HE  HOLDS  UP  THE  VASE  TO  THE  LIGHT  ,  inspecting  it  for  any  telling  markings  or  cracks  .  an  encyclopaedia  worth  of  historical  knowledge  coming  in  handy  yet  again   .         ❝      it’s  been  replaced  with  a  fake  .  it’s  a  good  one  but  definitely  less  ming  dynasty  more  ...  made  in  a  warehouse  .      ❞        /      @blackbct​  !

                        TAG DUMP.      charli evans   —   #alienevans  ,  part one !

CRIME RELATED STARTER 001 🕵🏾‍♀️ ft. @celinexkim​

Stakeouts were in theory the most boring aspect of the job and in practice? ... Also the most boring part. In the beginnings of her career Veronica did whatever necessary to prove herself so the secret thrill-seeker had trained herself to be able to lie low and observe for hours. Didn’t mean she’d ever grown to like it. As a highly ranked caporegime, she didn’t have to do it anymore and naturally she didn’t. However, looking over some photographs a soldier had taken, had she spotted a familiar house. The guy her soldiers had been following was lurking around Celine Kim’s house. He never entered or even knocked but at times it seemed he was about to do so. What the fuck? So who was he? A heartbroken lover? A grateful patient? A stalker? Either way, the matter just became personal and Veronica herself decided to step in. Gathering the pics depicting the man, she headed towards the house-- also seen on pictures. Waiting was always a pain in the ass but it became less of a pain in the ass once one was motivated. And V was, oh how she wanted to get to the bottom of this, find out how the other brunette was involved. Celine showed up not an hour ago which was good news-- at least something and Veronica approached her, giving her a curt nod. “Good evening Celine, can I talk to you for a moment?”

       hello  loves  ,   what’s  up  !   i’m  super  excited  to  be  here  &  to  finally  play  my  precious girl  ,   jade aka kool kat   .   i’m  LOLA  ,   use  she / her prounouns  ,   i am NINETEEN  ,   &   i  am  currently  in  the  gmt + 1 timezone  which  means  yes  ,  my  ass should’ve  been  awake  for  intro  posting  but  i  don’t  know  what  time  management  is  and  ended  up  swamped  w/  work  ,  so  !   everything   you  need  to  know  about  about  miss  kat  is  under  the  cut  ,   &  i’m  rlly  thrilled  to  be  apart  of  such  a  wonderful  rp  with  such  gorgeous  muses  .  corniness over  ––   if  you’re  looking  to  plot  sumn  out  ,   just  hit  that   ♥︎    &   i’ll  make  my  way  on  over  to  ur  dms  ,  or  feel  free  to  add  me  up   on  discord  which  i’ll  give  in im’s  if  anybody’s  interested  !   ♡♡♡         tw  :   family issues  ,  body image issues  &  drug mention  ( not  explicit ) . 

001 . SYNOPSIS  . FULL     NAME  .      jade        kikuchi . NICKNAMES  .      kool kat    . AGE  .      twenty - one . DATE     OF     BIRTH  .      twenty  -  seventh     of     september   ,     1993      /     libra . PLACE     OF     BIRTH  .      harajuku ,   tokyo ,     japan .         GENDER  .       cisgender     female . SEXUALITY  .     (  closeted  )  pansexual  . NATIONALITY  .      japanese  ,  now  american  too  after  successfully  gaining  citizenship  . ETHNICITY  .      asian  . OCCUPATION  .       fashion designer at katz designz      ,     former  fashion  design  and  journalist  student  back  in  her  original  timeline  . PLAYLIST  .      here  !  (  +  )     charismatic , enthusiastic , warm , energetic , adventurous , compassionate , animated . (  -  )     deceptive ,  independent ,  emotional , territorial , ambitious , impulsive , temperamental , insecure , sarcastic .  

002 . AESTHETIC  .      wheatgrass  smoothies , 90′s  anime  with  subtitles  , chanel  no. 5, speeding  on  a  desert  road  with  the  windows  down ,  painting  your  toenails  on  the  dashboard ,  neon  prints ,  cat  lazing  on  a  balcony  in  the  sun , black  lace ,  japanese  horror  films  ,  sour  cocktails  with  sugar  around  the  rim , half - smoked  cigarettes ,  stacks  of  fashion  magazines , long  hair  hastily  dyed  different  colours in  a  motel  bathroom ,  thrift  stores   .

003. INFORMATION  .

tl;dr : a flighty, inattentive adventurer: a follower of whims; personable and sociable but lacks the skills to maintain relationships because she’s entirely (and perhaps too) career focused, checks her horoscope daily and entirely relies on the stars when concerning relationships, epitome of a britney spears / gwen stefani stan back in the 2000′s, still owns a (bedazzled) flip phone, collector of vintage fashion (chanel, elle, juicy couture etc.) a subscriber to the Leonardo Da Vinci sleeping method; catch her at 2 am making soufflés or buying plane tickets to shiwei so she can really experience the culture: will tell you she loves you ten minutes after first introduction because she’s high: kind of unintentionally insensitive to those she doesn’t know and closed off but in like a cool, lovable way. 

