We’ve researched, voted, argued and nearly came to blows in the office… after much debate, we now bring you the best photos of the year. Browse through our top 10 – and add your comments below.
This stunning photo of the legendary Ferrari F40 was taken by Barry Hayden and was the cover image of our August 2006 issue celebrating 40 years of the supercar. It’s an evocative shot, capturing the functional beauty of this, the first supercar to gain membership of the 200mph club. Thank that twin-turbo V8 developing a muscular 478bhp – in a flyweight 1100kg missile. One of the great Ferraris. .
Fly-on-the-wall in the Renault F1 pitlane
Greg White’s atmospheric shot of the Renault team in action at Silverstone appeared in our September 2006 relaunch issue. What makes this photo so special? It’s redolent of hospital cleanliness, the polished floor and millimetric precision of the jack speaking volumes for a sport where attention to detail matters. Small wonder Renault went on to win two drivers’ championships in a row.
The new Mini finally grows up
Advertising snapper Alex Howe took these thought-provoking pictures of the new Mini – in a shot, capturing the growth spurt that belies the BMW baby’s name. When the ‘new’ Mini first arrived in 2001, it was spectacularly bigger than the original; this year’s replacement is bigger still. Alex’s digitally retouched photos cleverly portray this scale change: sitting stodgily, hogging two parking spaces, dwarfing nearby trolleys and a forlorn, white Peugeot 405 estate…
Jaguar’s XK lit up New York on our American adventure
Fittingly for a car advertised under the ‘gorgeous’ advertising catchline, the new XK looks pretty damn gorgeous in Mark Bramley’s opening image in our October 2006 issue. Ben Oliver’s story takes us from the buzzing urban playground of New York to the other-worldly classiness of the Hamptons. The XK is the perfect car for a scintillating journey, at once able and nimble around town, and exuding a perfect-10 class.
Heaven is the McLaren F1
When we reunited the McLaren F1 with the Ferrari F40 – two landmark supercars if ever there were – we needed some special images to tell their incredible stories. Barry Hayden came up trumps. This cabin shot perfectly captures the focused nature of Nick Mason’s impeccable GTR model: gullwing doors framing a composite-clad cabin of unparalleled purpose. Is there a more poignant cockpit than this in a road car?
A car factory as you’ve never seen one before
Modern car factories can be soulless places: grey boxes filled with robotic machines metronomically building cars. The UK’s Mini plant in Cowley, Oxford, is slightly different. Greg White’s photos portray a high-tech home appopriate for one of the modern success stories of the automotive industry. Think iPod cool meets BMW precision.
The quickest digger in the west
When JCB decided to promote its new, inhouse diesel engine, company boss Sir Anthony Bamford came up with an ambitious publicity stunt: break the diesel land-speed record. Andy Green, who set an outright 763mph record in Thrust SSC back in 1997, was the man selected for the job of taking the JCB Dieselmax to new heights. They succeeded, of course, posting a 350mph record – and Peter Dench was on hand to catch some of the quirkier moments of the record-breaking attempt. Even the fastest man on earth has to pee sometimes.
Citroen rediscovers its quirky form
Paris Motor Show, 2006. The French manufacturers desperately want to outdo each other – and Citroen comes up trumps. Its C Metisse concept is an extreme interpretation of where the brand wants to go; forget the amorphous C5, it wants to carve a distinctive style in future. Dan Burn-Forti was the man behind the lens, perfectly capturing the sci-fi character of the C Metisse. There’s an eery, high-tech atmosphere at work here.
The quickest digger in the west
When JCB decided to promote its new, inhouse diesel engine, company boss Sir Anthony Bamford came up with an ambitious publicity stunt: break the diesel land-speed record. Andy Green, who set an outright 763mph record in Thrust SSC back in 1997, was the man selected for the job of taking the JCB Dieselmax to new heights. They succeeded, of course, posting a 350mph record – and Peter Dench was on hand to catch some of the quirkier moments of the record-breaking attempt. Even the fastest man on earth has to pee sometimes.
Citroen rediscovers its quirky form
Paris Motor Show, 2006. The French manufacturers desperately want to outdo each other – and Citroen comes up trumps. Its C Metisse concept is an extreme interpretation of where the brand wants to go; forget the amorphous C5, it wants to carve a distinctive style in future. Dan Burn-Forti was the man behind the lens, perfectly capturing the sci-fi character of the C Metisse. There’s an eery, high-tech atmosphere at work here.