The 25 Best Cars of 2011

Complex Says: The Evos concept is the future of Ford's design, according to Moray Callum. The front end is a hyper-aggressive evolution of Ford's current designs, the rear is swoopy and aerodynamic, and the interior is ridiculous and will never make it to production anywhere. It's the perfect concept car.

Msrp: $183,000
Complex Says: The SLS AMG is a fantastic grand tourer, with one of the best-sounding engines in production right now. Sadly, its ass is just a little awkward. Amazingly, the convertible version not only brings the open air experience to AMG's finest, but it fixes the design of the rear end too.

Complex Says: Bertone made this classy, classic Jaguar sedan concept for the Geneva Motor show. While we and the rest of the world loved it, Jag politely declined. Despite the fact that there's no chance of seeing a production version, it's still awesome.

Complex Says: The idea of a young, hip Mercedes compact shooting brake gets us all hot and excited. If it looks anything like this concept we will be very happy. The rumor that a 300-plus hp AWD AMG version will follow makes this concept even sweeter.

Msrp: $56,850
Complex Says: It may not be new to the rest of the world, but to America the Audi TT-RS signals the return of Audi's RS line of sportscars. BMW's M and Mercedes' AMG have to worry about their other competitor here now, and we think the market is better for it.

Msrp: $71,300
Complex Says: The sleek Mercedes CLS started a whole new design trend when it was introduced. Since then, we have seen everyone from Volkswagen to Aston Martin create a four-door coupe. When it came time to update the CLS, Mercedes had some serious expectations to live up to. Luckily, the new CLS takes what was good about the old one and injects some SLS AMG-inspired muscle into it. We think it's a huge success.

Msrp: $257,000
Complex Says: Normally, when cars get their roofs chopped off, they look good with the top down and awkward with the top up. The Ferrari 458 Spyder manages to look good both ways. To boot, the automatic folding hard top is the first one ever to grace a mid-engined car. We love it.

Msrp: $102,000
Complex Says: The long-awaited mustache-mobile has finally come out to play. Aside from the aforementioned facial hair, the Karma is without a doubt the coolest-looking hybrid on the market. It just oozes awesomeness. It has enough performance to back up those looks, too. Here's a hybrid that's actually desirable...weird.

Msrp: $59,250
Complex Says: Audi jumped on the four-door coupe bandwagon this year with a powerful, fun-to-drive, fairly fast, beautiful car based on the award-winning A6. The A7 is attractive, capable, and has a gorgeous interior. While it may be an obvious case of "me too" after seeing the success of the Mercedes CLS, we're happy it's here.

Msrp: $26,670
Complex Says: After a long, long wait, Chinese buyers averting certain doom during the depths of the recession, and a seemingly endless parade of geriatric sedans, Buick finally reached down there, siezed some cojones and made a car that stands up to cooler Buicks from history. It's not a sports car. It is most certainly still a luxury car, but it has the power and the handling to be fun to drive, while not embarrassing you at stoplights. The Buick Regal Turbo is one big step in the right direction.

Msrp: $66,300
Complex Says: For 2011, Porsche removed a bunch of features from the Cayman S, charged you more for it, and then offered to charge you even more to put them back in. Despite the fact that it's a total rip-off, the Cayman R is totally worth it. The reduced weight and slightly retuned everything else makes for one of the best track-day specials available.

Msrp: $43,995
Complex Says: We were all scared. It's a Land Rover that has only two doors for no real reason, and Victoria Beckham was on the design team. We were all very scared. Somehow, it ended up being a real Land Rover. The trick electronics helped the Evoque become a capable off roader, while still being the smaller, hipper, Ford Fiesta of Land Rovers. In the end, we came to quite like the Evoque, and we now recognize that there is a good demand for this sort of thing.

Msrp: $379,700
Complex Says: It's faster around Top Gear's test track than a Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. The Aventador is an amazing vehicle and the best-looking stealth-fighter-styled Lambo yet.

Complex Says: The Jaguar C-X16 concept is everything a Jag coupe should be: two seats, dead sexy, reminiscent of Jaguars past without looking retro, powerful, rear-wheel drive, and well-balanced. The closer the production version is to the concept, the happier we will be.