•    heads up im running on like 5 hrs sleep so sry when this inevitably derails ! ok sweet let’s get into this . 

•    so as aforementioned this is jade kukichi, aka, kool kat. she was dubbed that by her friends due to her unique fashion style and sense of dress, and it’s stuck. lbr nobody other than her friends can use that term so if you do, she’s just going to stare at u for a quick sec before saying ‘it’s jade’. 

•    born in harajuku, tokyo to a cardiothoracic surgeon of a father and a politician of a mother, jade grew up traveling the world and becoming flighty af, never thinking she was going to make long - term friends and kinda being okay with that. 

•    her family has never stayed in one place for very long, though her aging parents eventually settled into a permanent residence in the us around the time she turned sixteen, not soon enough for jade to break the habit of wandering, but thankfully quick enough for her to meet the bratz girls who were just as adventurous and fun - loving as she. she's spent much of her teen life jumping from place to place wherever her interests are that moment, collecting people along the way, but to find friends was the only thing she was missing. jade has a brilliant mind, but she lacks patience and follow through. she needs guidance or she'll jump from idea to idea, job to job, whim to whim.

•    ngl, jade pretty much hated her home life. her parents were an overbearing presence in her life, her mother wanting jade to be a proper lady who also went into a profession like theirs (entirely serious and stifling when it came to creativity, doctor, politician, lawyer etc.) while jade herself wanted to check out the latest trends and go to the mall w her friends – so she turned all of her focus and energy into getting good grades in everything she wanted to do in the hopes that she could be the most successful fashion designer, then leaving town forever. 

•    like she spent 7 yrs in high school graduating w honours but she barely knew what was happening in 9/10 of her classes and sometimes she just slept through classes and then wing her exams which she miraculously did well at. it was just not a good idea to send jade to a public school at 11 after being in boarding school for the rest of her life and then never really enforce any rules :~\ she has trouble with that kind of thing.. as in making logical choices instead of saying "YEAH lets go watch american psycho and smoke weed!" skipping chemistry to do just that 

•    she loves fun and values doing what makes her happy over most things. it's hard to pin her down and she spends most of her life chasing after ideas that don't really follow any sort of conscious order, bc she’s really got that ‘i’ve got dreams and i’m gonna do everything in my power to achieve them’ personality. 

•    according to bratz canon she’s worked as literally everything ? she’s one of those insufferable people who r just. good everything ig and that’s just how it is on this bitch of an earth. jade’s been a photographer, a song - writer and bass player in a rock band (shout out to bratz rock angelz the best movie w the best soundtrack ever), a student studying fashion design, a fashion columnist, a quickly fired nanny, and many other things in between. 

•    so when she appears in toonsville she’s kind of out of it that she’s not doing something w her skills and sets up her own business which she loves ? being her own boss suits her fine (for now) because she’s got a Real Job and she's actually trying rly hard so she can fulfill her dreams !! like suck it mom nd dad haha !!!

•    jade has a lot of weird feelings TM about her body and her looks and struggles a lot with her self confidence :~( she had a shit time at school with boys saying she was too thin and she compensated by acting like she didn't like anyone at all for a while and now she thinks she isn't good enough for anyone when rly she is a cinnamon bun too good for this world too pure 

•    best friend ever she is so good at being a friend if u text her at 3am to go out or cry on her shoulder shes ready to go at 3:15 even if she was sleeping w lots of snacks and treats and love!!! she is sooo extroverted around those she’s comfortable w, she gains so much energy from being around people and she loves being nice and being around ppl she likes 

•    she becomes the mom of groups pretty easily (hence why she’s the leader of the bratz) bc she bottles up most of her own problems to help ppl with theirs!! which is toxic yea but she puts people first always so !! plz help her poor repressed soul!! rip kool kat.. 

•    still super into the stuff of her time so like.. she loves the x files and bad reality tv shows (i want to be a hilton) and reads gossip magazines on the reg because she enjoys that stuff! also very into girl groups.. ginger spice / posh spice is an eternal mood.  

•    anyway yes sweet adult-child of 21 (she is in denial about that tho like she doesn't want to be childish) who is v nice v kind v loyal v baked a lot of time, v passionate v silly. idk what i'm doin hope u like it < 3

004. WANTED CONNECTIONS . 

friends / best friends / ride or dies . jade genuinely loves people, loves talking to strangers and getting into intense conversations with people she’s only just met, learning other people’s way of life and bettering herself for getting. she is, however, incredibly blunt and has never once minced words to keep from hurting someone’s feelings or to ease them into a situation. she’d much rather have a one-time conversation with a stranger than make long lasting relationships. she has three very close friends –  to the point of co - dependence –  and honestly, she’d rather spend all of her time doing things she loves such as her hobbies, sticking her nose into the latest vogue, or searching for cute collars and treats for her cat mica w them instead of making new friends. she's also FUN and she'd be happy to go on crazy road trips or buy out a movie theater for a day or anything that she thinks will her buds happy. she's traveled all over, so she’s v well read and cultured. she loves people but she hates complication and won't deal with any sort of emotional labor. she wants to live in the moment and expects everyone in her life to do so as well. just be chill, y'all. 

