Team Car Throttle: 2011 Car of The Year

Whilst 2011 is nearly over weep we've decided to celebrate with a rather special, one-off Car Throttle post. It's the first "Team Talk" article we've done, and the task for the premiere edition? Each of our writers were asked to come up with their favourite car of 2011. The rules were simple; it could be any production car but it must have seen daylight from a factory this year...obviously. Without much further ado, introducing Team CT in alphabetical order.

Adnan's CT 2011 Car of The Year: Porsche GT3RS 4.0

Some might call this a cop-out vote given that the Porsche is well, an already fantastic high performance marque, and the 911 is nothing short of brilliant especially with the recent 991 revision. However, whilst the GT3RS 4.0 has been nominated multiple times with other outlets, it's yet to really emerge as the winner of the year. And if you look at the specs you might agree given that it's "only" got 493bhp compared to near 700hp with the Aventador, and lacks the mechanical auto-transmission wizardry that something like a Fezza 458 Italia has.

However if you delve into the cabin, what you'll notice first are workman-inspired pieces of scaffolding. Ignore these. What you'll see next is a small stick in the middle of the centre console. That my 21st Century friends is called a gear stick. And it's this gear stick combined with a hanging-out-of-the-arse engine placement that makes this my 2011 Car of The Year.

This top end Porsche is all about driver engagement - forget millisecond upshifts, perfectly blipped downshifts, flicking a mannettino into "Race" mode. Jog on. Use your left leg, get heel-and-toeing, and drive this Porsche how a car should be driven. With passion and respect. Despite costing sir £130,000 to get on the road, if you were to purchase one like our automotive peer Chris Harris recently did, you would be only one of 600 other motorists lucky enough to do so. And with great rarity comes great responsibility. Scratch that. With great power, comes the great ability to lay down some rubber on your favourite B-road.

A tip of the hat to you, Porsche, for producing my 2011 Car of The Year.

Alex's CT 2011 Car of The Year: Lamborghini Aventador

When it came to deciding my favourite car of 2011 I didn't really want to think about miles per gallon, practicality or revolutionary CO2 emission ratings. I cared about looks that stand out, performance and the fact that just looking at pictures of one gets me hot under the collar. Which is why my Car of The Year is the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

The Aventador comes with a 6.5L V12 that produces 691bhp and goes from 0-62mph in just under 3 seconds. That's almost Bugatti Veyron acceleration in a Lamborghini that costs a quarter of the price! Top speed isn't close to a Veyron of course but it's still impressive at 217mph, despite top speed being the least important priority for Sant'Agata's engineers. It's very expensive to buy and run I admit, but it is so worth it in my opinion.

The thing I love most about it are the looks, inside and out. The exterior is influenced by the previous limited edition Reventon and it certainly stands out in the current supercar crowd. The interior is a big step up from the previous Murcielago. It really has that 'I'm a thirteen year old in a fighter-jet' feeling with a high centre console and a digital dials. Some people have said that the digital dials really look naff but for me I think they make the car feel more special and futuristic.

The Aventador isn't a supercar, it's a Stealth Fighter on 20-inch alloys. And that's why I love it.

James' CT 2011 Car of The Year: Cadillac CTS-V Wagon HPE V700

If manufacturer executives spent a lot of time on the internet reading about what car fanatics want, the road would be covered with manual transmission, rear wheel drive station wagons. But here in the US, nobody buys those, so not many companies sell them.

Thankfully, General Motors understands "us", which is why the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon exists. A car this awesome makes it hard to believe it's real, but if you have $64,515 to plunk down you too can own a CTS-V wagon. This car does it all. In the front, there's an absurdly powerful supercharged 6.2L V8 - all 556 horsepower of it. In the middle is a classy, comfortable interior with a good stereo, leather Recaro chairs, and a six-speed manual. In the back are both a pair of hopelessly outmatched tires, and a sizeable cargo area behind a lift gate. What else can seat 5 and their luggage comfortable while doing 60mph in 4 seconds? Add in the CTS-V's handsome, angular styling and you have the Swiss Army Knife of supercars - a rocket that can haul a load of Ikea. And it's brashly, unapologeticaly American. Proof that when we do stuff right, we do it so right.

Of course, too much is never enough, so my nomination for Car Throttle COTY would be said CTS-V wagon with the HPE (Hennessey) V700 kit. A ported blower, pulleys, hot cam, and a pile of other goodies unleashes an extra 150 horsepower, which is absolutely necessary. It can also apparently do the business to a 911 Turbo in a drag race - and that's just the V650 kit. You can't have your cake and eat it too? No, you just need a lot of money. But for a car that hits all the buttons, this one does the trick.

