Gallery: The 10 most influential cars of the last decade

1. Bugatti Chiron: The 2005 Veyron was a game-changer but rather than drop the mic and walk off stage, content, Bugatti raised the bar in 2016 with the Chiron. It carried over the Veyron’s 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine and produced 1,479 horses and had a top speed of 420kph. So in terms of envelope-pushing performance it is without a doubt one of the most important cars of the decade.

2. Tesla Model S: When this was launched in 2012 it changed the automotive landscape forever. It rocketed Tesla into the world’s consciousness and made people want to drive an EV. With attractive styling, a smart interior and ridiculously impressive performance it completely bucked electric car conventions. Indeed, no other carmaker has done more to further the advancement of the EV and the Model S started it all.

3. Dodge Challenger Hellcat: This one makes this list because of the insane amount of power it affords, for an affordable amount too. Its 707 horses frightened most exotic supercars costing five times as much.

4. Suzuki Jimny: Who doesn’t love the new and ever so cute Jimny, aka the baby G-Class! It is like a little puppy and you just can’t help falling in love with it. Best of all, you won’t find any puddles on your kitchen floor – maybe oil leaks on the garage floor…

5. Rolls-Royce Phantom: Nothing compares with this. It is easily one of the best cars of the decade. Nobody does luxury like Rolls-Royce and this one just oozes it from every orifice.

6. Bentley Bentayga: SUVs grew even more in popularity during the 2010s and ever since this one came along in 2015, hot on its heels have been similar models from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce. If you can’t beat them, join them - the Bentayga definitely kicked off the trend of uber luxury and potent SUVs.

7. Toyota 86: The last decade wasn’t just about powerhouse supercars or SUVs – there were some pure and affordable sportscars in the mix too. The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ are two of the most fun cars you can buy. They’re both the perfect balance between daily drivers, back road carvers and track day weapons.

8. Ford F-150: This has been the best-selling vehicle in America for much longer than the past decade but the 2010s brought about the biggest changes on this longstanding model. This decade began with the launch of the F-150 Raptor, a new off-road model that completely revolutionized the performance pickup truck segment. In 2014, the F-Series entered its 13th generation and became the first mass-produced American vehicle to make heavy use of aluminium for weight savings. The F-150’s flagship V8 engine was killed off in favour of a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, a bold move that has yet to be copied by other trucks.

9. Alfa Romeo Giulia QV: The saloon segment seems to be on the way out (more and more carmakers are opting for larger CUV and SUVs) but this four-door was simply brilliant. Out of nowhere, the Italians built a super saloon and it proved to be super fun to drive, not that there was ever any doubt. This is Alfa after all.

10. BMW M2: This was a staggeringly good performance car with a combination of supercar acceleration and a cleverly developed chassis wrapped in an attractive package.

BONUS! Hypercars. Porsche 918 Spyder: It’s stupendous, a huge leap in supercar, nay, hypercar evolution and the first production car to own the ’Ring in less than seven minutes. It’s also stunning in live carbon fibre.

BONUS! Hypercars. McLaren P1: conceived from the very beginning to be the best driver’s car in the world on both the road and the track, was the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 road car built in the Nineties.

BONUS! Hypercars. Ferrari LaFerrari: Ferrari’s hybrid supercar has 950 horses and the ability to hit 100kph from rest in less than 3.0 seconds...