If you’re hoping to stand out from the crowd, these aren’t the cars for you. Using data supplied by JATO Dynamics, we can reveal the world’s best-selling cars of 2017, which we’ll present in reverse order.

• Europe’s best-selling cars of 2017
• Britain’s best-selling cars of 2017

25: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

2017 global sales: 487,287

There’s a huge gulf between the car at the top of the list and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which manages to creep into the top 25 with 487,287 registrations in 2017. This is around half the number of registrations recorded by the vehicle in first place.

24: Honda Accord

2017 global sales: 506,687

Honda unveiled the tenth-generation Accord in 2017, but the popular four-door saloon is no longer sold in the UK. Last month, the Accord was named North American Car of the Year, following in the footsteps of the Civic in 2016 and Ridgeline in 2017.

23: Haval/Hover H6

2017 global sales: 509,102

The Haval H6 is the best-selling SUV in China, a position it has held every year since 2013. Registrations are down 12.4 percent, which could suggest that it is facing fresh competition in the battle for SUV supremacy.

22: Nissan Qashqai/Rogue Sport

2017 global sales: 515,718

There are no such problems for the Nissan Qashqai – or Rogue Sport in the USA – which has recorded an 18.9 percent increase in registrations. The Qashqai is also the most popular crossover in the UK.

21: Suzuki Swift

2017 global sales: 521,510

The arrival of a new Suzuki Swift has seen registrations increase by 6.1 percent, making it one of the world’s most popular superminis. Note that the Ford Fiesta is absent from the top 25. A new Swift Sport will join the range in the summer.

20: Wuling Hong Guang

2017 global sales: 538,908

The Hong Guang is an extremely successful nameplate, which has recorded sales of more than 3.5 million units over the past seven years. Last year, the seven-seat MPV was joined by the Hong Guang S3, the first SUV from the Wuling brand.

19: Volkswagen Polo

2017 global sales: 550,004

Volkswagen Polo registrations are down, partly, we suspect, due to the arrival of the sixth-generation model. Given a full year of sales, we expect the Polo to reverse the decline in sales.

18: Volkswagen Bora/Jetta/Sagitar/Vento

2017 global sales: 552,513

The booted Volkswagen Golf goes by a number of different names across the world, but it’s no longer offered in the UK. Registrations are down 6.9 percent.

17: Hyundai Tucson

2017 global sales: 573,937

The continued rise in the popularity of SUVs and crossovers isn’t enough to stop the Hyundai Tucson recording a 4.3 percent fall in registrations. That said, 574k sales is hardly a drop in the ocean.

16: Toyota Camry/Aurion

2017 global sales: 579,113

Since the dawn of time, the Toyota Camry has been locked in a battle with the Honda Accord for saloon car supremacy in the United States. So much so that the Toyota website includes a section on why the Camry beats the Accord. One of the reasons is a CD player. Welcome to 2018, Toyota.

15: Hyundai Avante/Elantra

2017 global sales: 610,992

You might remember the Hyundai Elantra as the car driven by people with a penchant for tins of travel sweets and beige slacks. It may have departed these shores around a decade ago, but it remains a global sales star.

14: Ram pick-up

2017 global sales: 614,595

The Ram pick-up is the third best-selling pick-up… in the world. The fact that all three appear in the top 14 tells you all you need to know about the size of the pick-up market in North America.

13: Ford Escape/Kuga

2017 global sales: 644,622

The Ford Kuga is marketed as the Espace in North America. Rather apt, considering there’s no escaping the relentless march of the crossover-SUV.

12: Ford Focus

2017 global sales: 647,521

A new Ford Focus will arrive in the summer, and on this evidence it can’t come soon enough. While 648k registrations isn’t too shabby, it represents a 10.4 percent fall, year-on-year.

11: Chevrolet Silverado

2017 global sales: 656,106

Imagine selling 656k pick-ups and not being top dog. That’s the reality facing the Chevrolet Silverado, which is forced to live in the shadow of its all-conquering rival. On the plus side, registrations were up 3.5 percent in 2017.

10: Volkswagen Passat/Magotan

2017 global sales: 673,471

Volkswagen Passat registrations are down 3.7 percent. The company is expected to launch a new version in 2019.

9: Honda HR-V/XR-V/Vezel

2017 global sales: 689,798

For the third year in succession, the Honda HR-V is named the world’s most popular small SUV by JATO Dynamics. Registrations were down 3.9 percent in 2017.

8: Volkswagen Tiguan

2017 global sales: 695,383

With a 34 percent increase in registrations, the Volkswagen Tiguan was the biggest mover in the top 25. You can thank the arrival of a new and much-improved model for the increase in sales.

7: Honda CR-V

2017 global sales: 749,151

The Honda CR-V continues to perform well on the global stage, with 749k registrations representing a 6.9 percent increase in sales. A new CR-V will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, with the range including a new hybrid powertrain.

6: Toyota RAV4

2017 global sales: 770,296

The original RAV4 concept was unveiled at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, with the first-generation RAV4 arriving in the UK in 1994. Today’s Toyota RAV4 is an altogether different animal, with more universal appeal. In the UK, around two-thirds of RAV4s sold are fitted with a hybrid powertrain.

