Like him or loathe him, Jeremy Clarkson is still regarded as one of the foremost critics on motoring in the UK and his opinions are respected by those who count.
The former Top Gear presenter’s influence on the UK market is significant, so when he is offered the opportunity to review cars in his column for the Sunday Times there is much attention paid to Clarkson’s thoughts.
Jeremy has driven 28 cars for the Sunday Times in 2018 and in his latest column he has singled out his top five cars of the year.
As fans of the car market it’s only fair we distill Clarkson’s thoughts for you and give you some extra info on his favourite cars of 2018.
Lamborghini Huracan Performante
So technically Clarkson reviewed the top of the range Lambo’ in December 2017, but he was writing about the 2018 release so we will give him some leeway. In giving it 4.5 stars out of 5, he said ‘This thing is idiotically fast. In a straight line it will leave a Ferrari 458 Special Needs for dead.’ The price of a brand new Huracan was set at $274,390.
Porsche 911 GT2 RS
Though the Porsche has recorded a faster lap at the famous Nurburgring track, it can only find second place in Clarkson’s top five. Speaking in August 2018, he said: ‘The GT2 RS is a properly brilliant sports car. And this from a man who’s never been a Porsche fan. I truly loved it. Everything about it.’ Be quick though as this version is limited to a production run of 1,000.
Alpina B5
Alpina’s version of the BMW 5 Series certainly got Clarkson’s praise with a 4 out of 5 rating.
The former Top Gear man said: ‘A normal 5-series feels as close to perfect as any car can be, and yet Alpina reckons that with a staff of about a hundred it can do better.’
Aston Martin Vantage
Clarkson described the new Aston Martin as a belter when he reviewed it in late 2018. We know that the Grand Tour host is a huge fan of Aston Martin so it comes as no surprise to find it on this list of his favourite cars of the year. Built in Warwickshire these beauties retail at £120,900.
Bentley Continental GT
‘A brilliant piece of over-the-top styling sitting like the icing on a properly made cake,” said Clarkson when he reviewed the Bentley, a car which he had previously written off as a plaything for footballers and their wives. The third generation come with a price tag of £156,700 and is built in Crewe.