Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms EVOs 10 Greatest Iconic Cars (as voted by readers)...

1) McLaren F1
2) Ferrari F40
3) Pagani Zonda
4) Lancia Delta Integrale
5) Bugatti Veyron
6) Honda NSX/R
7) Porsche 911 997 GT3
8) Porsche 911 2.7 RS
9) Honda Integra Type-R
10) Nissan Skyline R32/R33/R34 GT-R

An interesting list in many ways - showing some interesting biases imho.

Firstly, my guess is the teenage/20-year olds are swayed by Porsches marketing department as they managed to push the 997 GT3 above the most iconic Porsche (surely a key criteria of a list called Greatest Iconic cars) of all time, the 1973 2.7 RS.

Secondly, perhaps I'm being unfair, but it seems the Honda and Nissan forums have been out in force voting for their pet cars. I can almost see the thread now, "Guys Vote for the Skyline, we need to put it in the EVO top 10!". Yes the Integra Type-R and the Skyline GT-R (in R34 guise but surely not R32 and R33) are good cars, if not great, but iconic? Surely not?

Where are the other cars that shaped motoring? Surely the E9 CSL or the E30 M3 deserves a place above the Integra Type-R and Skyline?

What about the iconic Mercedes or the Porsche 356A, which started the Porsche revolution? And if you want to talk iconic Porsche from the start, the 356 Speedster and 550 Spyder are pretty damn iconic.

And if we're going to include the Lancia Delta, shouldn't the Audi Quattro be on that list? Isn't that the most iconic of all 4WD rally-road cars?

Early Ferrari? 250?

Views? What is missing from the top 10, or is the list fair and definitive?

(ps - I realise you cannot be definative with 10-spots and I realise - to a degree - that EVO are at the mercy of bulk and influenced voting by 'readers' but I guess the real question is what 10 cars would you say are iconic or would you be happy with the EVO list?)

I've just been baiting a guy on one of the MB forums and according to him the Corvette C6 is the best car in the world. So EVO were obviously completely wrong.

The car's that stood out as being incongrous in EVOs list were the Delta Integrale and the Skyline, I would have thought that either of the Mitsubishi EVO or Subaru Imprezza lineages would have fared more highly.

Obviously something with a BMW badge should have been up there (perhaps the CSL or M5). I recently drove an E30 M3 Evolution and it didn't compare with either my Z4M or CSL so time has clearly moved on.

What about something smaller and cheaper in that top-10, the Mini perhaps or Clio 182?

I guess the key word for me is 'iconic' and I just don't think a Skyline, Integra or even the NSX, Zonda or Porsche CGT are iconic. Surely iconic means they have some kind of reverence beyond being a pin-up on a spotty teenagers wall? If that was the criteria then Jordan, Pamela Anderson and any other uber-tramp would also be iconic?

The Porsche 550 Spyder is iconic because of it's link with early Porsche racing prowess and the death of James Dean in his 'Little Bastard'

The early 1968 Mustang GT 390 from Bullitt because it shaped ionized the early pony cars, along with the Shelby Mustangs

The Ford GT40 that took on, and beat the Ferrais at LeMans 66, 67, and 68

There are, of course, more but these are iconic imho and are cars that should have been on a list of Iconic Cars. The Zonda is a brilliant car, I am sure, but it is an expensive super car and no more iconic than any other expensive, hypercar. The same can be said for the CGT and I'd pretty much lump the Veyron into the same group (although the one small saving grace is that it was a commercial folly and VAG will never make their investment back on the sales. And in some small, ridiculous, way, it did push the boundaries of road cars forward - albeit in a totally and utterly impractical way).

The new GT3 is not iconic

Then by iconic we are also referring to the most 'instantly recognisable' cars. So a Porsche 911 would have to be included, Perhaps a Ferrari 250 or F40, Lamborghini would have to be there (probably with the Countach, which is still more iconic than the Diablo, Murci or Gallardo).

From Ford either the GT40 or Mustang.

Mini would qualify (old one), plus Audi Quattro, perhaps a BMW 3-series (as being the iconic saloon/touring car).

Then you'd need to add some convertibles, although not sure which one.

And finally, what about the Range Rover or Land Rover Defender as being iconic within their genre?

Steve, I would agree with both the CSL and the more modern M-Power fare if this was 10 Most Brilliant Drivers Cars but this was supposed to be a list of Iconic Cars , so I believe in some small way, a great drive is almost secondary to an aura that eclipses everything else about the car.

So yes, the Mini sould be on the list and as I said, the E9 CSL but in all fairness, the same criticism I leveled at the GT3, etc, could be leveled at including the E46 CSL and the Z4M.

This was 10 Greatest Icons and imho, they got it wrong. And in all honesty, probably because they allowed the unwashed masses to vote, rather than people who study automotive trends, industry and history (that would thus rule me out as a judge on the panel). Also because doing an article about the real 10 Greatest Icons would be nearly impossible to swing. How would you get the 10 most iconic cars together? A very difficult and expensive task no doubt! And then would the editorial content actually appeal to the EVO market... probably not to the 70% who live and die for the next Impreza, Evo, Type-R or hot hatch.

Aha, lists - it must be new year's eve And by readers too, the curse of the serious journalist (almost as bad as editors...).

This is like a list published a while back of the 10 greatest books ever written, as voted by BBC viewers, or some such, in which one of the Harry Potter books was included. Well, this is surely similarly flawed. The voting implies such a limited perspective that the end result is just risible and embarrassing.

Personally I'd go with many of (both of) your suggestions (eg the Mini, the earlier Porsches 550/911s, the Mustang, the GT40, the Miura definitely, not sure which Ferrari but probably the 250GTO) but what about also the VW Beetle (iconic, but which also tops my most hated car list), the E type Jag, even the Hummer perhaps?).

Just a thought, but if we are looking at iconic cars doesn't the trad Morgan qualify. It is one of the few car designs to be sufficiently iconic to have been registered.

And surely also the Caterham 7..?

Chris, another perfect example

And yes the Miura and VW Beetle are other good additions. Especially the VW as I believe it is the car longest to remain in production? Circa 50+ years?

Brian, I also agree with the Trad Morgan but I didn't want to appear biased!

I would also include the Mercedes Gullwing 300 SL from the 50's/60's.

And Steve, the Lotus Super 7 in one of its many forms should also be on the list.

As probably should a variant of the AC Cobra