The Globe and Mail

2. BMW 1-Series M-Coupe

You can't really compare it to the return of Jesus, but for long-suffering fans of the BMW sports car, this is right up there. The 1-Series M-car marks a return to the Bavarian car builder's purist roots. With a 340-horsepower V8, fat tires and suspension components from the ultra-competent M3, this is a true driver's car.

Back in the 1970s, a generation of drivers lusted for the M-1's spiritual predecessor, the 2002 tii. I owned one for a while, and the memory of that car has sustained me through BMW's age of executive excess. Check out the new 1-Series M-Coupe and you'll see why so many of us once loved BMW.

3. Ford Mustang Boss 302

In 1970, I watched a friend’s older brother commit career suicide by quitting high school so he could make the payments on a Ford Boss 302 Mustang. When he rolled up in it, the rest of us were ready quit school, too. Such was the siren power of the Boss, a car so cool that could lure a young driver onto the rocks of financial ruin. (Say what you like, but that was genuine brand power.)

Although I’m generally leery of retro cars, the new Boss 302 is stunning, and I think it symbolizes the resurrection of Detroit. For all I know, my friend’s older brother may still be making payments on the Boss he bought 41 years ago. Come see the new one and you’ll understand why he did it.

4. Scion iQ

Like the Toyota Prius hybrid, the Scion iQ is a paradigm-shifting car. Most of us have way more car than we need, and the iQ shows just how little we could really get by with. Although the Smart came first, its flawed execution has limited its appeal – the transmission is terrible, and cargo capacity is limited to a few bags of groceries. The iQ adds a vestigial back seat that will make it a more useable car – you’ll be able to jam a hockey bag in there. This is what it’s going to take to get the small car revolution started.

5. Bentley Continental GT

There is a special category of car we all know yet never formally name – the Gentleman’s Express. The prerequisites consist of a leather-lined cockpit, a massive yet well-muffled engine, and a body that conjures up a British lord who spends serious time at the gym. The Bentley Continental GT is a charter member of this group. To appreciate it, you need to see it live instead of in pictures. Check it out and you’ll see why England once ruled the world.

6. Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

In the 1970s, the mighty General Motors lost its way, slowly drifting toward commercial disaster thanks to mail-it-in engineering and styling that must have originated in the accounting department. But there have been major changes, and the new Camaro is rolling proof.

The car’s styling evokes the pony-car appeal of the original car, and chopping off the top to create a convertible is a logical step toward the brand’s resurrection. Watching GM’s decline over the past few decades brought me no pleasure, and I always hoped that the company would return to the glory days that I witnessed as a little boy. Back then, the Camaro captured the imagination of an entire generation, and GM bestrode the automotive world like a colossus. Looking at the new Camaro convertible makes me think it could all happen again. Gaze upon the Camaro convertible, and imagine.

7. Mini Paceman Concept

I’ve always enjoyed the Mini, but a lot of drivers want more room. In response, the company has created a series of swollen offshoots. But what’s the best way?

First came the Clubman, which is basically a standard Mini with a bit of a limousine to create a useable back seat. Next up was the Countryman, a four-door variant that looks a standard Mini that has been inflated to about 130 per cent of its original size, like a steel party balloon that got too much helium.

To me, the Paceman concept looks best, and it has enough room to put skis inside. This is the only enlarged Mini that could move me away from the original, which I consider a vehicle styling home run

8. Hyundai Accent

Humble cars are the ones that change the world – for proof, look at the Model T and the Beetle. Bear that in mind as you look upon Hyundai’s new Accent. It isn’t fast, it isn’t exciting, and it won’t impress the neighbours. But it’s an important car, because it represents the next step by a company that has helped reshape the market.

Hyundai first came to Canada in the 1980s with the Pony, a laughable little box that sold in record numbers due to a single, defining characteristic: a low, low price. Since then, Hyundai has grown into a major player, and nobody laughs at the stylized H logo anymore. So as you gaze upon the humble Accent, you are looking at more than a car – you are pondering the future of the democratized automobile.

9. Lexus LFA

Looking at the LFA is like gaining admittance to a top-secret industrial facility, or the private rooms at Buckingham Palace. It’s unique, it’s compelling and it makes you realize that there are worlds other than your own. The LFA is a one-off project that what an industrial giant like Toyota can do when it pulls out all the stops. Parts of the body are woven from carbon fibre filaments by machines that resemble gigantic metal spiders. The results are otherworldly. Only 500 will be made, and the starting price is $375,000 U.S. When you buy an LFA, you get a personal visit from a Lexus company representative who comes to you with a briefcase like the one that Obama’s aides carry in case he needs to launch a nuclear strike. But this case is filled with LFA paint samples, leather swatches and a memory stick that will save all your choices. This may not happen for you. So go see the LFA at the car show.

10. Range Rover Evoque

After an extended trip to Los Angeles, I came away convinced that the Range Rover is the official vehicle of the cosmetically enhanced pose striker. But when I saw the new Evoque, I liked it anyway.

It may be little more than a styling exercise, but it’s a good one: the roofline rakes downward toward the rear, and the low strip of glass reminds me of a machine gun nest. Nice. More significantly, the Evoque is smaller than previous Range Rovers, which will make it more efficient. Overall, it’s a stunner, even if it is an SUV.

So I will be staring at it for a while, drinking in its automotive beauty as if it were a rose that will bloom for only for the briefest of moments. Which is probably the case. The Evoque will soon be deployed on its inevitable mission: transporting the likes of Victoria Beckham and Audrina Patridge to shoe stores and yoga classes. Oh well.

11. Ferrari 458

A friend of mine once declared that anyone who buys a Ferrari is an idiot. I could see his reasoning. Ferraris are expensive. You can’t get them serviced at Canadian Tire. And there’s not much room inside. But that’s beside the point when you’re talking about a work of art.

The 458 is the latest in a long line of mid-engine Ferraris, and has been described by some reviewers as the best-handling car ever made. The suspension arms are industrial art. So are the camshaft covers, the brakes, and everything else on the car. Even standing still, it’s special.

12. Toyota Prius V

When I’m asked to list the most significant cars of all time, the Prius is always on the list, because it took the green car concept to the mainstream. On the face of it, the new V model is little more than a minor variation: by making the tail end slightly larger and adding a vertical tailgate, Toyota has turned the V into a new-age station wagon.

The change is significant, because it makes the Prius a viable alternative to the SUVs that so many families end up choosing. When you look at the Prius V, you are looking at the next step into a greener future.

2012 Lexus LFA

2012 Lexus LFA