I saw this list on MSN and started shaking my head as soon as I saw the first car. Half the cars on this list don't deserve to be there. They just don't come close to being on a list of true Trophy Cars. Every one of these is a nice car, certainly a desirable car, but hardly worthy of the Trophy Car title. So, here we go, with my explanations on why.
Lame list...
- BMW M5
Oh please, nice car, but anyone can own one and you can barely tell it apart from a regular 5 series.
- Ford Shelby GT500
Okay, this one falls opposite the Bentley...I like it, but no. It's a Mustang.
- Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG
Again, nice car, but there is no wow when you look at it, just like the 5M.
- Porsche Cayenne GTS
OMG, no. First, the Cayenne is an abomination, and second, see what I said about the M5 and S65 Merc.
- Rolls-Royce Ghost
Sorry, but when you aim below the top, then you do not have a trophy.
As Jeremy Clarkson said, "if you have one of these, one day you will pull up to a set of lights, and along side will slide Simon Cowell in his bigger Phantom and he'll go...*cheesy knowing grin*." To which Richard Hammon answers, "I know what you mean, because you would only buy the Ghost because you couldn't afford the Phantom." (Top Gear, Series 16, Episode 3)
That doesn't sound like a Trophy Car to me. Yes, my Trophy is that I cannot afford the larger model.
Okay to be on the list...
- Aston Martin V12 Zagato
Heck, any Aston Martin that isn't a Vantage could make the list, but this one is special, as a Trophy Car should be.
- Bentley Continental GTC
I don't really like the Bentley, but it is definitely worthy of the list.
- Ducati 1199 Panigale S / Tricolor
Okay, I wouldn't put a bike on my Trophy Car list, but if you did, then this is a good one.
- Ferrari 458 Spider
Any Ferrari but the California could make the list.
- Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
This one is sort of obvious, except you cannot actually buy one
Now, I think there are some additional cars that can take their place on the Trophy Car list, and all I did was take suggestions from the failures above. Also, since the MSN list seemed to be restricted to new cars, I kept my additions to the same criteria.
My additions to the list
You don't have to include Rolls-Royce, or Phantom. Do a Google search for Drophead Coupe and it will be the first thing on the list. The Drophead Coupe lacks the performance of the Bentley, but more than makes up for it in posh style and panache. No matter what pulls up next to you, you can hold your head high. Any Rolls-Royce Phantom would be a big improvement over the Ghost.
Zagato is a coach builder. They take a car and wrap it in new sheetmetal. AMG and M are in-house tuners for Mercedes and BMW. So, if we are going to have an American car on the list, then why not go to the head of the class with Steve Saleen. He offers two Mustangs, a Camaro and a Challenger that offer custom looks as well as ridiculous performance. Everyone will know the car is special as soon as they see it, rather than having to look for a tiny badge.
A trophy car should shout, not whisper, and the only one that really shouts is the SLS. I prefer the roadster myself. This is a car that holds its head high, no matter what pulls up alongside. If you buy the S65, then when one of these pulls alongside, you'll get a misty look in your eye.
And, nothing says Trophy Car like exclusivity, not just the exclusivity of price, but the exclusivity or limited production. Every year or two, Mercedes tuner group AMG goes all out, and produces a car that goes even beyond the normal AMG tuning, and creates the Black Series. The most recent is the C63. Only 800 were produced and they are all sold, so like the Sesto Elemento, if you don't already have one, you won't be getting one.
I am not even sure if you will be able to buy this one, but if you can, it will jump up the Trophy car list, unless BMW produces thousands of them, which is unlikely. It should be no surprise that Zagato is on the list again. Zagato is a famous old name in the coach building business and there are many spectacular and unusual cars that bear the Zagato name.
Now, that makes a more acceptable list of Trophy Cars. Tell me what car makes your Trophy Car list.
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