"These are the latest, greatest and most exciting things to come out of the auto world," says Robert Ross of the lifestyle magazine Robb Report.
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A Robb Report panel of more than 100 car aficionados recently ranked 13 2015 models. The cars ranged from an $845,000 Porsche 918 Spyder to a $54,500 Kia K900.
Ross says the models represent their respective manufacturers` "signature cars, just like chefs have signature dishes."
The judges graded each car on everything from looks to performance after test-driving vehicles on a 10-mile route through California`s Napa Valley.
Read on to see which cars topped this year`s rundown. All have features that put them on the radar of the rich and famous, and have prices to match. All dollar figures refer to manufacturers` suggested retail prices, excluding tax, title and destination fees.
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Base price: $219,400
Ranking 7th, this super-premium model combines handcrafted luxury with a 521-horsepower V-8 engine that can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and propel the car to a top speed of 191 mph.
"There`s nothing that beats a Continental in terms of driving panache," Ross says. "It`s a very substantial car for very substantial people."
Inside, the model offers the finest finishes, such as leather that comes from bulls carefully raised to minimize bug bites. The automaker then tans the leather into the customer`s choice of color and stitches it into the Continental by hand.
Similarly, Bentley offers the car`s dashboard in the buyer`s choice of 14 kinds of wood that workers sand and lacquer as many as 18 times to achieve a perfect look.
Base price: $106,500
Ranking 6th, this hatchback is sort of the George Clooney of exotic cars -- macho and good looking, but more low-key than a flashy Ferrari or Lamborghini.
The RS 7 combines all of a hatchback`s practicality with a 560-horsepower, turbocharged V-8 engine that goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. The model tops out at 174 mph.
"The RS 7 really does everything you could ask for in a car without rubbing your nose in it," Ross says. "It`s beautiful, it`s high-performance and it`s fairly practical because it`s a hatchback, but nothing about it is ostentatious. It`s really an understated car."
Base price: $302,995
Ranking 5th, Aston Martin`s flagship Vanquish Volante vanquishes all rivals by combining performance with good looks and a sexy convertible top.
"The Vanquish Volante is just a marvelous car," Ross says. "It`s rare, it`s handmade, and it`s very elegant and refined."
The 2-door features a carbon fiber body and a 568-horsepower V-12 engine that team up to take the Vanquish Volante from 0 to 60 mph in only 3.6 seconds. The car boasts a top speed of 197 mph.
Inside, the model comes standard with a wide range of high-end features, from full-grain Luxmill leather seats to a 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen 13-speaker stereo.
Base price: $240,000
The all-new Huracan is taking the auto world by storm.
Ross calls the 2-seater "the best automobile Lamborghini has ever made," and says it got his vote for Robb Report`s car of the year. In this list, it ranks 4th.
The Huracan replaced a 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo that Ross says was "basically 10 years (out of date)." In its place, the Huracan "pushes the performance envelope forward for Lamborghini significantly," he says.
The car`s 610-horsepower, V-10 engine can send the Huracan storming from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds before taking the model all the way up to 202 mph. The Lamborghini also boasts a luxury/sport interior that mixes posh features like leather upholstery with a racing-style steering wheel and pedals.
Base price: $136,500
In 3rd place, the BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid, but you definitely won`t mistake it for a Toyota Prius.
That`s because the i8 takes "hybrid" to a whole new level, whether you`re talking about its 155 mph top speed or its "scissor" doors that open upward instead of outward.
The i8`s electric motor and 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine team up to produce 357 horsepower and take the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The car can go 15 miles on battery power alone before its gas engine kicks in, giving the i8 the equivalent of 75 mpg in combined city/highway fuel efficiency.
Additionally, the model needs far less recharging time than typical plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles require. You can charge it in about 90 minutes with a 240-volt outlet or 3 1/2 hours using a standard 120-volt wall socket.
Inside, the i8 combines posh features like a Hardman Kardon stereo with some extra eco-friendly touches. For instance, the car`s plastic parts come from recycled material.
Ross says all of that adds up to a state-of-the-art "green" vehicle.
Base price: $198,000
Coming in 2nd on this list, this sexy convertible is a 21st-century cousin of the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder that Cameron Frye destroyed in the movie "Ferris Bueller`s Day Off."
Ross says judges gave high marks to the 2015 version, partly to recognize a major refresh that Ferrari gave the car following the 2014 model year.
"The previous Ferrari California was frankly a disappointment, but the 2015 is an entirely different vehicle," Ross says. "It`s a really brilliant car."
The new model`s 552-horsepower, turbocharged V-8 engine and rear-wheel drive team up to rocket the convertible from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The California T also clocks in with a 196 mph top speed.
On the inside, the car mixes stitched-leather seats and other posh features with a racing-caliber steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator.
Base price: $845,000
Ranked as the car of the year, the Porsche 918 Spyder convertible is another plug-in hybrid that you won`t mistake for a Prius. Heck, you won`t even mistake it for the 3rd-place BMW i8.
After all, the 918 starts at $845,000, more than 6 times the BMW i8`s $136,500 price tag. In fact, it`s the most expensive production Porsche in history.
But more significantly, the 918`s V-8 engine and twin electric motors can crank out 887 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 214 mph.
Despite all that power, the 918 offers the equivalent of 67 mpg in combined city/highway driving, better than what a Prius offers.
The Porsche can also go an estimated 12 miles on electric power alone, while recharging the car`s batteries will take just 2 1/2 hours using a 220-volt system.
As for the 918`s interior, the car`s cabin overflows with luxury, from leather seats to an 11-speaker Burmester surround-sound stereo.
"The 918 basically does it all for under $1 million," Ross says.
