With a few exceptions, mine are for more geeky engineering-type reasons.
In no particular order --
1 ) Opel Eco-speedster... Hey, anything that can make 155 mph and also get over 100 mpg in a turbo diesel is just brilliant. Still makes over 30 mpg at top speed.
2 ) Mazda RX-8... Okay, as much as Wankels are poor designs, the concept of the rotary has a lot of room to grow, so anything that tries to break that mold gets a nod to me. Plus, it's the only car on my list that I've actually test-driven, and boy, what a difference RWD makes.
3 ) '68 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback... This is the only muscle car on my list, but hell... Shelby knows what he's doing.
4 ) GM Hy-Wire concept... some implementation factors aren't quite my cup of tea, but anything that brings new and interesting technology even a few hours closer is worth a thumbs up.
5 ) Audi TT 3.2... Gotta love that dual-clutch transmission. Nice example of a company trying for a catch-all solution.
6 ) Nissan Murano... I never would have imagined a Cone pulley CVT in an SUV would even happen, but I guess not. While it still proves that CVTs need to come of age in practical usage, it at least shows that high torque loads aren't an insurmountable difficulty without having to go more exotic.
7 ) Mazdaspeed 6... One that I actually have in my sights. Turbocharged AWD 4 banger, but it is still in a mid-size sedan and still gets 30 mpg on the highway, so you don't have to completely look like someone who bought a car solely as a phallic symbol... and it's not horribly expensive, so it's more of a phallic car that still keeps your feet on the ground and your head out of a noose.
8 ) Honda Civic... Nothing special about the car itself, so much as it is about Civics being the most popular car for aftermarket tinkering, with loads of options for disgustingly rich gearheads. I wouldn't really get one because it's nothing without that tinkering, and I'll be long dead before I ever have that kind of money to spend. That and it's uncomfortably small for someone my height (and I'm not that tall, either).
9 ) Subaru Impreza WRX... Simply put -- "The beauty of all-wheel drive."
10 ) Honda Accord Hybrid... All right, I know... The Accord as it is, is already an "everyman's" car. And putting together a hybrid drivetrain on a V6 so you get better power and acceleration AND higher gas mileage... well, there's your trifecta.
