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10 most memorable cars and SUVs of 2019

It's no surprise that a car reviewer will drive a large number of cars over the course of a year. Indeed, when the clock strikes midnight on Dec 31, I will have driven 75 new cars, trucks and SUV this year (and one old Peugeot) over the course of weekly evaluation loans and first drive events. That sure seems like a lot. Some definitely got more attention than others, and some came and went without leaving much of an impression – I completely forgot I drove a Kia Forte. Yet in the spirit of this day, I thought I'd pick the 10 that I would love to see under the Christmas tree tomorrow morning. You know, just in case you were looking to get me something. I'll also throw in a couple disappointments that were memorable for the wrong reasons. They'd get sent back to the store on Boxing Day. Lexus LC 500 Pictured below and resplendent in its Flare Yellow metallic paint, the car that would reach highest on my list is the divine Lexus LC 500. As a devout lover of GT cars, the LC ticks all the boxes. Muscular and characterful engine? V8, check. Beautifully made and memorable interior? It's gorgeous, to hell with Remote Touch. Check. Comfortable and reasonably practical? Superb seats and, uh, yeah. Makes me want to stand there and stare at it? You bet. Though I long figured my heart would say LC but my head "Porsche 911," after this go-around, that's no longer the case. LC, pretty please. 2020-lexus-lc500-f34-2 View 19 Photos Polestar 1 I actually feel lucky that I got to drive the Polestar 1. Only 150 will be produced each year, and it's a far more special thing than it would initially appear. And that's despite initially appearing to be a beautiful, classic two-door GT car with a roof so rakish it's only possible because it's made of carbon fiber. That itÂ’s a massively powerful plug-in hybrid with more all-electric range than any other PHEV is a thick dollop of whipped cream on a slice of Toscakaka. You know, Swedish dessert, Swedish car. Fine, I'll stick to Ikea references.  Polestar1_Launch_SanFrancisco-0014 View 44 Photos Volvo V60 Cross Country Speaking of Sweden, did I drive this car off the road there? Sure did! And despite this, the V60 Cross Country scratches that certain wagon itch and looks sensational to boot. I wish it were available with the T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, but it's best not to get greedy at Christmas.

Production Porsche 918 Spyder images leak out of Chinese patent office

A few images of what looks to be the production Porsche 918 Spyder are here to say hello, courtesy of a patent office in China. If these provide an accurate look at what the hybrid supercar will look like, there are a few differences between it and the latest examples of the pre-production prototypes our spy shooters have seen.
The jerry-rigged turn signals inside the headlight enclosures and on the front fenders on the prototype are replaced with more polished units inside the headlamps located underneath the main beams. Behind that, the door handles have been swapped from horizontal latches on the door to vertical openings located just behind the door shutline.
We've also seen a Martini-liveried version of the 918 Spyder that has extra carbon elements that don't appear on this car. It was at the Nürburgring with carbon lips on the front fenders and another carbon element that hung from the rear fenders and ran down to the rear diffuser. When we saw the car on our Deep Dive piece, the front lips were gone but that rear piece remained, and we can't tell from the brochure and options sheet that we've seen so far what it comes with. The wheels from the concept and the green brake calipers, minus the polycarbonate covers, should be the standard fitment while the ten-spoke magnesium wheels will be a 29,750-euro (about $39,000 US) option.

This Porsche 356 family keeps it outlaw

Rod Emory was the founder of Emory Motorsports in Burbank, CA, and the scion to a family tradition of building "outlaw" Porsches that are almost as cool as the cars themselves. The lovingly modified Porsche 356s are lovely artifacts, and their story, along with the story of their builders, is pitch-perfect for the Petrolicious oeuvre of beloved classics.
Tune in for the history lesson, and then stick around for the car candy.