly brilliant R8 was the result.

AW

BMW 3 Series

Has there ever been a bad one? There are variants that don’t suit specific needs, sure (you wouldn’t catch an Uber driver in an M3 Touring CS and a humble 316i wouldn’t be much cop at Cadwell Park), but through each of its seven generations, Munich’s mid-size executive car has majored on mass appeal with a broad selection of brilliant incarnations that have won it legendary status in every corner of the car world.

At least that’s what Mark Tisshaw thinks: “It feels such a reference for the wider market, even today. Such bandwidth in the range, too.”

Jack Warrick called the 3 Series simply “one of the best all-rounders on sale”, with a consistent excellence that is “always unmatched”.

No pressure on the imminent Mk8, then.

RUNNER-UP

M5 If something is as fast or as engaging as an M5, then you know it’s worth looking at, and staying relevant for 40 years across seven generations is well worth celebrating.

JH

Citroën DS

The most recent DS we drove was an attractive but unadventurous high-riding hatchback that you would be hard pressed to mark out as a pioneer in any respect.

The first DS we ever drove, by way of contrast, was a futuristic tech-fest of a machine like no car that had gone before. It changed the face of luxury motoring forever and these days enjoys true legend status.