Best Smiling Cars Ever Made

These grinning cars will put Lightning McQueen to shame

Every car has a face, some of them being happier than others. The question is, though, which cars have only a face a mother would love and which cars have a smile great enough to rival Bruce Forsyth’s pearly whites? We’re asking all the important questions here at Motor-Vision, don’t you worry.

It’s time to rank the top six smiles that are on four wheels based on good looks, notoriety and just how happy they look overall. Be sure to let us know which cars you think have the best smiles in the comments and tell us of any you think should have made the list.

1. Mazda MX-5

It’s got to be. This chirpy little roadster has undergone many changes over the years but its smile has remained as bright as ever. With the MX-5 being the world’s best-selling roadster, this cutesy Japanese sports car has a lot to be happy about.

Among the classic car enthusiasts, its pop-up headlights and grinning grille from the first generation are highly sought after and a very iconic aesthetic. Nowadays, the car is looking a little more angular but that grinning grille has stuck around all the same.

2. McLaren P1

You can’t look at this car without seeing the huge cartoon-like smile and it almost makes you think that the designers must have done it on purpose. Smiling from ear to ear (or headlight to headlight in this case) the McLaren P1’s face has the same vibe as a dog that’s sticking its head out of the window of the car.

When you’re going over 200mph in this thing, your face will probably be rather similar.

3. BMW M3 (E46)

Bimmers are also very well-known for their smiles, mostly prevalent in the E46 and E90 3 Series M Sport models. However, if we had to choose, the E46 M3 takes the prize every time.

With big round eyes, the kidney grilles we know and love and of course, the unmistakable shape of a happy mouth add to a car that is already a perfect example of excellent design. The E46 M3 has aged like a fine wine and the incredibly inflated prices sure do reflect it!

It’s got the same expression of an excited dog ready to be taken for a walk. Just look at this M3 GTR for instance. It just looks so happy to be alive!

4. Ferrari F40

The king of classic supercars smiles upon all of its subjects. I mean, when you are the most iconic Ferraris ever made and regarded by many as even the most iconic car in general, how could you not be smiling ear to ear?

The F40 is full of character. The large spoiler, the endless amount of triangular vent holes, the only available colour being Rosso Corsa red. All in all, the F40 is a spectacular classic with a smile that none will soon forget. Although, not quite as smiley as the MX-5.

5. Jaguar XJ

The Jaguar XJ went from a car that a London Mafia boss would be driven in, to a chirpy, smiling saloon that just wants to be your friend. In a rather drastic facelift, the 2003-2007 Jaguar XJ transformed into one of the happiest looking cars around!

The XJ really came out of its shell in 2007 and those gleaming wide eyes got a gleaming smile to match. Similar to the BMW M Sport bumpers of the same period, the new XJ bumper got rid of the old singular oval-shaped vent and replaced it with a singular central cooling vent with the foglights on either side.

Even though the new facelift may have made the XJ a little less mean-looking, it still remained as one of the coolest cars around. The styling of the XJ was certainly one of the best things about it and really helped keep Jaguar on the map as a brand with its own unique identity.

6. Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

Last but certainly not least, we have the legendary CLK GTR. The CLK GTR is a bit of a unicorn being incredibly rare and only owned by a handful of people.

Primarily made as a racing car for the FIA GT Championship and Le Mans, the car had to be produced in order to reach homologation rules. Only 30 were produced making the chances of seeing one of these in the wilds ten times less likely than winning the lottery.

This smiler dominated GT1 racing and has been described as the pinnacle of GT1 development in the 90s and its younger brother, the CLR, is also well known for flying 20 feet in the air but never mind that. The CLK GTR is by far the rarest car on this post and the most successful in motorsport. It dominated GT1 racing and did it all with a great smile!