5: Honda Civic

2017 global sales: 800,380

These are the heavyweights of the global car industry: the top five best-sellers of 2017. Honda shifted 800k Civics, which represents a 20.1 percent increase on 2016. Not bad, especially when you consider sales of the Focus and Golf are seemingly on the decline.

4: Nissan X-Trail/Rogue

2017 global sales: 814,495

The Nissan X-Trail is another car to enjoy a successful 2017, with registrations up 6.5 percent. But that’s not enough to break into the top three.

3: Volkswagen Golf

2017 global sales: 867,145

Volkswagen Golf registrations are down 2.5 percent, but it manages to secure a top three position. An all-new eighth-generation Golf will roll off the production line in June 2019.

2: Toyota Corolla

2017 global sales: 924,118

The Toyota Corolla has been absent from the UK since 2008, but it’s a phenomenally successful vehicle in other markets. The family car dates back to 1966 and was Toyota’s second model to be imported into the UK.

1: Ford F-Series

2017 global sales: 1,073,285

Figuratively and literally, is there no stopping the Ford F-Series? More than one million Ford pick-ups were shifted in 2017, which is all the more remarkable when you consider that the overwhelming majority were sold in North America. Not only that, but registrations are up 8.8 percent. Wow.

As automakers work hard on next-generation self-driving technology to improve automotive safety, latest research has revealed just why it’s so important. A new study has identified traffic accident mortality rates by state – and while it’s good news for those from Washington D.C. and Rhode Island, things are less rosy for people in Wyoming or Mississippi. 

In order to evaluate road safety in the context of public health, the paper, published by the University of Michigan compared fatalities from road crashes to fatalities from five leading causes of death (heart diseases, cancer, lung diseases, strokes, and Alzheimer’s).

The death rate in the U.S. from all causes was found to be 844 per 100,000 population. Heart disease was the biggest killer at 197.2, followed closely by cancer at 185.4. Traffic deaths made up only 1.3 percent of the total number, or 10.9 per 100,000.

By state, Wyoming had the most traffic mortalities (24.7 per 100,000), followed by Mississippi (22.6), Montana (21.7), South Carolina (20.0), and Arkansas (17.8).

The states with the lowest rates of traffic mortality were Rhode Island (4.3), Massachusetts (4.5), New York (5.7), New Jersey (6.3), and Hawai’i (6.6).

The study noted that the federal district of Washington D.C. had the lowest rate overall at 3.4.

Crash data for the study was collected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and public health data was collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fatality rates from road crashes by state – from best to worst

1. District of Columbia: 3.4 (per 100,000 population)
2. Rhode Island: 4.3
3. Massachusetts: 4.5
4. New York: 5.7
5. New Jersey: 6.3
6. Hawaii: 6.6
7. Connecticut: 7.4
8. Minnesota: 7.5
9. Illinois: 7.8
10. Washington: 7.9
11. California: 8.1
12. Maryland: 8.5
13. New Hampshire: 8.6
14. Alaska: 8.8
15. Virginia: 9.0
16. Vermont: 9.1
17. Utah: 9.2
18. Pennsylvania: 9.4
19. Ohio: 9.6
20. Michigan: 9.7
21. Wisconsin: 9.8
22. Colorado: 10.0
23. Iowa: 10.2
24. Oregon: 11.1
25. Nevada: 11.2
26. Maine: 11.7
27. Kansas: 12.2
28. Indiana: 12.4
29. Texas: 12.8
30. Nebraska: 13.0
31. Idaho: 13.1
32. Arizona: 13.1
33. Delaware: 13.3
34. North Carolina: 13.7
35. Georgia: 14.0
36. Missouri: 14.3
37. New Mexico: 14.3
38. Florida: 14.5
39. Tennessee: 14.5
40. West Virginia: 14.5
41. South Dakota: 15.5
42. Louisiana: 15.5
43. Oklahoma: 16.4
44. Kentucky: 17.2
45. North Dakota: 17.3
46. Alabama: 17.5
47. Arkansas: 17.8
48. South Carolina: 20.0
49. Montana: 21.7
50. Mississippi: 22.6
51. Wyoming: 24.7

Also read: 

• 2018 World Car Awards finalists revealed
• In pictures: inside America’s best car museum
• 25 important American cars

Ford has revealed a bright and bold new limited-run Focus RS to mark the looming end of production for the highly-acclaimed hot hatch. Just 50 Focus RS Heritage Edition models will be built, each finished in Deep Orange, and each priced at £39,895.

The Focus RS Heritage Edition is based on the existing Focus RS Edition, and each will be fitted with a Mountune power boost kit, taking the 2.3-litre turbo engine’s output up from 350hp to 375hp. Torque also goes up, to a whopping 376lb-ft, courtesy of a higher-flow induction kit, revised turbo recirculating valve and general recalibration.

Luckily, there’s a standard mechanical Quaife limited-slip front differential…

Other standard goodies include black forged alloy wheels, grey brake calipers, black door mirrors and roof spoiler, part-leather Recaro seats, privacy glass, sunroof and heated steering wheel.

Ford of Britain chairman and MD Andy Barratt said: “The RS brand is hugely important to Ford and is recognised across the globe – however, it has a special place in the hearts of UK Ford fans.”

