50 best road tests of 2011: 41-45

VW Golf Cabrio vs rivals
Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire (September)

The Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet made a welcome return to the drop-top market in 2011, although the new car narrowly missed the best of the summer sun.

However, just because it was late to the party doesn’t mean it wouldn’t leave a big impression. The Golf offered more than its classy rivals: the fabric-hooded Audi A3 Cabriolet and folding hard-top Peugeot 308 CC.

And thanks to attractive styling and a well judged standard equipment list, the VW took its first road test victory.

Mercedes CLS vs rivals   
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire (April)

Glamorous models called for a glamorous location when we drove a trio of super-cool four-doors back in the spring.

The Imperial War Museum Duxford houses some of the most important aircraft ever produced, and its elegant curved roof celebrates the marriage of design and engineering – just as the arching shapes of our contenders hide the powerful GT drivetrains of today. Styling and image were key factors in this contest, and that played into the hands of the great-looking new CLS.

Add entertaining handling and a cabin that makes you feel special, and the Merc pushed aside its rivals to claim victory. Audi’s A7 ran the CLS close, leaving Porsche’s Panamera to settle for third. There is no doubting the latter’s badge and driver appeal, but even that couldn’t justify a £15,000 price premium over the Mercedes.

Tester's notes
James Disdale, Deputy road test editor

Normally it’s the new cars in our tests that are the stars, but the Mercedes CLS had to play second fiddle to the stunning backdrop in our main image here. The amazing curved concrete hangar of Imperial War Museum Duxford’s American Air Museum captivated our testers, and put the new four-door coupé in the shade.

The bold, glass-fronted structure was designed by Sir Norman Foster and opened in 1997. Planned around the 61-metre wingspan of the awesome Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the building houses the largest collection of US military aircraft outside the States. As a result, we couldn’t resist the temptation to abandon our shoot and have a quick nose around.

Inside, fragile World War I biplanes sit alongside the SR-71 Blackbird. We could have spent all day there. Unfortunately, we were collared by snapper Pete Gibson, who put us to work manoeuvring the CLS and its rivals into position. With the sun fading fast, Pete bagged the atmospheric image you see here.

Citroen DS3 Racing vs rivals
Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk (March)

Three feisty supermini hot hatches, a fantastic circuit and some damp wintry weather – what a winning combination.

Citroen’s DS3 Racing hoped to chalk up a victory over two raucous rivals, and chased down the Renaultsport Clio 200 and MINI’s JCW with enthusiasm, but it just couldn’t match their fun factor.

Raw thrills make the little Clio the obvious choice for lovers of pure hot hatch driving, while the MINI also trumps its new DS3 rival with greater value and sharper dynamics.

Test top 10s
Cheapest cars tested in 2011

* Price when new in 1912

BMW 1M Coupe vs rivals
Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk (July)

Ultimate driver involvement versus ultimate straight-line performance. To a degree that’s what everything boiled down to when BMW’s 1 Series M Coupe met its Audi RS3 rival.

The Audi was the quicker of the two cars, as its quattro all-wheel drive provided an advantage in terms of traction. But the BMW’s chassis set-up is simply sublime, and it’s an irresistible winner.

The real favourite on the day, however, was the eighties’ legend that is BMW’s E30 M3. The classic two-door laid the foundations for the hottest 1 Series, and felt more alive than ever.

Performance Car Of The Year
Anglesey, north Wales (October)

Fast, furious and fun, the Auto Express Performance Car Of The Year test is one of the most hotly anticipated shoot-outs of the year. And 2011 was no exception, as we counted down 30 of the most thrilling models on the market, with the top 10 lining up at the fantastic Anglesey circuit to wow us with their performance and handling.

PCOTY is the only test of the year where on-track thrills matter above all else, and the fastest models from across the world get the opportunity to stretch their legs. The rules are simple – to qualify for entry a car must have been launched in the past 12 months. The only exception is the reigning champion, which is allowed to defend its crown.

This year that was the Ferrari 458 Italia, and we were keen to see if could match the brilliance of its 2010 debut. However, even facing the best of 2011, it stole our hearts again with its breathtaking pace, handling, desirability and ability. Both the Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe and the Porsche Cayman R pushed it hard, but neither could do quite enough to prevent the 458 Italia from wearing our PCOTY crown for another 12 months.

Tester's notes
Owen Mildenhall, Senior road tester

Our Performance Car Of The Year shoot-out is always a personal highlight. The stunning views and fresh sea air in Anglesey are worth the trip alone, but throw in the best fast cars of the year and a 1.2-mile track that’s as good to drive as it is to look at, and you’ve got road test nirvana.

My abiding memory from this year was the titanic battle for honours between the Ferrari 458 Italia and new McLaren MP4-12C. 

Each year, I record lap times in the cars, and while these play a small part in our final ranking, it was clear that, just as in Formula One, the desire to be fastest on the stopwatch was very real for these two firms in particular.

Both sent their cars with a support engineer. 

In the end, there was just one-tenth of a second in it, but the unadulterated joy on the Ferrari technician’s face as he saw the stopwatch hand lap time honours to the 458 Italia told me all I needed to know about the passion that lies at the heart of this legendary company.