2014 has been an incredible year for us here at Pursuitist Autos. In addition to covering news about all the luxury automotive brands, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time behind the wheel of some of the finest machines ever built. I’ve flown over 50,000 miles to destinations that included Monterey, Puerto Rico, Dallas, Sea Island Georgia, Palm Springs and Spa in Belgium.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from racing legends like Bobby Rahal and Derek Bell, as well as chase up-and-comers Pippa Mann and Zach Veach around the Speedway in Indianapolis (a story that will appear this spring).
So what were the best cars, top moments and other highlights of my year?
Overall, 2014 seemed to be the year of the coupe. I drove a wide variety of 2-door 2+2s including the Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari FF, BMW M4 and Lexus RC-F. While all these cars are terrific, each bringing something special to the table, I always get asked which is my favorite. Considering where I live and how I like to drive, if I had to choose just one it would be the Bentley.
The Biggest surprise for me this year was the Lincoln MKC, and it has nothing to do with the fact that Matthew McConaughey debuted as spokesperson for the vehicle. It’s actually a damn fine car, especially when you get it with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine. If you’re looking for a luxury compact crossover, make sure it’s on your shopping list.
I got to drive a wide variety of cars this year, but none were more different from each other than the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II and the new MINI Cooper from BMW. Both were fantastic. I’ll take one of each, please.
I took a lot of great trips this year (one of which I still have to write about) but four that stand out are my week at Pebble Beach, my drive in a Bentley on the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Spa, the weekend in Austin at the US Grand Prix with Infiniti, and exploring the Bourbon Trail in a Cadillac CTS Vsport.
There were sports cars galore, but one that really captured my heart was the 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray. As a Detroit native and someone who used to work with Chevrolet in the dark days of the mid-80s, it’s so satisfying to see them produce not just the best Corvette ever, but one that legitimately stands shoulder to shoulder with alternatives from Porsche, Jaguar and even Ferrari.
There was, however, one car that stood above all others this year. One that turned more heads, gave me more satisfaction and is breaking new ground in automotive technology. And while many are worthy, the obvious choice for the 2014 Pursuitist Car of the Year is…
As you can tell it’s been a great year at Pursuitist Autos world headquarters and I expect 2015 to be more of the same. It starts all over again in two weeks at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more great cars as well as a few new surprises we have planned for the upcoming year.