frenemies / enemies /  rivals  . please be her enemy, she needs people to antagonize shdhshd. she grew up pretty much affluent so she’s pretty spoiled even if she doesn’t want to admit it, and that rebellious side of her hasn’t died down yet. despite the fact that she is wealthy and in good community standing, she has a hard time letting go of childish grudges. in general she’s got a lot of suppressed feelings and ready to fight everyone who hurts her friends – like an irritated cat – so, honestly, come at her ? she is sometimes a little fickle and flighty and a unintentionally stuck up when it comes to art / fashion and she has definitely said the wrong thing at the wrong time and pissed the wrong people off, she can’t stand anyone underestimating her or thinking she’s dumb bc she’s interested in fashion. like gtfo !

ex’s , fwb’s , possible love interests .  jade is fairly fluid romantically and is the type of person who hates labels but also just wants to be cherished and called cute pet names lowkey. she loves a lot and gives a lot to her relationships, but typically doesn't want to commit to anything important. she’s gone from one disastrous relationship to another, ending up with a boyfriend who constantly ridiculed her image that was essentially the catalyst for her cutting off romantic ties, quite a recent wound before she found herself on the island actually. worst thing is tht she’s convinced herself that she’s been the problem in these relationships –  that she turns good people bad or that she is too much for people to deal with, she’s not sure what the issue is and she doesn’t really want to know. so…. fuck everything amirite ? anyway, she’s a strong independent woman who don’t need no (wo)man. 

etc . pls give me people jade can give a makeover to, people she shares an apartment w on the island, people who think fashion is girly and vapid.. creatives who love what she’s doing, anything tbh << 3

Aston Martin 003 hypercar aimed at LaFerrari, McLaren Senna

https://bestcaritems.com/?p=7059&utm_source=SocialAutoPoster&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Tumblr This week, Aston Martin finally showed off the first image of its forthcoming 003 hypercar and the firm’s CEO declared it has the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren Senna, and Porsche 918 Spyder directly in its sights. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin CEO, told Auto Express in a Wednesday report that the 003 bridges the gap between the gap between the forthcoming Valkyrie hypercar and a Ferrari 488 competitor that’s also on the way from the British brand. In this respect, he said the 003 is a LaFerrari competitor or “like the McLaren Senna and Porsche 918.” In the spirit of the LaFerrari, the powertrain will consist of an internal-combustion engine (likely a V-6) paired with a KERS-style hybrid system. The KERS system is all about performance and not efficiency, just like the LaFerrari. Unlike the Valkyrie, the 003 will be far more usable every day. We previously reported it will be more comfortable and have space for luggage. Yet, the car may also find its way to the racetrack. Teaser for Aston Martin 003 hypercar debuting in 2021 Should Aston Martin decided to jump into the FIA’s new hypercar class for the World Endurance Championship, the 003 would likely report for duty. We’d be thrilled to watch an Aston Martin hypercar take on Le Mans. The 003 name is short for Project 003. The Valkyrie is Project 001 and the track-only Valkyrie Pro is Project 002. Little else is known about the 003, though it may sport the name “Valhalla.” The name would fall in line with Aston Martin’s current trend to pluck names from Norse mythology. Valhalla is the resting place for warriors who died in combat and are worthy of the god Odin. Valkyries are the warrior spirits that protect Valhalla. Both names would make for a proper hierarchy in the brand. Auto Express reported the 003 could debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, but the car won’t be ready for production until 2021. When it does enter production, Aston Martin has already said it only plans to build 500 coupes, though it hasn’t mentioned if it will also build a convertible. Via MotorAuthority

The Best Cars We Drove in 2017

We’re incredibly fortunate to have access to the cars we do. All year long, we an abundance of the planet’s most precious metal sculptures, flogging them on tracks, roads, and everywhere in between. This year, it seemed like our quotient of top-notch machinery was at an all-time high as we drove some of the most desirable cars right into the pages of this website and our print magazine.

Choosing a favorite is not easy. Do we pick the luxury and comfort of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, the always-ridiculous Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini’s V-12-powered-swansong Aventador S, or something like the all-new Jeep Wrangler? While not as combative a task as picking winners during our annual All-Stars awards, we had a wide range of opinions.

Editor-in-chief Mike Floyd: The term ‘greatest car in the world’ can mean different things to different people. It can be the car you’ve had for 15 years that never let you down. The muscle car you only take out of your garage on sunny summer days. The supercar you plastered on your wall when you were a kid. The astonishing, multi-million dollar vintage machine you drooled over on the lawn at Pebble Beach. Or the eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Maybe it’s the mystique that’s developed around it. Or its price tag. Or the marketing hype. But the Phantom represents the ultimate, the excess, the dream of being someone rich, important, famous. By the way, the all-new Phantom is also a damn good car. It’s big and heavy, yes, but its twin-turbo V-12 just pulls and pulls. It actually turns pretty well too, and is underpinned by a world-class, aluminum intensive architecture. But more than that, it’s what’s inside that has been properly done. The craftsmanship is astonishing, the materials, the overall execution is unlike any modern production car I’ve ever been in. As it should be. And that’s without even mentioning the Gallery, the art installation in the dash.

