"Best" car in the world?

I went to log into my personal e-mail yesterday, and on their homepage they had one of those little factoid news blurbs. It said "Is this the best car in the world?". I think the picture was of a Ferrari, I didn't have time read the article. But it got me thinking, how would one go about defining the best car in the world? Surely you can't automatically say that the quickest 0-60 car or the highest top speed is it. Using the adjective "best" leaves a ton of grey area.

Thought this might make for an interesting discussion. How about this criteria to define the best? Pick the one car that hit the perfect sweet spot of the market/class it was intended for. You know…the car that did everything it was designed to do absolutely right, at the right price, etc.... For example, you could argue that the Lexus LS460 hit the luxury cruiser market perfectly because of x, y and z. Or the Honda Fit hit the B segment perfect because it combines the right handling, versitility and value in a bad economic climate. So it doesn't have to be an outright sports car.

So what's your choice? If you have a different way you'd qualify a car as "best", let's hear it too.

Because it is berkeleying awesome.

Well, it's really, really hard to argue against the Bugatti Veyron. It's one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) street cars ever made, one of the fastest cars every to come out of a factory (top speed and acceleration), and it does it all while being a completely posh luxury car. Single-purpose cars can beat it in single areas of competition, but nothing has come close to the complete package that the Veyron provides.

I would say, Motor Trend got it right. They got 11 of the world's best driver's cars assembled for the "World's Greatest Drag Race." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDP7Pty8Qnw

There are a few cars in this race that would be fighting for my opinion on best car. Probably the 911 GT3 RS, personally. Also, how awesome is it to watch those 11 cars drag race?

I'd like to think my "Best" car would be a 4-door 60-something dodge dart, slant-6, turbocharged, with a roof-rack.

Here's why:

Fuel Economy: Probably not bad if you lower it a little, put some larger wheels/tires on it, and stay out of the boost. I'm thinking 30+mpg hwy is easily attainable.

Family Hauling Ability: It has foor doors and big seats.

"Stuff" Hauling Ability: See: Roof Rack.

Ass Hauling Ability: 13 seconds on street tires shouldn't be too hard to achieve.

Comfort: It's easier to receive road-pleasure in a bench seat, and queen-mary-esque higway ride is a plus.

Value: I just passed up a cherry 70-something survivor with freshly rebuilt carb, new brakes and tires, less than 50k miles for $2,000. Throw in a thousand or two for turbo and suspension.

Sleeper/cool factor: 'Nuff said.

Handling? Who the berkeley cares. Enter turn, stomp on throttle, break rear tires loose, repeat.

In reply to poopshovel:

You lost me at bench seat.

Everyone has their own idea of what best means. I would imagine that for any car sold on the market today there's at least one person who thinks that car is the best.

Miata

Audi RS6 Avant? Fast, handles well, practical, has AWD so it can go in any weather, super-lux interior.

pilotbraden wrote: Miata

Thank you, sir!

Class! We've been over this before!

There is no such thing. Too many variables.

Best Zav... ...because, I mean, c'mon...nothing else could be a better post apocalyptic, go anywhere, run on anything, help you to repopulate the world vehicle than a unimog.

...srsly

Tom_Spangler wrote: Audi RS6 Avant? Fast, handles well, practical, has AWD so it can go in any weather, super-lux interior.

• 1 For the RS6, not the Avant though. I'll take the 4 door saloon. LOL

911 Targa 4 S on paper should be the best all weather Sports DD.

911 Carrera 4S

I was going to type something here, but then Poopshovel pretty much did it for me.

Either the one you just bought, or the one you just got running.

The best car is like the best beer...Free. Seriously, how can anyone narrow it down to one. Best at what?

Rasputin is the best beer. That is easy.

The best car is much harder.

I had a very heated discussion with my roommate the other day that the Acura Integra Type-R was the best car Honda ever made. I don't know if I'd bump it up to worldwide all-time, but it'd definitely be in my top ten.

EdenPrime wrote: In reply to poopshovel: You lost me at bench seat.

You young whippersnappers might be amazed at how much more road head you'd get with a bench seat.

In reply to LainfordExpress:

Not the NSX-R?

But i believe i heard on Best Motoring International that the Integra Type-R was viewed as the fastest naturally aspirated I4 in the world back in the day. The Honda S2000 owns that title now, however. But both cars made by the same company.

pilotbraden wrote: Miata

Sorry but the Caterham is a better sports car.

I look at it like this- if I had to buy ONE car, and it had to be my forever car, it'd be between the RS6 Avant, or the CTS-V wagon. Looks, speed, decent handling, posh interiors, etc etc. CTS-V because I can actually acquire one in the states, RS6 Avant because twin turbo v10 station wagon.

One that is paid for.