Living the dream

Mercedes-benz SLS AMG
The phrase ‘eye catching' is bandied around by all and sundry these days but the SLS AMG, with its svelte, aggressive lines, pop up air brake and gullwing doors, is genuinely worthy of the title. So the gullwings are a little flash. That's the whole point isn't it? I think they're there to draw the attention of the hard of hearing. Why? Well because the rumbling exhaust note is that of a raw, visceral V8, so captivating that people half a mile away look up and wonder what's approaching. But if you couldn't hear it coming, at least you could admire the sculpted bodywork as it passed by, and watching the doors open is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Those who are lucky enough to step inside are well aware of how low to the ground they sit, which leads briefly to a feeling of vulnerability. But pull down the gullwings and you're cocooned safely in the cockpit — and for once, cockpit is not just a glamorous way of describing the cabin. You really do feel like you are hunkered down in your own personal jet fighter, ready to do battle with the Shaikh Zayed Road bandits or, more likely, any passing X-Wing fighters. And whilst fighters are all about purely functional bare aluminium, the Mercedes is more about hand crafted leather trim, attention to fine detail, and just a tasteful smattering of carbon fibre. It is a very desirable place from which to be driving a car.

And the driving experience, in a word? Addictive. OK it's a Grand Tourer not a highly strung supercar, but therein lies its beauty. You could drive this car to Europe from the UAE in perfect comfort and still take every bend en route at grin inducing speeds.

So apart from 563bhp, 650Nm of torque, fantastic road manners, comfort, style and good looks, what has the SLS AMG ever done for me? Well there are those doors of course...

Audi R8 SpYder
In the scrabble for keys on the morning of our photoshoot, one was more hotly contested than any other. Despite the assortment of precious metal available to drive, the one car that everyone wanted was the R8. And even in the pre-dawn light, it wasn't hard to see why.

When it was introduced, the R8 was a masterpiece of design, like the original TT, quite literally, an unprecedented new shape. It still is. And with the conversion to convertible, it is if anything even more successful. Gone are the iconic sideblades, replaced by more conventional big intakes ahead of the rear wheels, fed by long scoops in the doors. Gone too is the lovely clear engine cover, which is a pity, because under that new slightly higher rump lurks 552bhp of firebreathing V10. Underneath, as you'd expect, is Audi's all-wheel drive system, and the familiar robotised manual gearbox operating either as a full auto, or switched by paddles mounted behind the flat-bottomed wheel.

Roof up it's all quiet and fuss-free, with little wind noise to ruffle your bonce, and surprisingly muted sounds from behind your shoulder as the V10 does its stuff. All terribly civilised.

So at the first opportunity that presents itself, roof down and away we go! Open, it looks even more gorgeous, and the opening performance is certainly something to watch, with all sorts of mechanical gyrations going on. But everything settles down nicely into place, and it's time to go tunnel hunting.

On the move, the sound is simply breathtaking. Who needs a radio when you have a mechanical symphony like this to play tunes with? But that's the nature of the beast — it will potter around quietly while you're collecting envious glances, then open up with a snarl when you want to clear a path ahead.

Everything works in a predictably Audi-ish sort of way, which is actually a good thing. True supercars are supposed to be flighty, fragile sorts of things, and this isn't. Fragile, I mean. Not only is it beautifully built, it definitely is a true supercar.

And the winner is..... Mercedes-benz SLS AMG

It shouldn't be an easy task comparing a dozen (or more) excellent, albeit completely different types of vehicles, and somehow choosing one which deserves the title ‘best of all'. Is it reasonable, for example, to point out that the Rolls-Royce Ghost comes fitted with more options than say, the Kia Cadenza? Or that the Volkswagen Touareg performs better off road than the Renaultsport Clio? No, of course it's not. Yet somehow, in amongst all the bickering over who was going to drive the R8 Spyder and who could have the keys to the Lexus, the wheels car of the year 2010 simply chose itself.

Because when it came time for each of us to drive the Mercedes SLS AMG, a strange serenity fell over the Yas Marina Circuit. Those who were stepping out of the car simply smiled, shook the hand of the next lucky recipient, and wandered off with a look of fulfilment on their face. Those who had yet to sit behind the wheel looked on with quiet envy, listening to the glorious V8 symphony as it bounced off the walls of the grandstands. And those in control of the most strikingly styled and wonderfully engineered car on the circuit knew that, for just a few short minutes, they were driving something very special.

Many of the vehicles available that day had a lot of power. But they didn't all have that engine. A large percentage of them could be described as being good looking. But only one had an appeal that was met with universal admiration. Several of them had very well designed interiors. But only one was sure to induce an adrenaline rush every time the doors were closed.

So it costs a little more than the Hyundai and consumes marginally more fuel than the Fiat 500. If we were voting with only our heads, then maybe they'd be in with a fighting chance, but thankfully, we get to use our hearts as well. Cars as special as the Mercedes SLS AMG don't come along every day. But when they do, they get to choose their own accolades. So a well deserved car of the year it is.