The luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report recently published its Best of the Best issue, which features everything from trips to accessories.
Regarding cars, there are some truly eye-popping choices—not only because of how much they cost, but also because of what the vehicles offer:
—Convertibles: The $2 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (named Robb Report’s Best of the Best in this category), which has four turbochargers connected to a huge 16-cylinder engine, allows the driver to travel up to 253 mph and jet from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. No more than 150 of them will be built through 2011. Others named top convertibles: Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, Aston Martin DBS Volante
—Sports cars: The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is the Best of the Best in this genre, according to Robb Report. The magazine reports the manual transmission as “sublime” and describes the auto as a “gimmick-free $200,000 supercar.” Other top sports cars: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni, the 2011 Lexus LFA and the Lotus Evora
—Coupes and GTs: Bentley Continental Supersports topped this group—and one of the reasons is that the $267,000 car is eco-friendly, with a fuel efficiency “enhanced by the use of composite materials and the elimination of nonessential features,” according to the report. Others in the group: the 2010 Audi TTS, the Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic and the Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe
—Sedans: Anything called the Rolls-Royce Ghost has to be charming enough to be named “Best of the Best”—and it is. The Ghost, at $245,000, is approximately $135,000 less than the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Among other things, the car features skin from bulls raised in areas without barbed wire to prevent scarring of the leather. Others in the group: the Aston Martin Rapide, the Jaguar XFR and the Porsche Panamera Turbo
—Sport-utility vehicles: Intriguingly named, the limited-edition Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography takes the top prize in this category features sophisticated all-terrain technology and “baby-soft” leather, according to Robb Report. Others to consider: the Audi Q7 TDI, the BMW X5 M and the Cadillac SRX
—Specialty vehicles: This category features three “Best of the Bests:” the Allard J2X MkII roadster, which is a detailed re-creation of the ’50s original; the Becker JetVan (in the area of multipassenger vehicles), with interiors that reportedly feel “like private jet cabins;” and, in the off-road vehicle category, the Icon CJ3B, of which only 10 examples will be built.
—Motorcycles: Again, there are three categories. The BMW S 1000 RR is considered the best sportbike, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 gets top honors in the multipurpose group and the Harley-Davidson CVO Fat Bob is deemed the best cruiser.