The Focus is the car that continues Ford’s family car line started by the Escort half a century ago – and Barratt says the RS Heritage Edition has been launched in part to commemorate it. “This latest model is the best RS we’ve ever produced, so it seems a fitting tribute as we approach its 50^th anniversary.”

Ordering is now open for the Focus RS Heritage Edition, so be as quick as you possibly can be if you’re desperate to own one. As for the Focus RS itself, it will be a sad day on 6 April 2018: that’s when production draws to a close for good.

Read more: 

• In pictures: the most controversial Fords ever
• Made in Dagenham: Ford’s secret classic car collection
• What price a timewarp Ford Escort RS Cosworth?

Aston Martin will begin building SUVs in Wales in 2019, and the factory where it will make them has just reached a major landmark in its construction. The British firm has now completed Phase I, transforming part of the former MOD site into management offices, administration buildings, customer and staff reception areas… and, critically, the staff canteen.

The second phase is already underway, converting the three super hangars behind the new offices into a cutting-edge manufacturing facility to build Aston’s new SUV (and future Lagonda saloon models).

The builders are on a promise: Phase II will be ready in plenty of time to start making Aston’s first SUV next year.

Aston Martin St Athan: before and after

Aston Martin President and CEO Andy Palmer said: “The St Athan facility is really starting to take shape. With the completion of this first phase, it is another milestone on our journey in Wales, and an important part of Aston Martin’s Second Century Plan.  

“The rest of the Aston Martin team and I are excited for when St Athan joins our Gaydon and Newport Pagnell facilities as a centre of hand-crafted manufacturing excellence.”

“Aston Martin’s decision to move to St Athan is a huge coup for Wales,” said Welsh economic secretary Ken Skates, “and it is a genuine testament to the can-do attitude of Welsh Government, and to the reputation, dedication and skills of our workforce.

“Like many people in Wales, I am genuinely excited about Aston Martin beginning production here in Wales next year and the high number of quality direct and indirect jobs that it will bring with it.”

Aston Martin will create 750 new jobs at St Athan in Wales, for which there have been over 3,000 applications during a series of recruitment events. The first employees have actually already started work – right now, they’re based at Aston’s Gaydon factory, learning the ropes by building DB11 sports cars.

To paraphrase Randy Newman: LA… we love it. Or rather, we love the look of the Petersen Automotive Museum, which sits at the gateway to Los Angeles’ famed Museum Row.

In conjunction with Porsche Cars North America, the museum has just thrown open the doors to its latest exhibition: The Porsche Effect.

We’ll showcase those 48 cars in a separate gallery, but for now, allow us to take you on a virtual tour of this wondrous museum.

$90m total renovation

The Petersen Automotive Museum dates back to 1994, but reopened at the end of 2015 following a 14-month and $90 million renovation. Around 95,000 square feet of exhibit space is spread across three themed floors, with visitors encouraged to begin their experience on the History floor, before making their way down to the Artistry level.

25 rotating exhibitions

The museum is housed in a former 1960s department store, with the Welton Becket-designed building featuring more than 150 vehicles and 25 rotating exhibitions, including the new display of Porsche vehicles. When you’re done with Santa Monica Boulevard and Hollywood, the Petersen Automotive Museum is the place to hang out.

The Porsche Effect

The Porsche Effect – which we’ll showcase in a separate gallery – encompasses five thematic sections, including Elements of Style; Zuffenhausen and Beyond; Extended Families; Innovation through Competition; and World/Image/Object. The exhibit will remain at the Petersen Automotive Museum until 27 January 2019.

Seeing Red: 70 Years of Ferrari

The Seeing Red: 70 Years of Ferrari exhibit does exactly what it says on sign: celebrate Ferrari’s 70th anniversary using only red cars. Eleven of the company’s most significant road and race cars are on display are on display until May 2018, so you’ll need to be quick.

Ferrari 250 GTO

Of the Ferrari 250 GTO, Bruce Meyer, the Petersen’s founding chairman and member of its board of directors, told the Robb Report: “That car resonates with me the most because I’ve had considerable time behind the wheel.” It is owned by Meyer’s good friend, William “Chip” Connor, and the founding chairman said: “I have done rallies with Chip in it and have driven the car on the racetrack.”

Ferrari 248 F1

This is the Ferrari 248 F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher in the 2006 Formula One World Championship. The German finished second, 13 points behind the 2006 champion, Fernando Alonso. Schumacher announced his retirement from F1 at the end of the season, but returned in 2010 to drive for the new Mercedes GP team.

Ferrari LaFerrari

Bringing things right up-to-date, here’s a LaFerrari from 2014. The hybrid hypercar is capable of speeds in excess of 217mph, while the 0-62mph sprint is polished off in just three seconds. You can see more photos from the Seeing Red exhibition later in this gallery.

The Vault

Hidden underground beneath the heart of Los Angeles, The Vault features 120 cars within a working garage. The cars may have been part of the main museum at some point, but there’s nothing quite like seeing them in a subterranean environment. Access to The Vault is via a guided tour and is in addition to the general admission ticket.

The Vault

What you’ll find in The Vault depends on the date of your visit, but it could include historic race cars, vehicles owned by heads of state, cars on loan to the museum, and some awaiting restoration.

Davis Divan

The Perspective Gallery houses an exhibition focused on our love for the automobile, especially in Southern California, where residents embraced the independence offered by cars. This is a Davis Divan, a two-door, three-wheeled roadster dating back to the 1940s.