Msrp: $15,500
Complex Says: Prior to the arrival of the 500, the cheapest way to get into an Italian car in the U.S. was to buy a $118,900 Maserati GranTurismo. The 500 may not offer as much horsepower, handling, or sex appeal as the Maser, but it does offer a fun drive and cheeky visuals that remind us of Delonghi toasters...in a good way. We're happy to see the cinquecento here on our shores, and we're also pumped to drive the Abarth version. Sales weren't that hot, but it's made a big splash in the industry.

Complex Says: The minivan market is at a low, due to the inexplicable popularity of the wagon that handles poorly and gets bad fuel economy crossover, and the VW Routan is partly to blame. The rebadged Chrysler did nothing to distinguish itself from the competition, and even less to distinguish itself as a VW. The Bulli, on the other hand, draws inspiration from the awesome microbuses of yesteryear. This is a family hauler that we can get behind, and in. If the rear bench folds down into a bed, we're sold.

Msrp: $229,000
Complex Says: Despite having the industry's least appealing name, (Jeremy Clarkson has started calling it the "Mclaren Fax Machine"), Mclaren's new Ferrari fighter has made a big splash. It was purpose-built to exceed the Ferrari 458 in every way. The MP4-12C is a marvel of engineering and technology. And it is easily the most comfortable supercar ever made, due to the innovative, electronically controlled, fully independent suspension.

Msrp: $16,500
Complex Says: Ford has stepped up its game in the last couple of years, and the Focus might be the crown jewel of its global strategy. The car is refined, comfortable, fun to drive, efficient, well packaged, and affordable. This is where the bar has been set in the compact segment, and Honda sure has some catching up to do. We're looking forward to the hot Focus ST next year.

Msrp: $130,000
Complex Says: The BAC Mono is the pinnacle of design when it comes to machines that are meant to do one thing very well. This is the closest you will get to driving an F1 car without actually buying an F1 car. Sure, it has less capacity than an egg-carton, it only seats one, and it could be parked under the average SUV. None of this matters. The point is that this is going to be the fastest thing around a track that $130,000 will get you, and that's brilliant.

Msrp: $40,310
Complex Says: The Mustang is a muscle car. This means that it goes very fast in a straight line, but that it might try to kill you if you hit a bump or turn a corner. Granted, the recent iterations of the Mustang have curbed this behavior significantly, but it's the new BOSS 302 that turned the 'stang into a refined, race-bred, track-gobbling, fun festival. Those retro graphics help too.

Complex Says: The Subaru-Toyota collaboration that has far too many names is looking like it will be the car to bring real lightweight sportscars back to the masses. The base models will be priced under $25,000, and they all have a lower center of gravity than a Porsche Cayman or Nissan GT-R. This/these is/are going to be a car/some cars that will offer day-to-day usability with track-day smiles at a price that the average Joe can afford.

Msrp: $285,000
Complex Says: The Ferrari FF is a huge technological step forward. It's the most spacious Ferrari ever, and it's genuinely useful as a day-to-day car. It is also the first AWD Ferrari ever. Despite all of this, it is still a thoroughbred Fezza. The AWD system is totally separate from the main driveshaft, so the car retains a classic RWD feel but works much better in low traction situations. The wagon-like practicality doesn't compromise the sex appeal due to the shooting brake profile. And the engine produces an Enzo-beating 660hp at 8,000rpms, while still returning 18mpg. You can have your cake and eat it too...for $359,000.

Complex Says: There are very few concepts that have been this instantly desirable. The second you lay your eyes on the Ciel, you want it. Nobody cares about the engine or the transmission. The car could be powered by a three-legged Pomeranian, and it would still be just as desirable. This is the luxury halo car Cadillac needs, if only it would just produce it.

Msrp: $46,135
Complex Says: This is the real successor to the BMW M cars of yore. It's simple, it's lightweight, and it's not so focused on being fast that it forgets to have fun. The 1M Coupe is one of the funnest cars money can buy, and that's what most people are actually looking for in a sports car.

Complex Says: For years, we've been teased with rumors of Alfa Romeo's impending, triumphant return to North America. And for years, we've been disappointed, as it has gotten pushed back again and again. Now that the rumors are finally starting to seem like the real deal, Alfa Romeo has made a concept that looks like it will be one of the best Alfas ever, one of the best Italian cars ever, and one of the best cars ever. Promising ultra-lightweight construction, a small and efficient yet high-powered engine, and orgasmically sensual good looks, the Alfa Romeo 4C looks like it could be one of the best cars ever made to us.