The 2005 Top Gear Awards

[si|verfish]

Star cars of 2005 Link

The 2005 Top Gear Awards featured a host of gorgeous models - from the sub-one-litre Toyota Aygo to the Bugatti Veyron

JC introduces our Cars of the Year:

Most new cars are exactly as you expect them to be. They go, stop, and sound like you had imagined before you ever turned the key. But occasionally you trip over a car that does something surprising, something that you really weren't expecting at all.

The Toyota Aygo is one such car. On the face of it, a boring urban runaround, built simply to make money.

But at the recent Top Gear magazine-sponsored MPH shows in Birmingham and London, we played 33 games of football with six of these cars. And not one broke down.

'The biggest surprise of the year was the Bugatti Veyron. I was expecting just another supercar'

They were crashed into one another - a lot - they did myriad j-turns and handbrake turns. They lost door mirrors, bonnets, bumpers and whole panels, but they kept on going. It was truly extraordinary to witness.

But for me, the biggest surprise of the year was the Bugatti Veyron. I was expecting just another supercar but, as you'll see from my recent column, it's much, much more than that. As a piece of engineering, it is unsurpassed.

And it has what we call the X factor, that indefinable magic, that inbuilt star quality, that 'something' that separates the brilliant from the talented, the competent and the merely very good.

The Bugatti is the best car of the year. It's also very probably the best car ever.

The winners
You've seen what Jeremy had to say, now find out why the cars (and people) below are a cut above the rest. Just click on each of the links to find out more.

Car of the Year Bugatti Veyron
Car of the Year Toyota Aygo
Best Roadster Mazda MX-5
Best Hatchback Honda Civic
Best Grand Tourer Aston V8 Vantage
Best Luxury Car Mercedes CLS
Best Limousine Mercedes S-Class
Best Super-saloon Audi RS4
Best Sports Car Porsche Cayman
Best SUV Range Rover Sport
Best Supercar Ferrari F430
Best Executive Lexus IS

Seriously, I just had to point out the Toyota Aygo for big plaudits. Being awarded Car of the Year next to none other than the ultimate supercar, Bugatti Veyron. That's some going.

This is a car that is cheap but cleverly so. It's like building a house by optimising the use of materials and resources by ingenius design. They didn't just skimp and use subpar parts like some local manufacturers do. The car has been designed to be economical to build and therefore cheap. It sticks to the basics, being simple, throwing out all the surplus and excess fat in gadgets and electronic thingamajig. And yet it's a relatively good car that was awarded 4 stars by EuroNCAP.

Bravo to Toyota for showing the world how to build a good cheap car.

Proton, start taking notes.

 

[koolspyda]

proton notes?

it will take a while more till they sort the bureaucracy they have now (open secret).
turnaround for them? a miracle is needed in a shape of a "outside hand" but it wont be possible.

 

[si|verfish]

Well, lets not make this into another Proton bashing topic.

What I wanted to do, was highlight that it is possible to make cars that are cheap and good, both in build quality and design. Things that are cheap aren't necessarily nasty as most people tend to think.

 

[ehaab]

..the toyota aygo is not only cheap but also has a lot of goodies on the inside..

 

[SkYwAlKeR]

yeap... aygo packs lotsa goodies inside... besides, it also has reasonable handling and performance for it class.... they certainly dont look cheap if compare to their price....

 

[zan]

i wonder if proton would import aygo for their study.

in 1997, i know proton bought one Alfa 146 for them to study.

the end result??

ha ha ha

Waja beak nose = alfa 146 beak nose

 

[si|verfish]

Waja beak nose = alfa 146 beak nose

The guys from Alfa would have been disgusted if they knew.

 

[zan]

The guys from Alfa would have been disgusted if they knew.

they were quick though to change 156 nose signature. no more beak.

 

[infernaL]

Well, lets not make this into another Proton bashing topic.

What I wanted to do, was highlight that it is possible to make cars that are cheap and good, both in build quality and design. Things that are cheap aren't necessarily nasty as most people tend to think.

taikor .. i think its very hard not too since were talking about proton lol ....

 

[2zzge]

BMW not even in the list

 

[zan]

BMW not even in the list

recent BMWs are very good, but not good enough for JC i think.

maybe, its becoz of the looks.

 

[satria_95]

Things that are cheap aren't necessarily nasty as most people tend to think.

This applies for Malaysian goods only ma. hahahaha

 

[si|verfish]

BMW not even in the list

How is that surprising? They are good, just so happens there are better cars around.

 

[si|verfish]

recent BMWs are very good, but not good enough for JC i think.

maybe, its becoz of the looks.

JC isn't the only one responsible for compiling that list. It's done by Top Gear magazine which has its own group of road testers and columnists; JC, Hammond and May included.

 

[ehaab]

yes that is correct TOPgear is just not only JC..there are a lot of ppl involved..should look at thier Magazine which is a great resource...
i think the M5 should have made the list atleast..