Yeah, I know, it’s a car for the .001 percenters. Why should anyone care? Because it’s the greatest car in the world. It was an honor to drive and be driven in it. And it’s been an honor to have you along for the ride this year. Thanks to you all, from all of us here at Automobile.

My honorable mentions: Lexus LC 500, McLaren 720s, that day in Utah in the Ford GT, the Civic Type R, the Toyota Camry (damn right I said it), MX-5 RF, that day in dirt in the Honda Ridgeline Baja truck, that day at Streets of Willow in the OVC and Revology Shelby GT350s, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Range Rover Velar, Mercedes-AMG E63 S, BMW M2.

Executive editor Mac Morrison: In retrospect, I don’t know what I expected as I headed to the first drive of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The car’s on-paper numbers—700 hp, 553 lb-ft, 3,200 pounds and change—are bonkers, but aside from a general understanding that this 911 would be fast, I was quite curious to discover the end result. By the end of a full day of driving, including a handful of laps on Portugal’s Algarve circuit and more than 100 miles on the road, I realized it had been quite some time since a new car made me smile and giggle so much. It’s not just the silly power, torque, and seemingly never-ending acceleration, either.

The GT2 RS’s ability to use every bit of its twin-turbo 3.8-liter bang is astounding. Its combination of aerodynamic and mechanical grip rewrite the rules of quick cornering, and the steering and brakes are not only up to the task but also feel great to use. This is one of the rare modern cars to find the right balance of performance and feedback, feeling a long way from overly refined and boring without crossing the line into the realm of scary or intimidating hair-trigger snappiness. You certainly know you can get in a lot of trouble driving it, but you can also enjoy it without holding your breath while always waiting for it to spit you into a ditch. Dare I say this is the best driver’s 911 of all time? I know Porsche geeks will never reach a consensus on that title, but there is no denying the new 911 GT2 RS is a performance-car masterpiece.

  Editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine: Is it fair to choose a full-blown race car as a “best drive?” It is when said machine rearranges both your preconceptions of the laws of physics and your DNA. Hurling the Ferrari 488 Challenge around Canada’s Circuit Mont Tremblant was an electrifying, soul-awakening feast of race engineering at is finest: a screaming, 660-plus horsepower V-8, brakes that stop like a padded bridge abutment, an aero-aided chassis that cornered so hard it could pry the fillings from your teeth. Does such extreme prowess come at the expense of fragility or finickiness? That’s this Ferrari’s coup de grace: for two days I pounded around Tremblant, lap after lap after lap. Not once did the 488 Challenge so much as breathe hard. I call that the performance of the year.

Detroit bureau chief Todd Lassa: I want to choose the Honda Civic Type R, but I don’t know if I can get used to the idea of being on the same page as associate editor Jonathan Klein. The Type R is fabulous fun; more engaging than the supercars on our 2018 All-Stars drive, with sharp steering and handling and that great gearbox (the latter of which makes it more engaging than, say, the Ford GT or McLaren 720S). On the track, it dances with the best of them and can kick out its tail like a RWD sports car. But rather than align with Klein, I’m going to go with the Miata Cup Racer, which handles the (small, tight M1 Concours in Michigan) circuit exactly as I’d expect from a street-legal Miata. It’s nice to know they’re virtually interchangeable. I know what you’re thinking; the Miata is a #noboringcars car because I own one. No, but I own one because it’s a #noboringcars car.

Automotive design editor Robert Cumberford: Quiet, fast, spacious, comfortable, the Tesla Model 3 is very impressive. This was a top-spec, extra battery capacity car with about $20,000 in options. I’d like to have one, but can’t afford it, alas.

  New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman: I loved the Porsche Boxster S I spent a week in, but my priority characteristic in a sports car is steering feel, and the Lotus Evora Sport 410 has this in spades. In addition to robust power and an extraordinarily supple ride, it amounts to a half-price supercar you can use. Now that Lotus has Geely funding behind it, I expect it is a harbinger of even greater things to come.

Features editor Rory Jurnecka: Time will show the new Ford GT to be a special car even decades from today. Built mostly to win Le Mans—which it did—the limited-production, road-going variant is unique and engaging to drive with an experience all its own. It is wholly different from the ubiquitous McLarens, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis that compete for background photo space on your laptop. That this success came from a small, skunkworks team of rogue engineers hidden in Ford’s basement is nothing short of amazing.

Senior digital editor Kirill Ougarov: As I’ve expounded upon since it sadly left our care, my pick has to be the BMW i8. The mix of design, tech, and solid grand-touring dynamics really meshed with my personal tastes. “An enjoyable to drive, distinctively stylish grand tourer that offers a preview of coming electrified attractions” is probably the best summary I have, which I stole from my own story.

Online editor Ed Tahaney: The Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2 Spyder beats out my other favorite ride of the year—the Honda Civic Type R—only because it’s a drop-top. Both cars are a blast to drive and will make you an instant celebrity wherever you roll up. I love the Giallo Tenerife paint job that makes it look like an angry wedge of cheese, while its V-10 screams 580-hp obscenities. The cup holder sucks, but everything else about the Spyder does not.

