CAR magazine's best pictures of 2018

Welcome to our gallery of the best pictures from CAR magazine over the past year. Scroll through our mini gallery of each month’s best picture from CAR’s 2018 issues between January and December, as chosen by our art team. Click next to scroll through our gallery. January 2018 What for? ‘Rest easy Enzo, all is well’ – driving the LaFerrari Aperta Who by? Steffen Jahn Editor Ben Miller ventured out to Ferrari HQ in Maranello to take a look inside the base of operations of one of the most revered supercar makers in the world, celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary and get an exclusive drive of the drop-top LaFerrari Aperta. February 2018 What for? ‘Enter Valhalla’ – preview of the Aston Martin Valkyrie Who by? John Wycherley Once more of the production realities of Aston’s V12 hypercar came around, we dove deep into the technical wizardry of Aston’s ultimate car and why it was just one part of the reason behind our decision to call 2018 as Aston Martin’s year. March 2018 What for? ‘Who are you?’ – adventure drive in the new Renault Megane RS Who by? Alex Tapley Our 500-mile test through Spain to find out if Renault’s new hot hatch was a Golf GTI beater or a hardcore Civic Type R crown stealer. April 2018 What for? ‘How far is Portofino from California?’ – adventure drive in the Ferrari Portofino Who by? Charlie Magee Ferrari’s latest entry-level sports car was meant to be harder, better, faster and prettier than the Cali it replaced. Ben Barry found out if it was worth everyone’s time, not just their first time. May 2018 What for? ‘I Am Legend’ – exploring Land Rover’s history Who by? Wilson Hennessey This very car heralded the arrival of Land Rover, 70 years ago at the Amsterdam motor show. Mark Walton digs deep into what the brand has done over that period, and what it needs to do next. June 2018 What for? ‘Alien Craft’ – celebrating Porsche’s ultimate race cars Who by? John Wycherley Another 70th birthday – this time for Porsche. As part of our feature package, Ben Pulman went to Stuttgart to pore over some of the brands dominating racers. July 2018 What for? ‘Close Call’ – Vantage takes on 911 Who by? John Wycherley Every £100k sports car has to take on just one rival and succeed to be judged a truly fantastic one: the Porsche 911. Aston’s new Vantage went toe-to-toe with a 911 GTS and gave the German more than a bloody nose. August 2018 What for? ‘I’m the best-looking kid in the paddock’ – Tom Clarkson and Daniel Ricciardo Who by? Glenn Dunbar The infamously un-serious F1 driver (not long before he announced he was moving to Renault) went for a drive with Tom Clarkson. September 2018 What for? ‘Here Comes Trouble’ – our 2018 hot hatch mega test Who by? John Wycherley Snapper John, along with equally-awesome snapper Alex Tapley, had the unenviable task of trying to take pictures of eight pocket rockets with a group of writers that had the keys to them and all of Rockingham circuit all to themselves. Fun ensued, for the writers anyway. October 2018 What for? ‘Sun Seeker’ – adventure drive in the new Bentley Conti GT Who by? Alex Tapley An old-school schlep across half of Europe with James Taylor behind the wheel included the odd off-route drive into the wilderness to see if Bentley’s new Conti was still a proper grand tourer. November 2018 What for? ‘What. A. Year’ – our Sports Car Giant Test 2018 Who by? Richard Pardon Almost like a 90s video game, this overhead shot at the start line of the Circuit de Charade in France was where we listed out the contenders. 30-degree sun, six of the best cars of the year and one of the most challenging yet fun tracks out there to play with? It’s a hard life. December 2018 What for? ‘One Giant Leap’ – McLaren Speedtail preview Who by? John Wycherley We thought the debut of the 1035bhp Speedtail was the moment that McLaren stepped ahead of the rest of the supercar players with its ambition and bravery.