GM EV1

This is the GM EV1: the first mass-produced electric vehicle built by a major manufacturer. The EV1 was way ahead of its time and available on a lease-only basis. Sadly, after four years, GM pulled the plug on the project and all but 40 were sent to the crusher. Loyal fans of the pioneering EV were also left feeling crushed.

Cisitalia 202

Still on the third floor, this is a Cisitalia 202. Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia (Cisitalia) began building single-seat race cars after World War II and launched the 202 in 1947. The Pininfarina-designed coupe is considered to be one of the most beautiful cars of the era, but only 170 were built before the company folded.

Lightning McQueen

Moving down to the second floor, here’s Lightning McQueen from Pixar’s Cars animated movie franchise. According to director John Lasseter, McQueen’s shape was influenced by the C6 Corvette and Ford GT40, along with sports stars Muhammad Ali, Charles Barkley and Joe Namath.

Ford GT40

Speaking of the Ford GT40… It’s a MkIII road car from 1967, originally owned by Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan, and is one of just seven built.

Ford GT

The GT40 is joined by its modern-day equivalent: the Ford GT. The next-generation supercar was unveiled at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show and is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 Ecoboost engine producing 656hp and 550lb ft of torque.

The High Art of Riding Low

Once on the first floor, you’ll find a celebration of the lowrider, in an exhibition called The High Art of Riding Low. Located in the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery, the exhibition – which runs until July 2018 – examines the diversity and complexity with which 50 artists visualise and celebrate the lowrider through vehicles, paintings and sculptures.

Chevrolet Sedan

Using pinstriping brushes and lacquer-based textile crayons, artist Gilbert ‘Magu’ Luján transformed his family’s 1950 Chevrolet sedan into a lowrider with what he called “a lighthearted kind of folk art narrative”.

Chevrolet Impala

Created in 2006 by artists John Jota Leanos and Artemio Rodriguez, El Muertorider is an art installation that addresses themes related to the culture of lowriding. The artwork employs evocative imagery taken from Western art history and Day of the Dead.

Opening times

The Petersen Automotive Museum is open daily from 10am until 6pm and is located on Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Vault tours are available on a first come, first served basis, and tickets can be purchased one month in advance. Keep clicking for more photos from inside America’s best car museum.

Read more:

Is this Europe’s best car museum?
Star-spangled, no bangers: 25 important American cars
Wild and wonderful on display at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show

Company cars currently make up 55 percent of British new car sales. In recent years, diesel has dominated, thanks to its low CO2 and high MPG. But this is changing, reveals latest research – and more quickly than the industry anticipated.

Reflecting the move away from diesel by private car buyers, the latest Sewells Research & Insight Market Barometer survey suggests a 17 percent drop in new diesel car sales to fleets. Remember, when fleet and business sales comprise more than half of the 2.5 million cars sold in 2017, that’s a lot of sales to lose…

• Britain’s best-selling cars of 2017

The short-term winner is petrol cars, but growing numbers of ambitious fleets are looking further afield: 30 percent of them expect hybrid cars will join their fleet in the next year… and 7 percent expect to be running pure electric cars.

For corporate fleets – those employing 250 or more people – the numbers are even higher. 47 percent expect to start running hybrids this year, and 16 percent preparing to replace their current cars with electric cars.

Today, barely 1 in 10 fleets run a hybrid, and just 3 percent are running EVs.

“Tipping point”

Fleets don’t seem to be put off by any usability concerns surrounding hybrids, either. It’s actually intensive-use utility companies, transport firms and construction businesses that are most eager to switch into hybrids and EVs, says the research.

As for the types of car fleets want to go hybrid and EV in, executive cars, SUVs and MPVs are set for the biggest change: the dominance of diesel in these sectors today will quickly switch to hybrids and, in time, electric cars. 

Simon Staplehurst, commercial research director, Sewells Research & Insight, said: “The Market Barometer reveals that fleets intend to switch to cleaner, lower emission cars much more quickly than many people in the industry expect.

“The fleet sector has passed the tipping point from a default to diesel towards a greener future.”

Read more: 

• Diesel snubbed as used petrol cars hit record high
• These secondhand diesel cars are most likely to go expensively wrong
• Every new BMW diesel now has an SCR emissions-cleanser

There are car awards, and then there are the GQ Car Awards 2018. For the style-focused magazine, in which you can read about Brad Pitt’s epic grooming evolution, or learn how to woo Emily Ratajkowski (probably), the awards are less about boot space and fuel economy, and more about the way cars look and feel.

So who won? Comb your hair, moisturise your beard and step this way.

Best interior (and possibly exterior): Bentley Continental GT

We suspect this was a close run thing between the Suzuki Celerio, Dacia Sandero and Bentley Continental GT, but Crewe emerged victorious in the battle for the best interior. GQ points to the leather that swathes much of the GT’s cabin (complete with 310,675 stitches), along with the ten square metres of veneer and the new central infotainment display, as the primary reasons for the Continental GT’s success.

The Bentley Continental GT is powered by a new 635hp 6.0-litre W12 engine. Power goes to all four wheels, although most of the time it’s a rear-wheel-drive machine. Bentley claims that the interior offers “practically limitless scope for personalisation”, which isn’t necessarily a good thing when your client list includes Premier League footballers.