Senior copy editor Kara Snow: Not only is the Ford GT the wildest car I drove this year in terms of both the actual ride and its hyper-futuristic design, but the experience in Ford’s race-winning beast was as emotionally thrilling as my very first time behind the wheel.

In his day, my grandfather worked on Fords for movie studios. My dad loved Mustangs. He owned many through the years and was hoping to fix up his 1946 Super De Luxe before he died unexpectedly five years ago. I’m sorry he never got to see what Ford would follow up the first two generations of these supercars with: a wonder of design, handling, and quickness—with all of the turbo’s whizzing and whooshing and the 647 hp V-6’s stunning growl.

Getting to drive the new Ford GT completes the circle for three generations of car lovers. It was a dream come true to pilot an American supercar made by a company with deep roots in our country’s history. And in my own life.

Daily news editor Conner Golden: Somehow I managed to sneak my way behind the wheel of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, claiming the golden tiara of my favorite car of the year. Porsche is loath to admit it, but the 991.2 GT3 takes what made the 911 R so incredibly desirable and offers it to the (still wealthy) masses, minus a handful of lightweight panels and stylistic affects. With a 4.0-liter flat-six whizzing all the way to a 9,000-rpm redline and a delicious six-speed manual transmission (seven-speed PDK optional), the GT3 was unspeakably excellent in every scenario.

Creative director Darren Scott: Hands down, the Volkswagen Golf R is the best VW I’ve ever driven. At first, I didn’t even know it existed but I quickly learned it’s a pocket rocket on rails. Its over-hyped little brother, the GTI—of which I have driven many examples—is a Bush League second baseman compared to this lightning shortstop. No flash, no nonsense. It delivers acceleration, power, and handling on-demand; supercar sophistication in a street-size package, a real driving experience. There are two downsides; one is the Tamagotchi style center console (come on VW, it’s 2017), and second, all the parking lot wannabes telling you the Ford Focus RS is better. Who cares! All that means is there’s two incredible cars to choose from.

 IFTTT

‘ you’re like me. i’m never satisfied. ‘ / k but the parallels between these two.........

hamilton sentences   /   accepting  .

THERE’S  ALWAYS  SOMETHING  TO  DISCOVER  /  TO  EXPLORE  ,  the  adrenaline  that  comes  with  it  is  sickly  sweet  and  hard  to  refuse  -  one  taste  of  it  and  it  begins  an  addiction  .  letting  go  of  that  lifestyle  was  never  destined  to  go  well  ,  it’s  all  nathan’s  known  since  he  was  twelve  years  old  and  never  ONCE  had  the  conclusion  of  a  job  sated  the  hunger  of  both  heart  and  mind  .

satisfaction  was  a  concept  ,  a  goal  to  reach  before  his  luck  ran  out  and  death  caught  up  with  him  after  all  this  time  .  

nate  shakes  his  head  ,  admitting  such  a  thing  would  be  an  acknowledgement  that  there  was  a  problem  and  he’s  not  ready  to  give  up  the  thrill  of  it  all  just  yet  .  one  more  city  .  one  more  find  .  and  then  another  .  another  .  another  .         ❝      i  have  a  wife  -  i’m  very  satisfied  .      ❞             defensive  humour  ,  it  never  did  fail  to  protect  him  .

The Best Cars We Drove in 2017

We’re incredibly fortunate to have access to the cars we do. All year long, we an abundance of the planet’s most precious metal sculptures, flogging them on tracks, roads, and everywhere in between. This year, it seemed like our quotient of top-notch machinery was at an all-time high as we drove some of the most desirable cars right into the pages of this website and our print magazine.

Choosing a favorite is not easy. Do we pick the luxury and comfort of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, the always-ridiculous Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini’s V-12-powered-swansong Aventador S, or something like the all-new Jeep Wrangler? While not as combative a task as picking winners during our annual All-Stars awards, we had a wide range of opinions.

Editor-in-chief Mike Floyd: The term ‘greatest car in the world’ can mean different things to different people. It can be the car you’ve had for 15 years that never let you down. The muscle car you only take out of your garage on sunny summer days. The supercar you plastered on your wall when you were a kid. The astonishing, multi-million dollar vintage machine you drooled over on the lawn at Pebble Beach. Or the eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Maybe it’s the mystique that’s developed around it. Or its price tag. Or the marketing hype. But the Phantom represents the ultimate, the excess, the dream of being someone rich, important, famous. By the way, the all-new Phantom is also a damn good car. It’s big and heavy, yes, but its twin-turbo V-12 just pulls and pulls. It actually turns pretty well too, and is underpinned by a world-class, aluminum intensive architecture. But more than that, it’s what’s inside that has been properly done. The craftsmanship is astonishing, the materials, the overall execution is unlike any modern production car I’ve ever been in. As it should be. And that’s without even mentioning the Gallery, the art installation in the dash.

Yeah, I know, it’s a car for the .001 percenters. Why should anyone care? Because it’s the greatest car in the world. It was an honor to drive and be driven in it. And it’s been an honor to have you along for the ride this year. Thanks to you all, from all of us here at Automobile.

