AUTOMOBILE Announces 2017 All-Stars
TEN: The Enthusiast Network announced today that AUTOMOBILE, America’s leading automotive lifestyle brand, has revealed its 2017 All-Stars live on Facebook at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Six cars were honored this year from a pool of all-new, heavily revised, or significant variants of vehicles available in the U.S. in calendar year 2016.
The AUTOMOBILE staff spent multiple days driving the assembled array of 23 All-Stars contenders on the SPEEDVEGAS track in Las Vegas and on an alpine pass at Nevada’s Mount Charleston. After the evaluation period, votes were cast for the winners by private ballot.
“Choosing the AUTOMOBILE All-Stars is about cutting through the noise and hype in search of a group of vehicles that most closely represent our core #noboringcars philosophy,” says AUTOMOBILE Editor-in-Chief Mike Floyd. “There are no price caps, no categories, no bull. We drive them, we argue about them, we vote on them. And this year, six rose above the rest.”
The 2017 AUTOMOBILE All-Stars are:
Acura NSX
The Acura NSX earned its All-Star status the old-fashioned way: by consistently putting a grin on drivers’ faces. With its glued-to-tarmac handling and effortless acceleration, the NSX seemingly defies physics as it sorts corners and delivers in the most demanding setting: the racetrack.
BMW M2
The M2 is one hell of a grin-inducing package. Paired with great steering and a hair-raising soundtrack from the turbocharged straight-six, even around-town driving is something to look forward to. The M2 comes alive on the track, bending to the driver’s will in a way no recent M car has.
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Chevrolet designed and engineered the Bolt EV specifically as a battery-electric, all-purpose, all-weather vehicle with enough range to make running-out-of-juice anxiety a thing of the past. Chevrolet’s Bolt is not only a perfectly adequate small commuting and grocery-getting family car, it’s actually very agreeable to drive.
Honda Civic Hatchback Sport
Honda stretched the wheelbase of the Civic’s new platform to 106.3 inches and created not just a more spacious package with 97.2 cubic feet of passenger volume, but also a more poised platform for serious driving. And it delivers a new kind of Honda performance with a 180-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged engine.
Porsche 718 Cayman S
Every automaker looking to build a small, lightweight, mid-engine sports car, feel free to stop now. The 718 wins. The 718 Cayman S provides a wonderfully rewarding driving experience, affording a connection to the car and road seldom found in a contemporary vehicle, regardless of price.
Volvo S90
The S90 shakes up the luxury segment not with all-conquering power or sports-car handling, but with ride quality rarely seen in the luxury segment in recent decades. Comfort, grace, and control are the best descriptors for the S90’s driving characteristics.