Best supernatural driving experience: Rolls-Royce Phantom

“Simply put, this beautiful machine does nothing less than reinvent the concept of car travel,” says GQ, using words that sound remarkably similar to something we read in the brochure for the 1995 Hyundai Lantra. Of the Phantom, GQ claims “it has an art gallery where others have a dashboard”.

This a reference to the glass-fronted, hermetically-sealed space which runs the full width of the dashboard, where owners can curate their own bespoke artworks. GQ invites you to “sink into the embrace of the most sumptuous rear compartment ever created”. In unrelated news, Kim Kardashian was conspicuous by her absence at the awards do.

Best flightless private jet: Marchi Mobile Elemment

Don’t allow the Elephant Man styling to send you scurrying for the safety of behind the sofa because Marchi Mobile builds some incredible moveable mansions. The top-of-the-range Elemment Palazzo Superior features a panoramic, helicopter-like windscreen, a Sky Lounge on the roof, a four-metre sofa within reach of a bar, plus a king-size bed manufactured by the same company used by the Royal Family.

Sure, it comes with a £2 million price tag, but this thing can rival most homes for luxury and space. And if you don’t like your neighbours, you simply up sticks and move somewhere else. The company’s founder, Mario Marchi, has a background in trucking, but the Elemment series – officially ‘eleMMent’ – is far removed from the lorries you see pounding the A1.

The taking the limo to the next level award: Audi A8

“The only surprise about the Audi A8 winning a GQ Award was that it didn’t turn up driving itself to collect the prize,” says GQ. The fact that the new A8 is the first production car to feature Level 3 autonomy is the primary reason for Audi’s success, with the car having an ability to take over driving duties at speeds of up to 37mph.

We’ve driven the new A8 and are in total agreement with the GQ judges. Our verdict: “The Audi A8 is a deeply impressive machine. It fulfils demands for luxury, space and discrete performance, and now has a statesman-like appearance that at least makes it the equal of its rivals, and a viable alternative to the Bentley Flying Spur. Whether all this will be enough to entice more buyers into the A8 fold, however, remains to be seen.”

The climb every mountain in luxury award: Range Rover Velar

GQ says: “On the outside, this mid-sized SUV is a sleek and stylised take on the modern Range Rover: flush door handles, rakish roofline and Land Rover designer Gerry McGovern’s effortless reductionism. On the inside, it’s a futuristic reinterpretation of a cockpit governed by minimalism (three touchscreens control everything), sustainability (Kvadrat textiles are a seductive option) and elegance (it’s clean, clutter-free and cool).

“That it can cruise effortlessly through any urban landscape is a given, but when called upon, it can also conquer where mountain goats fear to tread. We love the new Velar. There, we said it.”

We said: “The Velar might be a landmark car for Land Rover. The machine that leads the brand’s move from traditional premium into futuristic, sophisticated luxury goods. Because if this is such an event, just imagine what the next Range Rover will be like. In focusing so much on tech-savvy, Apple-loving luxury buyers, it’s created a machine with untold showroom appeal. The drive, while good, is secondary. It’s all about the experience. And what an experience it is.”

Best way to make the jump to lightspeed: Bugatti Chiron

In a recount, the Bugatti Chiron edged the Nissan Serena and Elon Musk’s space-invading Tesla Roadster to take this prestigious award. The Chiron is the perfect GQ car: as at home on a runway as it is on the catwalk. No matter how fast or how far you drive to the lavish VIP party, nothing says you’ve arrived quite like a 261mph Bugatti.

If you fancy rocking the Bugatti Chiron look on the cheap, you could always opt for the Passat W8, which stems from the same Volkswagen Group family tree and is essentially the same thing, only with fewer cylinders and more doors. In a recent interview with GQ, Daisy Lowe said that boot-cut jeans are the least sexy thing a man can wear. She also said that all would be forgiven if you turned up at her gaff in a Passat W8. Probably.

The technological hedonism award: McLaren 570S Spider

You wouldn’t expect to find an award for ‘technological hedonism’ in Which? magazine, but if you did, the Honda Jazz would win. For GQ, the Jazz was never in the running, which leaves the McLaren 570S Spider to scoop the award. According to the judges, the 570S Spider is the year’s purest driving machine. They’re yet to drive a Jazz Sport.

Our own Tim Pitt is a fan, saying: “The Huracan is still king if you like to show off, and the R8 offers 90% of the fun from up to £35k less. But for those who buy a supercar to drive, and hang the cost – to get up before dawn, forget A-to-B and just go, the McLaren goes straight to the top of the class.” He used to write for Which?. Jazz hands.

The most super superfast supercar award: Ferrari 812 Superfast

Tim hasn’t driven the Ferrari 812 Superfast, but if he had, we reckon he’d prefer it to the Honda Jazz. We get the impression that GQ had some fun coming up with the categories for the 2018 Car Awards, but things must be a little easier when you’re not dealing with crossovers and family hatchbacks.

What a way to celebrate your 70th anniversary. While some folk order a bespoke card from Moonpig and chuck a few trays of Iceland jumbo tempura prawns and sticky chicken skewers on a trestle table, Ferrari decides to launch a ‘suped-up’ version of the F12 Berlinetta. You’ll soon run out of superlatives to describe the most super superfast supercar in the world.