My honorable mentions: Lexus LC 500, McLaren 720s, that day in Utah in the Ford GT, the Civic Type R, the Toyota Camry (damn right I said it), MX-5 RF, that day in dirt in the Honda Ridgeline Baja truck, that day at Streets of Willow in the OVC and Revology Shelby GT350s, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Range Rover Velar, Mercedes-AMG E63 S, BMW M2.

Executive editor Mac Morrison: In retrospect, I don’t know what I expected as I headed to the first drive of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The car’s on-paper numbers—700 hp, 553 lb-ft, 3,200 pounds and change—are bonkers, but aside from a general understanding that this 911 would be fast, I was quite curious to discover the end result. By the end of a full day of driving, including a handful of laps on Portugal’s Algarve circuit and more than 100 miles on the road, I realized it had been quite some time since a new car made me smile and giggle so much. It’s not just the silly power, torque, and seemingly never-ending acceleration, either.

The GT2 RS’s ability to use every bit of its twin-turbo 3.8-liter bang is astounding. Its combination of aerodynamic and mechanical grip rewrite the rules of quick cornering, and the steering and brakes are not only up to the task but also feel great to use. This is one of the rare modern cars to find the right balance of performance and feedback, feeling a long way from overly refined and boring without crossing the line into the realm of scary or intimidating hair-trigger snappiness. You certainly know you can get in a lot of trouble driving it, but you can also enjoy it without holding your breath while always waiting for it to spit you into a ditch. Dare I say this is the best driver’s 911 of all time? I know Porsche geeks will never reach a consensus on that title, but there is no denying the new 911 GT2 RS is a performance-car masterpiece.

  Editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine: Is it fair to choose a full-blown race car as a “best drive?” It is when said machine rearranges both your preconceptions of the laws of physics and your DNA. Hurling the Ferrari 488 Challenge around Canada’s Circuit Mont Tremblant was an electrifying, soul-awakening feast of race engineering at is finest: a screaming, 660-plus horsepower V-8, brakes that stop like a padded bridge abutment, an aero-aided chassis that cornered so hard it could pry the fillings from your teeth. Does such extreme prowess come at the expense of fragility or finickiness? That’s this Ferrari’s coup de grace: for two days I pounded around Tremblant, lap after lap after lap. Not once did the 488 Challenge so much as breathe hard. I call that the performance of the year.

Detroit bureau chief Todd Lassa: I want to choose the Honda Civic Type R, but I don’t know if I can get used to the idea of being on the same page as associate editor Jonathan Klein. The Type R is fabulous fun; more engaging than the supercars on our 2018 All-Stars drive, with sharp steering and handling and that great gearbox (the latter of which makes it more engaging than, say, the Ford GT or McLaren 720S). On the track, it dances with the best of them and can kick out its tail like a RWD sports car. But rather than align with Klein, I’m going to go with the Miata Cup Racer, which handles the (small, tight M1 Concours in Michigan) circuit exactly as I’d expect from a street-legal Miata. It’s nice to know they’re virtually interchangeable. I know what you’re thinking; the Miata is a #noboringcars car because I own one. No, but I own one because it’s a #noboringcars car.

Automotive design editor Robert Cumberford: Quiet, fast, spacious, comfortable, the Tesla Model 3 is very impressive. This was a top-spec, extra battery capacity car with about $20,000 in options. I’d like to have one, but can’t afford it, alas.

  New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman: I loved the Porsche Boxster S I spent a week in, but my priority characteristic in a sports car is steering feel, and the Lotus Evora Sport 410 has this in spades. In addition to robust power and an extraordinarily supple ride, it amounts to a half-price supercar you can use. Now that Lotus has Geely funding behind it, I expect it is a harbinger of even greater things to come.

Features editor Rory Jurnecka: Time will show the new Ford GT to be a special car even decades from today. Built mostly to win Le Mans—which it did—the limited-production, road-going variant is unique and engaging to drive with an experience all its own. It is wholly different from the ubiquitous McLarens, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis that compete for background photo space on your laptop. That this success came from a small, skunkworks team of rogue engineers hidden in Ford’s basement is nothing short of amazing.

Senior digital editor Kirill Ougarov: As I’ve expounded upon since it sadly left our care, my pick has to be the BMW i8. The mix of design, tech, and solid grand-touring dynamics really meshed with my personal tastes. “An enjoyable to drive, distinctively stylish grand tourer that offers a preview of coming electrified attractions” is probably the best summary I have, which I stole from my own story.

Online editor Ed Tahaney: The Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2 Spyder beats out my other favorite ride of the year—the Honda Civic Type R—only because it’s a drop-top. Both cars are a blast to drive and will make you an instant celebrity wherever you roll up. I love the Giallo Tenerife paint job that makes it look like an angry wedge of cheese, while its V-10 screams 580-hp obscenities. The cup holder sucks, but everything else about the Spyder does not.

Senior copy editor Kara Snow: Not only is the Ford GT the wildest car I drove this year in terms of both the actual ride and its hyper-futuristic design, but the experience in Ford’s race-winning beast was as emotionally thrilling as my very first time behind the wheel.

