And now the highlight of our pointless awards. The most overwhelming car of the year should be one that combines immense driving pleasure with head-turning style; one that makes its price worth every penny and is as satisfying on the track as it is on the street. One that makes you not care that you don't own a Ferrari or a Bentley. This is our version of Car of the Year, but it has little to do with advertising dollars.

2nd Runner-Up :
Lotus Elise
The Elise can only be described as track-ready. It comes with only the basics of interior comfort, is strictly a manual affair, features standard stiff-as-rocks suspension and has only enough room for the driver and his deflated blow-up doll. Most people have trouble getting in and out of it, and Shaq won't even fit in one. But the driving experience is second to none. This weekend toy is pleasant to the eye and a killer at the track. Expect to mow down rich old men in Porsches with this one. Also expect to pay 40 large ones for a strippo roadster with a Toyota engine.

1st Runner-Up :
Chevrolet Corvette C6
Now this is more like it. Twice the power, twice the space and twice the gadgets. What does not double when compared to the Elise is the price. Considering how much grip those wide tires on the Corvette generate, it will certainly not fall behind by much when chasing the Elise at the track. And heck, in a straight line, it has enough thrust to make you think it will go airborne. The heads-up display adds to that effect. The new styling is only an evolution of the old C5, which is why it misses out on our design award. But the real Evolution is the winner of our hearts.