A very good year

With 2012 already a distant memory it’s a good time to take stock of those previous 12 months as the new year begins. And a quick flick back through reveals that 2012 produced a bumper crop of exciting new cars. Despite the economic pressures, ever-stricter regulations and buyers who are more discerning than ever, there have been some real gems.

There was something for everyone and every budget too. Right at the top of the tree was McLaren’s 12C Spider, which managed the impressive trick of being more practical and no heavier and no less structurally stiff than its coupe sibling, yet added fresh air and more noise to the scintillating performance.

Porsche had it’s own take on drop-tops too; the 911 Cabriolet is the best full-size drop-top it has ever made, while the new Boxster surpassed all expectations to become the best roadster bar none.

On a more practical level, Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake and Mercedes-Benz’s CLS Shooting Brake proved that style and luxury can be packaged in something that can handle sizeable loads, all without diminishing driving pleasure.

And only the fourth new Range Rover in 40 years manage the difficult job of living up to its reputation, delivering style, class and comfort as well as impressive weight and fuel-saving results.

Sports car fans had a new hero to champion too. The joint project between Toyota and Subaru gave birth to the GT86 and BRZ coupes, which shared a singularity of purpose that created a low-weight, modestly powered car with moderate rather than huge grip levels. The result was possibly the best driver’s car of the year that was fun at low to moderate speeds rather than requiring flat-out madness in a world where it is both socially irres­­ponsible and almost impossible.

But arguably the most impressive car of 2012 was one of the cheapest. The Volkswagen Group invested heavily in a new city car, to create the Volkswagen Up, the Seat Mii and the Skoda Citigo.