Best use of electricity since the lightbulb: Jaguar E-Type Zero

It looks like a regular E-Type, but the Zero is hiding an electrified secret. Jaguar has developed a 220kw powertrain for the E-Type Zero, with the lithium-ion battery pack the same weight and a similar size to the XK six-cylinder engine found in the E-Type. It’s 46kg lighter than the original, helping it to sprint to 62mph in just 5.5 seconds, about a second quicker than a Series 1 E-Type.

Jaguar will convert any classic Jag to electric – for a price – so form an orderly queue if you fancy a zero-emissions X-Type. As for the best use of electricity since the lightbulb, that has to be Mighty Metro Scalextric set of the 1980s, right?

The vision of the future award: Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet was unveiled at the appropriately lavish Monterey Car Week in California. The 5.7m beauty features a bonnet so long it spans two time zones, while the enormous 24-inch alloy wheels wouldn’t look out of place on a Hummer.

It has a mixed up personality, doing its bit for the planet courtesy of an all-electric powertrain, yet only offering enough seats for one passenger. GQ thinks it looks like a cross between the Batmobile and FAB 1 from Thunderbirds. All we know is that it’s delightfully decadent and wonderfully ambitious.

The scream if you want to go faster award: Volkswagen Up GTI

By this stage, you’d be forgiven for thinking the GQ awards are filled with cars so far out of reach you stand more chance of being named the hottest woman or best-dressed man by the magazine. But before you drown in a sea of depression, here’s a reason to be cheerful: the Volkswagen Up GTI.

A certain James May is a fan, pushing Volkswagen’s diminutive GTI to the limit on a recent episode of The Grand Tour. It costs £14,000, which is probably less than some of the grooming products featured in GQ, and while it won’t give you a fresh, clean and hydrated beard, it might shave a few seconds off your commute home this evening.

Life and Seoul of the party: Hyundai i30N

We searched the GQ website and, aside from two references to the Hyundai Mercury Prize, this is the first time the Korean giant has been mentioned on its carefully coiffured pages. A sign that Hyundai is as cool as a sports-inspired suit?* Maybe not, but the i30N has given the brand a considerable injection of kudos. *Sports-luxe is a 2018 thing, apparently.

“This ferociously fun five-door rocket ship has been developed on the Namyang proving ground and the Nürburgring Nordschleife (which might explain why Hyundai calls its sporting R&D team the N division) and, as a result, is giving the Focus RS, the Golf GTI and the Honda Civic Type-R a serious run for your money,” says GQ. Sports tailoring is optional.

ALSO READ

Jeep accidentally reveals new 2018 Wrangler

You can now use Waze via your Ford’s infotainment system

Wayne Rooney sells supercar after drink-drive ban

The connected and autonomous vehicle industry is big business, with the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) predicting the technology will have prevented 25,000 accidents and saved 2,500 lives in the UK by 2030.

There are six levels of autonomy (LOA), from vehicles with no intervening vehicle system active (Level 0) to full automation (Level 5). Many new cars feature assisted (Level 1) and partial automation (Level 2) systems, as we’re about to demonstrate via 10 self-driving technologies.

Park assist

In simple terms, park assist automatically steers the car into and out of parallel and standard parking spaces. To activate park assist, you are required to press the appropriate button – either on the dashboard or the touchscreen – before using the indicator to allow the vehicle to search for an appropriate desired space. Cameras and sensors measure the size of the space, typically searching for a gap 20 percent larger than the car.

Once the car is stationary, you engage reverse gear and allow the car to steer automatically into the space. You remain in control of the accelerator, brakes and clutch, with the car left to do the manoeuvring. Some systems also include the option to exit the parking space. While park assist is good at measuring the size of the space and detecting cars and buildings, you should remain alert for pedestrians, cyclists, mesh fences and animals.

Adaptive cruise control

In a nutshell, adaptive cruise control (ACC) uses radars or sensors to adjust the speed of the vehicle to match the flow of traffic, with some systems edging closer to a fully autonomous future. It’s similar to standard cruise control, in that it will maintain a constant speed, but will also accelerate and decelerate to match the prevailing traffic conditions.

Should the car or cars in front of the vehicle begin to slow, the vehicle’s engine management system will act accordingly, applying the brakes if necessary. Visual and audible warnings are given should the driver not react in time, although some systems can bring the car to a complete stop. Other systems also include a traffic jam assist, which handles the braking and accelerating in areas of congestion. According to the SMMT, 6.9 percent of new cars are fitted with ACC as standard, with 29.3 percent offering it as an option.

Auto high beam

Auto high beam (or high beam assist) uses a sensor typically mounted on the rear-view mirror to detect nearby light sources – such as headlights or taillights – to automatically switch between high and low beam. It is particularly useful on rural roads, as it removes the need to manually change from dipped to main beam, but is less useful in urban areas and on motorways.

The technology is a bit hit and miss, with some systems failing to react to oncoming vehicles, dazzling the driver in the process. Matrix LED high beam takes the technology a step further by using a number of individual lights to dim the beam shining directly on oncoming and preceding vehicles while casting a full light on other areas.

