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Another year is fast approaching its end, and 2011 has been a great one for cars. Although car manufacturers seem to be more concerned with achieving the lowest possible carbon emissions from their fleet, that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been anything exciting this year. Plenty of good cars came out this year, but the ten cars listed below have a special something that makes them a 2011 standout car.  Range Rover Evoque The Range Rover Evoque makes the list simply for being one of the best looking small SUVs to go on sale this year. The Evoque is available as either a three-door or five-door, and with the most powerful version pumping out 240hp, from a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, it has enough shove to compliment those concept-car looks. Shame it’s on the expensive side, though.  Citroen DS5 Citroen is well-known for producing cars that look anything but ordinary, and the DS5 is the latest addition to their list of eye-grabbing cars. The exterior isn’t the only bit that’s interesting to look at; the interior makes use of nicely stitched leather, a glass roof that makes way for plenty of natural light, and buttons to keep the kid in all of us happy. Also, the Hybrid 4 model combines a diesel engine and electric motor, enabling a low CO2 output of just 99 g/km. Car magazines have been saying the Toyota GT 86 (The Scion FR-S with a different badge) is great fun to drive. Now with the help of drift racer Ken Gushi, know that it can provide nice long slides too.  BMW is finishing the year off in style with this four-door version of the 6-Series, the 6-Series Gran Coupe. So far, only Mercedes Benz and Audi have been battling it out in the luxury German four-door coupe section with the CLS and A7. However, like these cars, the 6-Series Gran Coupe shall come equipped with turbocharged petrol engines and a diesel option. In petrol guises, the Gran Coupe shall be available as either a 640i, 650i or 650i xDrive (the latter being all-wheel drive), while the diesel option will be the 640d. All petrol versions are turbocharged, with the 640i being powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine producing 320hp and 332lb ft of torque, while the 650i versions are powered by a 4.4-litre V8 engine producing 450hp and 479lb ft of torque. The 640d makes use of a 3.0-litre straight-six as well, but produces 313hp and an impressive 465lb ft of torque from 1500 rpm to 2500 rpm.  In a bid to downsize and reduce emissions, Bentley is giving potential customers the option of buying the Continental GT with an all new 4-litre V8 engine.
The new twin-turbo engine is similar to the one found in the Audi S6, S8, and S7 - however, it has been tuned for a unique power delivery. Power is rated at 507hp at 6,000 rpm, and 487 lb ft of torque from 1,700 to 5,000 rpm. The Continental GT V8 will be equipped with a close-ratio ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, which will send drive to all four wheels, allowing a 0-60mph acceleration time of less than five seconds, and a top speed of over 180mph (290 km/h). Torque is 40:60 front to rear. Bentley is also claiming a 40 per cent improvement in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to: a cylinder deactivation system, high pressure direct injection, low friction bearings, thermal management, energy recuperation, and efficient turbo packaging. The Continental GT V8 has a claimed fuel range of over 500 miles. |