In his day, my grandfather worked on Fords for movie studios. My dad loved Mustangs. He owned many through the years and was hoping to fix up his 1946 Super De Luxe before he died unexpectedly five years ago. I’m sorry he never got to see what Ford would follow up the first two generations of these supercars with: a wonder of design, handling, and quickness—with all of the turbo’s whizzing and whooshing and the 647 hp V-6’s stunning growl.

Getting to drive the new Ford GT completes the circle for three generations of car lovers. It was a dream come true to pilot an American supercar made by a company with deep roots in our country’s history. And in my own life.

Daily news editor Conner Golden: Somehow I managed to sneak my way behind the wheel of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, claiming the golden tiara of my favorite car of the year. Porsche is loath to admit it, but the 991.2 GT3 takes what made the 911 R so incredibly desirable and offers it to the (still wealthy) masses, minus a handful of lightweight panels and stylistic affects. With a 4.0-liter flat-six whizzing all the way to a 9,000-rpm redline and a delicious six-speed manual transmission (seven-speed PDK optional), the GT3 was unspeakably excellent in every scenario.

Creative director Darren Scott: Hands down, the Volkswagen Golf R is the best VW I’ve ever driven. At first, I didn’t even know it existed but I quickly learned it’s a pocket rocket on rails. Its over-hyped little brother, the GTI—of which I have driven many examples—is a Bush League second baseman compared to this lightning shortstop. No flash, no nonsense. It delivers acceleration, power, and handling on-demand; supercar sophistication in a street-size package, a real driving experience. There are two downsides; one is the Tamagotchi style center console (come on VW, it’s 2017), and second, all the parking lot wannabes telling you the Ford Focus RS is better. Who cares! All that means is there’s two incredible cars to choose from.

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The Best Cars We Drove in 2017

We’re incredibly fortunate to have access to the cars we do. All year long, we an abundance of the planet’s most precious metal sculptures, flogging them on tracks, roads, and everywhere in between. This year, it seemed like our quotient of top-notch machinery was at an all-time high as we drove some of the most desirable cars right into the pages of this website and our print magazine.

Choosing a favorite is not easy. Do we pick the luxury and comfort of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, the always-ridiculous Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini’s V-12-powered-swansong Aventador S, or something like the all-new Jeep Wrangler? While not as combative a task as picking winners during our annual All-Stars awards, we had a wide range of opinions.

Editor-in-chief Mike Floyd: The term ‘greatest car in the world’ can mean different things to different people. It can be the car you’ve had for 15 years that never let you down. The muscle car you only take out of your garage on sunny summer days. The supercar you plastered on your wall when you were a kid. The astonishing, multi-million dollar vintage machine you drooled over on the lawn at Pebble Beach. Or the eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Maybe it’s the mystique that’s developed around it. Or its price tag. Or the marketing hype. But the Phantom represents the ultimate, the excess, the dream of being someone rich, important, famous. By the way, the all-new Phantom is also a damn good car. It’s big and heavy, yes, but its twin-turbo V-12 just pulls and pulls. It actually turns pretty well too, and is underpinned by a world-class, aluminum intensive architecture. But more than that, it’s what’s inside that has been properly done. The craftsmanship is astonishing, the materials, the overall execution is unlike any modern production car I’ve ever been in. As it should be. And that’s without even mentioning the Gallery, the art installation in the dash.

Yeah, I know, it’s a car for the .001 percenters. Why should anyone care? Because it’s the greatest car in the world. It was an honor to drive and be driven in it. And it’s been an honor to have you along for the ride this year. Thanks to you all, from all of us here at Automobile.

My honorable mentions: Lexus LC 500, McLaren 720s, that day in Utah in the Ford GT, the Civic Type R, the Toyota Camry (damn right I said it), MX-5 RF, that day in dirt in the Honda Ridgeline Baja truck, that day at Streets of Willow in the OVC and Revology Shelby GT350s, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Range Rover Velar, Mercedes-AMG E63 S, BMW M2.

Executive editor Mac Morrison: In retrospect, I don’t know what I expected as I headed to the first drive of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The car’s on-paper numbers—700 hp, 553 lb-ft, 3,200 pounds and change—are bonkers, but aside from a general understanding that this 911 would be fast, I was quite curious to discover the end result. By the end of a full day of driving, including a handful of laps on Portugal’s Algarve circuit and more than 100 miles on the road, I realized it had been quite some time since a new car made me smile and giggle so much. It’s not just the silly power, torque, and seemingly never-ending acceleration, either.

The GT2 RS’s ability to use every bit of its twin-turbo 3.8-liter bang is astounding. Its combination of aerodynamic and mechanical grip rewrite the rules of quick cornering, and the steering and brakes are not only up to the task but also feel great to use. This is one of the rare modern cars to find the right balance of performance and feedback, feeling a long way from overly refined and boring without crossing the line into the realm of scary or intimidating hair-trigger snappiness. You certainly know you can get in a lot of trouble driving it, but you can also enjoy it without holding your breath while always waiting for it to spit you into a ditch. Dare I say this is the best driver’s 911 of all time? I know Porsche geeks will never reach a consensus on that title, but there is no denying the new 911 GT2 RS is a performance-car masterpiece.

  Editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine: Is it fair to choose a full-blown race car as a “best drive?” It is when said machine rearranges both your preconceptions of the laws of physics and your DNA. Hurling the Ferrari 488 Challenge around Canada’s Circuit Mont Tremblant was an electrifying, soul-awakening feast of race engineering at is finest: a screaming, 660-plus horsepower V-8, brakes that stop like a padded bridge abutment, an aero-aided chassis that cornered so hard it could pry the fillings from your teeth. Does such extreme prowess come at the expense of fragility or finickiness? That’s this Ferrari’s coup de grace: for two days I pounded around Tremblant, lap after lap after lap. Not once did the 488 Challenge so much as breathe hard. I call that the performance of the year.

Detroit bureau chief Todd Lassa: I want to choose the Honda Civic Type R, but I don’t know if I can get used to the idea of being on the same page as associate editor Jonathan Klein. The Type R is fabulous fun; more engaging than the supercars on our 2018 All-Stars drive, with sharp steering and handling and that great gearbox (the latter of which makes it more engaging than, say, the Ford GT or McLaren 720S). On the track, it dances with the best of them and can kick out its tail like a RWD sports car. But rather than align with Klein, I’m going to go with the Miata Cup Racer, which handles the (small, tight M1 Concours in Michigan) circuit exactly as I’d expect from a street-legal Miata. It’s nice to know they’re virtually interchangeable. I know what you’re thinking; the Miata is a #noboringcars car because I own one. No, but I own one because it’s a #noboringcars car.

Automotive design editor Robert Cumberford: Quiet, fast, spacious, comfortable, the Tesla Model 3 is very impressive. This was a top-spec, extra battery capacity car with about $20,000 in options. I’d like to have one, but can’t afford it, alas.

  New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman: I loved the Porsche Boxster S I spent a week in, but my priority characteristic in a sports car is steering feel, and the Lotus Evora Sport 410 has this in spades. In addition to robust power and an extraordinarily supple ride, it amounts to a half-price supercar you can use. Now that Lotus has Geely funding behind it, I expect it is a harbinger of even greater things to come.

Features editor Rory Jurnecka: Time will show the new Ford GT to be a special car even decades from today. Built mostly to win Le Mans—which it did—the limited-production, road-going variant is unique and engaging to drive with an experience all its own. It is wholly different from the ubiquitous McLarens, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis that compete for background photo space on your laptop. That this success came from a small, skunkworks team of rogue engineers hidden in Ford’s basement is nothing short of amazing.

Senior digital editor Kirill Ougarov: As I’ve expounded upon since it sadly left our care, my pick has to be the BMW i8. The mix of design, tech, and solid grand-touring dynamics really meshed with my personal tastes. “An enjoyable to drive, distinctively stylish grand tourer that offers a preview of coming electrified attractions” is probably the best summary I have, which I stole from my own story.

Online editor Ed Tahaney: The Lamborghini Huracán LP580-2 Spyder beats out my other favorite ride of the year—the Honda Civic Type R—only because it’s a drop-top. Both cars are a blast to drive and will make you an instant celebrity wherever you roll up. I love the Giallo Tenerife paint job that makes it look like an angry wedge of cheese, while its V-10 screams 580-hp obscenities. The cup holder sucks, but everything else about the Spyder does not.

Senior copy editor Kara Snow: Not only is the Ford GT the wildest car I drove this year in terms of both the actual ride and its hyper-futuristic design, but the experience in Ford’s race-winning beast was as emotionally thrilling as my very first time behind the wheel.

In his day, my grandfather worked on Fords for movie studios. My dad loved Mustangs. He owned many through the years and was hoping to fix up his 1946 Super De Luxe before he died unexpectedly five years ago. I’m sorry he never got to see what Ford would follow up the first two generations of these supercars with: a wonder of design, handling, and quickness—with all of the turbo’s whizzing and whooshing and the 647 hp V-6’s stunning growl.

Getting to drive the new Ford GT completes the circle for three generations of car lovers. It was a dream come true to pilot an American supercar made by a company with deep roots in our country’s history. And in my own life.

Daily news editor Conner Golden: Somehow I managed to sneak my way behind the wheel of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, claiming the golden tiara of my favorite car of the year. Porsche is loath to admit it, but the 991.2 GT3 takes what made the 911 R so incredibly desirable and offers it to the (still wealthy) masses, minus a handful of lightweight panels and stylistic affects. With a 4.0-liter flat-six whizzing all the way to a 9,000-rpm redline and a delicious six-speed manual transmission (seven-speed PDK optional), the GT3 was unspeakably excellent in every scenario.

Creative director Darren Scott: Hands down, the Volkswagen Golf R is the best VW I’ve ever driven. At first, I didn’t even know it existed but I quickly learned it’s a pocket rocket on rails. Its over-hyped little brother, the GTI—of which I have driven many examples—is a Bush League second baseman compared to this lightning shortstop. No flash, no nonsense. It delivers acceleration, power, and handling on-demand; supercar sophistication in a street-size package, a real driving experience. There are two downsides; one is the Tamagotchi style center console (come on VW, it’s 2017), and second, all the parking lot wannabes telling you the Ford Focus RS is better. Who cares! All that means is there’s two incredible cars to choose from.

 IFTTT

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