Blind-spot information system

Blind spot information system – or blind spot monitoring – uses rear-facing digital cameras or radar sensors, typically mounted in the door mirrors, to detect vehicles entering the car’s blind spot. Should a vehicle pass into the driver’s blind spot area, a warning light will show in either the door mirror or within the A-pillar.

Should the driver begin to change lane with a vehicle in the blind spot area, an audible or haptic warning will alert them to the danger. In theory, the technology should reduce the number of collisions caused by changing lanes on a motorway or dual carriageway, but it doesn’t remove the need to check your mirrors or the view over your shoulder.

Cross-traffic alert

Cross-traffic alert is a boon for drivers who regularly park in busy car parks, such as those found at shopping centres and railway stations. It uses sensors to monitor passing traffic when reversing out of a parking space, which is especially helpful given the rising number of tall crossovers and SUVs.

In all cases, the system will alert the driver via an audible or visual warning should a moving object enter the blind spot, with some cars relaying the information to the infotainment system. While the technology is not a replacement for proper observation, once you’ve experienced it, you’ll find it hard to go without.

Driver alert

A driver alert system senses when the driver starts to feel tired and is in need of a break. According to Volkswagen, overtired drivers cause up to 25 percent of all motorway accidents, and these tend to be particularly severe because the driver has no chance to react and the associated speeds are higher.

It works by monitoring the driver’s behaviour, with erratic steering wheel movements and lane deviations a potential clue that the driver is beginning to feel sleepy. A visual display – typically a coffee cup – is accompanied by an audible signal, alerting the driver to the need for a break. The warning will be repeated until the driver acts accordingly.

Autonomous Emergency Braking

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) uses cameras or radar sensors to monitor the traffic situation ahead, warning you when you get too close to the car in front and even applying the brakes if the system feels that a collision is imminent. It uses sensors to measure the distance and relative speed of other vehicles, providing an early warning system if it feels you aren’t alert to the danger.

AEB is seen by experts as an essential safety development, as it prevents a collision from taking place in the first place. It’s also seen as the answer to the increasing number of claims for whiplash, which are driving up the cost of car insurance. AEB – which comes under various different names – is fitted to 28.4 percent of new cars as standard, while 24.7 percent feature it as an option. There have been calls for the EU to make AEB compulsory for all new cars, but the directive is unlikely to come into force before 2020.

Lane-keeping alert and automatic steering assist

Cars fitted with this technology use a forward-looking camera to detect if drivers are unintentionally drifting out of a lane. Depending on the vehicle in question, the system will either provide a visual or audible warning or, on higher-end cars, safely steer the car back into its lane.

The systems can become quite intrusive, especially on rural roads, which leads to some drivers ignoring the warnings or pressing the ‘off’ button. Systems such as Volvo’s Pilot Assist are the next step up, providing steering, braking and acceleration assistance to deliver an experience close to what could be considered fully autonomous. By Volvo’s own admission, it’s designed to work best on dry motorways with clear lane lines and a smooth flow of traffic.

Traffic sign recognition

Traffic sign recognition uses a camera to scan road signs, then relays the information to the dashboard or infotainment display. The info remains on the screen until a change occurs, so the driver is always kept informed. That’s the theory, although the system can be ‘tricked’ by temporary road signs or matrix signs on a motorway.

Think of it as an extra pair of eyes, which might come in handy on unfamiliar roads or if you’ve missed a change in the speed limit. On some cars, you can actually restrict the speed according to the limit on the road signs.

Next level technologies

Car-to-X communication is part of the next level of autonomy, in which information concerning hazardous situations which a vehicle on the road has detected is made available to all other Car-to-X users. This information might include ice on the road or traffic queuing on a blind bend. Other tech being developed includes a method by which cars can communicate with traffic lights, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Remote parking assist will enable the driver to manoeuvre the vehicle into tight spaces or garages via a smartphone app. The future may also include the scenario in which you exit your car at the entrance to a car park, leaving it to find the nearest free space.

Read more:

• Euro NCAP reveals 2017’s best-in-class cars for safety
• Cool car tech at CES 2018
• The cheapest new cars with 5 stars for safety

The McLaren Senna lives up to the three-time World Champion driver’s name by being the most extreme road car ever built by the British firm. It’s a bona fide McLaren Ultimate Series machine that is said to provide the purest connection between driver and car ever achieved by the company.

After revealing it during its 2017 festive party at McLaren Automotive HQ in Woking, the firm is now releasing full details about the new hypercar – with the headline being a combination of 800hp, 800Nm of torque and 800kg of downforce.

The latter is why it looks as extreme as it does. McLaren insiders admit they’ve had to bite their tongue since the car’s release, as onlookers question why its styling is so uncompromising. “Form follows function,” says McLaren: it’s aggressive because the active aerodynamics are so damn powerful.

“You commit yourself to such a level where there is no compromise,” Ayrton Senna once said. “You give everything you have; everything, absolutely everything.” Now, hopes McLaren, it should be clear why the Senna looks like it does.

Only 500 will be made, with production starting in Q3 2018. McLaren Senna prices start at £750,000 (and a portion of that will go to the Ayrton Senna Foundation).

In a special ceremony to mark the opening of its new composites factory in Sheffield, England, McLaren told us everything about the new Senna. Before christening the new factory by laying down some rubber with the new car – fittingly, with an original Senna McLaren watching on. 

Here’s what you need to know about the McLaren Senna.  