Ollie's CT 2011 Car of The Year: BMW 1 Series M Coupe

Why is the BMW 1 Series M Coupe my 2011 car of the year? It's not because of the steroidal, cartoon hot rod styling, which I hated on its debut, and now adore. It's not because of the drive either - I've not pedalled one myself, though there's numerous sources who have, and will be pleased to inform you what a riot it is.

The 1M is my favourite car of the year because of its refreshing nature; if you'll pardon mon Francais, the total lack of bull approach. Allow me to explain.

Most press cars you'll have read about this year: 458s, MP4-12Cs, Cayman Rs, have been loaded to the gunwales with options, adding twenty, thirty, even fifty thousand pounds to their prices. If you want ceramic brakes, painted callipers, and some carbon trim on your new McLaren, the £168k supercar will sail past £200k. Often, this is lost in the small print, but these 'necessary extras' really are where manufacturers are making their money these days.

The 1M doesn't stoop to any of this. You pay a tenner shy of 40 grand for your baby M car, and only have the choice of a sat nav and some Bluetooth gubbins to add on. No pricey dual clutch gearbox, it's strictly stick-shift only. Only one (gorgeous) style of alloy wheel on offer. A black leather and Alcantara interior with orange stitching, take it or leave it. It really is KISS cars at its best (Keep It Simple, Stupid.)

And whilst the 1M didn't dish out any bull manure, it didn't take any either. It ushered in the era of turbocharged M cars, silencing the naysayers telling the internet Beemer had sold out. It really has been a return to form for Germany's most illustrious performance garage, after the horror of the X6 M.

If I could have a ten minute drive in any car from 2011, or live with any one for ten years, it'd be the BMW 1M. You can practically see its talent bursting out, through those fabulous blistered arches.

Rigval's CT 2011 Car of The Year: Ferrari FF

I was busily doing absolutely nothing as I was in Bandung, Indonesia taking (another) long deserved break from my daily routine when I opened up my email account to find a message from Adnan requesting my vote for 2011’s Car of the Year. After going through a short list of cars that I believe are deserving of such a vote I have decided to go with the Ferrari FF.

The other cars on my short list were the Range Rover Evoque (this crossover SUV really does justice to the concept of SUV-Coupe unlike the odd BMW X6 and the Citroen DS3 which makes a car look like a pair of Air Jordans) and the Lamborghini Avendator, Lamborghini’s V12 flagbearer.

The reason why I didn’t choose the Evoque was that it may look like the ultimate SUV-Coupe, but I still don’t fancy driving a coupe on stilts. The reason why I didn’t choose the basketball sneaker was that it is still only a sneaker and sneakers do not really bring me utter motoring happiness. And the reason why I didn’t choose the mad Lamborghini is that suddenly, a V12 Lamborghini doesn’t seem so mad and crazy anymore. Audi has made it a controllable and practical monster. I still believe that a Lamborghini should try to kill you at all times.

And so I decided on the Ferrari FF. Why? Because of the innovative transmission – it is all wheel drive but it has a separate ‘mini’ gearbox up front that seamlessly transfers power to the front end when needed rendering it lighter than current all-wheel drive setups which require transfer cases and gears and other whatnots. It also is a V12 Ferrari with a hatch at the rear. It can sit four with ease and carry tons of shopping. It looks better than its predecessor, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, which was practical but not pretty. So in short, if I wanted a supercar than wouldn’t want to kill me, I’d get the FF. Enuff’ said.

Tim's CT 2011 Car of The Year: Aston Martin Virage

My 2011 Car of the Year vote goes to the Aston Martin Virage because, let's face it, Aston Martin is one of the coolest automotive brand names on the planet and the Virage is just so utterly beautiful.

It sits brilliantly between the elegant DB9 and the overtly sporting DBS, resulting in a car that remains luxurious and understated but capable of delivering increased athleticism that is always accessible for effortless driving.

Not only that, but Aston Martin’s legendry hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine, producing 490bhp and 420 lb/ft of pulling power makes driving around twisty roads and long straights a near-spiritual experience. The six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission simply adds to the mix and makes the Virage’s gear changes tangible yet effortless. And the sound the car makes is enough to win my vote alone; the deep, beautiful music from the tailpipes menas there's no need for the B&O stereo in this car!

To conclude: 2011 has been another great year for some great pieces of metal. Amongst the big names not mentioned here, we must give a shout-out to the Citroen DS3 which seems to have cleaned up in recent awards despite it commencing production back in 2009, and to such mechanical marvels as the McLaren MP4-12C, a symbol of great British engineering. It's been a great year for us here at Car Throttle, but our resolution for 2012 is to be even better. Stay tuned and we'll be seeing you in the New Year.

Did we miss anything from our CoTY list? Let us know in the comments below.