Photos

As I sat back to think about the best drives I've had this year, the Ferrari 458 leapt immediately to mind. Along with the snarling, slithery, sideways Mercedes SLS. Both these cars are brilliant in their own way, but, sadly, both were launched in 2009. So making either my COTY for 2010 would be like giving the Best Picture Oscar™ this year to Born Free.

This year? Hmmm. Most of the cars we've seen creeping into showrooms were designed in a climate of fear, two years ago, when the banks were on their knees, Lehman Brothers had gone, AIG was up a creek without a paddle, and no one knew what would happen next.

Words: Jeremy Clarkson
Photos: Justin Leighton

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This article was originally published in the Awards issue of Top Gear magazine