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The best cars we drove this year

Six hundred and fifty. That's roughly how many cars pass through the hands of Autoblog editors every year, from the vehicles we test here at home, to the cars we drive on new product launches, testing roundups, long-term cars, and so on. Of course, our individual numbers vary due to several reasons, but at the end of the day, our team's repertoire of automotive experience is indeed vast. But let's be honest, some cars certainly stand out more than others. So as the year's about to turn, and as we're readying brand-new daily cat calendars for our cubicles, our editors are all taking time to reflect on the machinery that made this year so special, with one simple, open-ended question as the guide – a question that we're asked quite frequently, from friends, family, colleagues, and more. "What's the best car you drove this year?" Lamborghini Huracan When I review the list of everything I drove in 2014, picking an absolute favorite becomes almost impossible. I mean, how does one delineate between the joy offered by cars as different as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG GT S and even the humble-yet-wonderful Chevy Colorado? Okay fine, I'll just pick the Lamborghini. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 on a racetrack, in the mountains, and along southern coast of Spain. It felt like the king of the car jungle in all of those places, sucking the eyeballs of observers nearly out of their heads as it drove by, and almost melting my brain with its cocktail of speed and grip and intense communication. It feels a little easy to say that the one new supercar I drove this year was also my favorite, but the fact is that the Huracan is one of the finest cars I've driven during my career, let alone 2014. Judge me if you must. – Seyth Miersma Senior Editor Rolls-Royce Wraith There are a couple of ways to look at the question, "What's the best car you drove this year?" In terms of what was so good I'd go out and buy one tomorrow, that'd be my all-time sweetheart, the Volkswagen GTI. Or if I'm just talking about sheer cool-factor, maybe something like the Galpin GTR1, BMW i8, or Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. But instead, I'm going to write about the sheer opulence of being the best of the best. The hand-crafted, holier-than-thou, shut-your-mouth-when-I'm-talking-to-you supremacy. I'm picking the Rolls-Royce Wraith. I drove the Wraith for a week in April, and was really, really impressed. This car does everything, perfectly.

Jaguar Land Rover will electrify all new models after 2020 — and maybe some old ones

Just as Volvo did earlier this year, Jaguar and Land Rover announced a date after which all new models introduced will be electrified. That date is 2020, a year after Volvo, and JLR's definition of electrification is very similar to Volvo's, including full electrics, plug-in hybrids, and mild hybrids. Whether the British automaker's mild hybrids will be something like the 48-volt start-stop function on the Audi A8 or a more conventional hybrid has yet to be announced. Regardless, internal combustion engines won't disappear from the Jaguar and Land Rover lineups yet, and there's still a couple of years before the start date for the companies to sneak in a fully gasoline or diesel model if they wish. And on the flip side, there's nothing stopping the companies from releasing EVs or hybrids before the start date, which is exactly what Jaguar is doing with the I-Pace. Jaguar reiterated that the electric crossover will go on sale in 2018. View 11 Photos Jaguar specifically isn't just looking at electrifying future cars, but also possibly classic cars. Jaguar Land Rover Classic revealed its fully electric E-Type concept. The vintage car department took a first-generation model and created a battery pack and electric powertrain that could fit in the car, leaving as much original as possible, including the way it drives. The battery pack and motor are mounted up front, with power sent to the rear, and they weigh roughly the same and fill roughly the same space as the old straight-six engine. This keeps weight distribution the same, makes packaging easy, and should keep the driving experience roughly the same as the old car — though the electrified version is faster. Jaguar claims a 0-62 mph time of 5.5 seconds, which is about a second quicker than the gas-powered model. It also has a range of 170 miles and a charging time of around 6 to 7 hours. Other changes include an updated interior with touchscreen infotainment, carbon fiber dash, and LCD instruments. Jaguar said this electric conversion is just a concept right now, which could be just as well. We're not sure many E-Type owners would line up to replace their old six- and 12-cylinder engines. After all, part of the appeal of those cars is the sound of the engine, and stirring a manual gearbox.

Jaguar to finish building six remaining Lightweight E-Types

Back in February of 1963, Jaguar set about making a small run of lightweight E-Types. It recrafted the bodywork out of aluminum, shoehorned in a 3.8-liter straight-six with an aluminum block, stripped out the interior, removed the chrome trim and fitted lighter-weight side windows. The result was a 250-pound reduction in curb weight and a commensurate increase in performance, especially evident on the race track. The company originally set about building 18 examples, but only managed 12. The remaining six were allocated chassis numbers, but were never built. That is, until now.
Fifty years since the last of the original 12 lightweight E-Types were completed, Jaguar has announced that it is preparing to resume production and complete the final six examples. The company has assigned its top craftsmen to the job, who will build the half-dozen continuation Lightweights to the same exact specifications as the original dozen. Former sister-company and perennial arch-rival Aston Martin undertook a similar task (or at least authorized Zagato to do so) when it sanctioned four continuation examples of the original DB4 GT Zagato based on original chassis numbers in 1988, and another two based on original body shells and stock DB4 chassis in 1992.
Jaguar has not yet announced pricing and availability for the continuation Lightweights, but the first old-is-new example is set to debut this summer, whereupon Coventry will release further details. You can bet, though, that each one will be snapped up rather quick at just about any price the British automaker cares to put on them.