[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/best-cars-2016\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/best-cars-2016\/","headline":"Best cars of 2016","name":"Best cars of 2016","description":"With Brexit, the US election and the passing of many a childhood hero, 2016 has been an especially heavy-going year. The last 12 months will be remembered for the amazing cars that have hit our roads too. Here, we pick our best cars of 2016: Audi Q2 Everyone always expected Audi to enter the highly lucrative compact SUV market eventually. With the Nissan Juke and other hiked-up superminis selling like hot cakes, slapping the highly desirable Audi badge on the […]","datePublished":"2016-12-15","dateModified":"2017-01-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/feature-19.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/feature-19.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/best-cars-2016\/","about":["BLOG","Sports, Performance & Prestige Cars","SUPERCARS"],"wordCount":596,"keywords":["Audi Q2","Audi R8 Spyder","best cars of 2016","BMW M2","Bugatti Chiron","Ford GT","Honda NSX","Jaguar F-Pace","Mercedes-AMG GT R"],"articleBody":"With Brexit, the US election and the passing of many a childhood hero, 2016 has been an especially heavy-going year.The last 12 months will be remembered for the amazing cars that have hit our roads too. Here, we pick our best cars of 2016:Audi Q2Everyone always expected Audi to enter the highly lucrative compact SUV market eventually. With the Nissan Juke and other hiked-up superminis selling like hot cakes, slapping the highly desirable Audi badge on the kind of car that was already in much demand was essentially a license to print money.Low running costs and an upmarket cabin made the Q2 the compact SUV to have.Read more in our extended featureBugatti ChironHow do you follow something as awesome as the 1,000bhp Bugatti Veyron? With this: the 1,479bhp Chiron.Costing \u00a31.9million, it can do 0 to 62mph in less than 2.5 seconds or if you prefer, 0-124mph in under 6.5 seconds.The Chiron is so savagely quick that its speed was limited to 261mph, but with the limiter disabled, it can surpass 270mph. Oh and did we mention it looks like a work of art?Find out five crazy facts on the ChironMercedes-AMG GT RBecause the standard 455bhp GT wasn\u2019t rapid enough, with its 3.8 second 0-62mph dash, we got this – the GT R – in November, which completed the benchmark sprint in 3.6 seconds instead. Worth every penny of its \u00a3143,245 asking price.Find out more on the GT R Jaguar F-PaceThe first SUV from Jaguar had to be better than good, and it was. Bold styling, a brilliant drive, and the kind of refinement you\u2019d expect from the big cat set a new pace for the SUV market.Audi R8 SpyderWe\u2019re making no apologies for sticking another Audi in here. The drop-top R8 takes everything that was great about the standard fixed-roof R8 and simply adds an electronically-operated fabric roof. Genius!With 532bhp to exploit, the R8 Spyder can blast off to 62mph in just 3.6 seconds. Almost enough to rip your hair out.Find out more on the convertible R8BMW M2The high-performance take on the 2 Series has been the subject of much praise on Motor-Vision in 2016.This 365bhp hot hatch featured in our quickest cars you can buy run-down and was also picked out as one of Jeremy Clarkson\u2019s star cars. It made Ol\u2019Jezza \u201cactually dribble with joy\u201d and pinched the original 286bhp M5\u2019s place as his favourite M car.Ford GTAs if the blue oval wasn\u2019t content with owning the hot hatch market with the Focus RS and Fiesta ST200, it wheels out this 600-plus bhp beast.Only 500 were going to be built originally, but demand was such that Ford recently took the decision to double the production run.You can\u2019t just rock up to a Ford showroom with \u00a3400,000 in your back pocket and expect to drive off in one though. Prospective owners have to apply and fill in a questionnaire to prove they\u2019re worthy of having one.More on the GT hereHonda NSXFinancial struggles meant that Honda took longer than it initially planned to offer a follow-up to the original NSX, but the 26-year wait was sure worth it.This unique supercar combines the raw grunt of a 576bhp V6 engine with three electric motors to hit 62mph in under three seconds, making it a worthy rival to the Audi R8 and McLaren 570S.Read our feature on the NSXWhat were your favourite cars to emerge in 2016? Let us know in the comments below."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Best cars of 2016","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/best-cars-2016\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]