AUTOMOBILE Magazine picked only seven cars for this year’s All-Stars awards. Which top 2016 autos made this hard-to-get-onto list by TEN Enthusiast Network editors?
First, the evaluation period was quite strenuous and the winners were cast by private ballot. The votes came from AUTOMOBILE’s incredibly picky professional reviewer and editing staff along with special guest judge race car driver Andy Pilgrim, the winner of the Daytona 24 and former SCCA Pirelli World Challenge winner.
These expert auto judges spent several days driving 25 contenders on the track and around Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada. Next, a hand-picked group of editors took this year’s All-Star winners on a road trip through California’s Death Valley and the majestic and curvy Eastern Sierra mountain range.
AUTOMOBILE Editor-in-Chief Mike Floyd says “we don’t do boring” when talking about choosing the cars that “most closely align with our ethos,” which is apparently about “cutting through the hype and noise in search of a select group of vehicles with style, class, importance and desirability.”
So here’s the list of the 2016 AUTOMOBILE All-Stars along with descriptions from the editors of The Enthusiast Network (TEN):
Volvo XC90: Volvo has nailed its target dead-center. Despite its size, the new Swede returns 25 MPG on the highway—thanks to an eight-speed automatic transmission mated to a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four that purrs like a happy leopard. As far as luxury goes, it has a beautiful Scandinavian-modern interior.
2016 Volvo XC90 R Interior
Porsche Cayman GT4: More than any other car in the field, the Cayman GT4 proved as blissful on the track as it did on the open road. The GT4 delivers sports-car purity like few others, thanks in large part to its 24-valve, 3.8-liter flat-six wringing out 385 horses, mated to a fabulous six-speed stick.
2016 Porsche Cayman GT4
Ferrari 488 GTB: The 488’s allure lies in its bewitchery; you’ll sit in the cockpit just to inhale intoxicating wafts of hand-stitched leather—and its extraordinarily expansive performance envelope. It is a very comfortable road car but can also handle a serious thrashing on the racetrack.
Ferrari 488 GTB (Photo credit: AUTOMOBILE Magazine)
Mazda MX-5 Miata: Just like the original Miata more than a quarter-century ago, the new edition dispenses joy with its tach needle. Hurl it around the track at the limit and it rewards with evocative steering, a playful but predictable chassis, and a 155-horse 2.0-liter four that’ll gun to 6,800 RPM all day.
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Ford Shelby GT350/GT350R Mustang: A beast on the track and a Saturn V rocket on the open road, the new Ford Shelby GT350 had us fighting for seat time. We sampled both the base and the more track-focused R versions. Both blew us away. Not surprisingly, the GT350R is the more aggressive sibling, but no one found the GT350 lacking.
2016 Ford Shelby GT350
Volkswagen Golf R: With a base price well under $40,000, the new all-wheel-drive Golf R comes across as a bona-fide bargain. Adjustable dampers allow tailoring of ride firmness from Comfort to Race, and the flat-bottom steering wheel and short-throw manual six-speed speak directly to an enthusiast’s soul.
2016 Volkswagen Golf R
McLaren 570S: The 570S is a genuine mid-engine exotic—low, rakish, rare—with awesome speed and star power. From behind the wheel, the 570S delivers non-stop thrills thanks to its twin-turbo, flat-plane-crank 3.8-liter V-8 and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
2016 MacLaren 570S (Photo credit: Motor Trend)
Want to know more, especially if you are considering a new car purchase this year? Check out TEN’s #noboringcars hashtag or visit EnthusiastNetwork.com.
