My Ten Favourite Brands

"RT" (rt-p) 06/06/2016 at 10:17 • Filed to: Uselesslists, list, 10, TVR, Peugeot, Subaru, Volvo, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Saab, Lancia, BMW, Mazda

4

11

Wobbles the Mind did this earlier, so I might as well give it a try myself.

10 - TVR

If Porsche had a bigger imagination, a smaller budget and tried to kill you more.

9 - Peugeot

Used to be the king of rallies, though until recently they were flatlining.

I8 - Subaru

Also used to be king of rallies, except they’re doing a bit better right now.

7 - Volvo

Bricks with attitude. Subtle cars that manage to both safe and classy.

6 - Jaguar

“I drive a Jaaag” sounds forever cool. As do V8s and V12s, ignore that repair bill.

5 - Alfa Romeo

Had their ups and downs, but you can’t say no to an Alfa.

4 - Saab

One of the few brands that always innovated, even if it didn’t go their way.

3 - Lancia

All that is good and bad about Alfa Romeo multiplied by a million. Also rallies.

2 - BMW

Losing identity now, but they still make the ultimate driving machine.

Now for some honourable mentions:

Porsche, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Maserati, Land Rover, Suzuki, DeTomaso, Citroën, Matra, Lotus, Aston Martin, Mitsubishi, Holden and Dodge.

1 - Mazda

Ambitious tech, huge variety and one of the best current lineups.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > RT 06/06/2016 at 10:22

1

I agree with your top 6. Also, good choices for pics on these.

S65 > RT 06/06/2016 at 10:44

3

Best Mazda.

66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash > RT 06/06/2016 at 10:52

1

No way my list would be complete without Porsche (in the top 10), but solid list nonetheless, Mazda is a good choice too.

RT > 66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash 06/06/2016 at 11:02

1

Yeah, I’m regretting not putting them higher tbh, they made some great cars.

gawdzillla > RT 06/06/2016 at 11:12

1

Mazda and Subaru is on there, good

Volvo is cool

I’d put Ford & GM on my list

RT > gawdzillla 06/06/2016 at 11:18

0

I like Ford & GM too, it’s just hard to limit it to ten.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > RT 06/06/2016 at 12:04

2

I agree with this list. BMW haven’t lost their way. They’ve just grown up and gone for money. They’re like the adult who used to play piano really well early on in life. They may not play every day because of work and kids but when they see a grand piano and have a moment to themselves, they’ll absolutely stun you with a perfect rendition of Bach.

RT > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 06/06/2016 at 12:08

1

I like that analogy, Porsche is doing the same sort of thing these days as well.

SpeedAKL > RT 06/06/2016 at 16:03

0

This is really, really tough:

10a.) Toyota - Not what many enthusiast think of at first, but hear me out. Yeah there are a million white Camrys and silver Corollas out there. But Toyota also gave us the Supra, Land Cruiser, MR2, LFA, AE86, Celica, FR-S/GT86, batshit race cars like the AAR Eagle Mk. III and GT-One, and the lustworthy 2000GT. Hopefully Akio Toyoda can finally restore their credibility with enthusiasts.

10b.) Jaguar. Sorry I know this is technically 11. Jag deserves a mention here. Yeah they take their knocks for reliability issues. But what a history! They gave us arguably the most beautiful car every made, the E-Type. They endowed luxury cars with a class and style apart from the technical, reserved Germans. Jag and Aston-Martin are the automotive embodiments of Cool Brittania.

9.) Honda - On the down and out right now in terms of excitement, but you can’t deny their history. Hits like the NSX, S2000, Civic Si and Type R (back when they really meant something), and Prelude. Lots of F1 and Indy ass kicking. Technology like VTEC, aluminum space frames, hybrid assist.

8.) Mazda - Best selling sports car of all time, crazy rotary engines, the 787B and its demonic engine note at LeMans, and a commitment to making affordable cars fun

7.) Chevrolet - Yeah they’ve laid plenty of turds. They can claim the Corvette (one of the three most successful sports cars in history), the Camaro, all kinds of badass muscle from the 60s and early 70s, arguably the world’s most successful engine, countless sports car racing victories, tons of Indy and NASCAR championships

6.) Lamborghini - A car company fully dedicated to doing three things - 1. go really fast, 2. scare the shit out of drivers and passengers alike, 3. look as ridiculous as possible in the process. Automotive world wouldn’t be the same without them

5.) Ford - Like Chevy they’ve made some turds. They also invented the mass production automobile. They also gave us icons like the Mustang, Fairlane 409, and GT40. You’ll find Ford power in everything from Caterhams to Cobras to Panteras to F1 cars (the Ford-Cosworth DFV is the winningest motor in F1 history). And they’re still cranking out awesome performance cars today.

4.) Mercedes-Benz - Karl Benz invented the car. His company has done more than anything to define what it means to be a luxury car. Think “engineering excellence” in a car, and M-B immediately comes to mind. Oh, and a tendency to annihilate competition on the track counts for something too.

3.) BMW - I agree they are slipping, but they’ve arguably done as much as anyone to spread enthusiast values - good steering, good chassis balance, well rounded performance, perfect tradeoff between ride and handling, link between road cars and racing. Besides, they provided the McLaren F1's engine. That counts for something!

2.) Porsche - Thousands of race victories, countless innovations, one of the world’s most iconic cars, a greatest hits list to make the Beatles Led Zeppelin run and hide, continued commitment to driving pleasure. Nuff said.

1.) Ferrari - See above, but with more soul and more beauty. Lust on four wheels since 1947.

Amoore100 > RT 06/10/2016 at 23:58

1

Ooooh, I should do this too. Personally I think Mazda peaked in the ‘90s during Japan’s bubble economy since it let them be rather crazy and ambitious with Autozam, Eunos, fini, and all the rotary and Miller-cycle engines. Still, nowadays they are doing what Honda used to be doing, making ordinary cars with a bit of pizzazz. I guess I should make one of these lists too!

RT > Amoore100 06/11/2016 at 07:37

1

Exactly my thoughts right there, 90s Mazda was at its peak - absolutely amazing/insane, no other cars were quite like them. These days, they have to play it safe so they don’t almost bankrupt themselves like last time. But they’re still making some of the best ordinary cars out there.

I’m waiting until Mazda gains enough money to be able to fund such ambitious cars again.