McLaren Senna: in detail

Unlike cars such as the Ferrari FXX and Aston Martin Valkyrie, the McLaren Senna is no track-only special. It may be the ultimate track-focused McLaren, but it’s still legal for road use. “But not sanitised to suit it,” adds McLaren. This is a car for which the racket from air rushing through the roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ intake is described as a positive.

McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt calls it a car like no other, in which every element has an uncompromised performance focus. The rawest, most responsive, most engaging McLaren ever. Organic styling is out, a design language “purposefully fragmented in its pursuit of absolute performance” is in.

The firm references the McLaren P1. That was a car designed to be the best driver’s machine on road and track. This is way more focused. The Senna is designed to be the best road-legal track car. Benchmarks on the circuit are being chased. The road-going stuff is almost inconsequential.

Aerodynamics are active front and rear. The front aero blades and ‘swan neck’ rear wing constantly vary their profile and there’s even an air brake function when you slam on the anchors. Downforce levels are maintained even when turning into a corner, resulting in “extraordinary” speeds through the bends.

“You cannot follow a single line from the front to the rear without it massing through a functional intake or vent,” says McLaren. In spite of all the criticism, the designers reckon it’s the most honest-looking McLaren they’ve yet achieved.

Even one of the paint options is unique. Caliber Black is a special lightweight colour that’s been formulated to cut the amount of paint actually needed to paint a Senna.

McLaren Senna: engine and suspension 

The familiar McLaren 4.0-litre V8 engine has been tuned up to 800hp and 580lb ft of torque (800Nm). It’s McLaren’s most potent road car engine yet. It will do 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds, 0-124mph in 6.8 seconds, 0-186mph in 17.5 seconds. And because, at 1,198kg, it’s the lightest McLaren since the original F1, it boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 668hp per tonne. Unique components include bespoke cams and by-cylinder ion sensing that allows higher pressures and temperatures than other McLaren engines.

An Inconel and titanium exhaust is piped through the rear deck, shaped to not disturb the rear aero. McLaren’s made it road legal with auto-close internal valves – but for continues with less strict noise regulations, a valve-less twin-exit unit is offered, sans silencer box and third exhaust exit.

McLaren reckons it’s ferocious, gets 10dB louder for every 2,000rpm, quite different to any other McLaren road car: it’s more like a motorcycle race engine, says the firm.

Pumped-up racing-spec carbon ceramic brakes will take it from 124mph to a standstill again in 100 metres.

Suspension uses RaceActive Chassis Control II (RCC II), an evolution of the 2012 P1’s setup. Adaptive dampers are hydraulically connected both left to right and front to back. Like the 720S, it’s continuously variable: unlike the 720S, there’s now a Race mode that lowers the ride height and centre of gravity, and “significantly” stiffens it.

Conventional springs and anti-roll bars have thus been ditched, along with the compromises to pitch, roll, heave and warp stiffness. The Senna’s hydraulic setup is staggering in its scope and even McLaren’s top-level descriptions of what it can do stretch to many, many pages. One thing that caught our eye is McLaren Variable Drift Control, or VDC: it “allows a driver to hone their skills,” and presumably become a drift king in their £750k Senna.

McLaren’s wrapped the Senna around its latest Monocage III central carbon fibre tub, the strongest monocoque it’s ever made for a road car. All the bodywork is carbon fibre as well, contributing to its bantamweight.

McLaren Senna: inside story

If you ever get to drive a McLaren Senna, prepared to be “hardwired into the experience at all times” – through the steering wheel, seat, even the pedals. The firm says it’s abandoned its trademark usability in the focus on making it thrilling. There have been no compromises here.

A standout feature are optional glazed lower doors, adding to the car’s already-amazing visibility and making it even more thrilling on a racetrack – you can see the kerbs you’re pummelling. They’re made of Gorilla Glass, so should withstand being smashed by stones or tyre marbles.

It’s been fully stripped back inside, using carbon fibre and Alcantara instead of fancy soft-touch plastics. Even the door struts are exposed, to save weight: the chance to colour-code them is a first for any car brand.

Seats are super-lightweight and weigh just 8kg each. They’re not fully-trimmed, having padding only in the right places. This doesn’t only look cool, McLaren also says it helps keep overall-clad occupants cool when driving hard on a racetrack. The driver’s stress levels are managed by minimising buttons inside, and locating the essential controls on the roof console. And there’s an optional ‘push-to-drink’ system for keeping hydrated when working it hard.

Owners can also choose to have McLaren Track Telemetry fitted, capturing data in real time. It can be augmented by a three-camera system (one looking forward, one mounted inside and one in the rear bumper for corner exits) for the ultimate F1 post-trackday analysis.

For added authenticity, Senna’s nephew Bruno is working with McLaren to hone the Senna. He reckons it honours his uncle “because it is so utterly focused upon the driver, and their absolute connection with the vehicle”. Don’t think it’s raw and rabid though, adds McLaren. “This is not a vehicle balanced on a knife edge; the intuitive connection comes from trust, from the fact that car and driver are as one”.

It’s “real performance,” reckons McLaren Automotive vehicle line director Andy Palmer, “accessible and attainable because of an intuitive connection”. It’s set to be quite some car. 

So now can you love the way it looks?

Click on the images to see the McLaren Senna in full