The financial crisis has changed the demographics of the auto industry putting formerly unknown manufacturers on the map, while top companies have lost their worldwide positions.
1. Toyota
Popular throughout the world by the sheer volume of cars it produces and sells in almost all countries; Toyota majorly caters the car and Light Commercial Vehicle segment. With marques such as Daihatsu, Hino, Lexus, Scion and Toyota, this giant manufacturer produces cars of mass appeal, elegance and comfort. With stylish cars regularly churned from its basket it would be hard to beat it from its top position.
2. General Motors
General Motors is a United States manufacturers and the second largest automaker in the world. This company has been ranked as the largest manufacturer of motors in the world though its share dwindled due to the financial crises and declaration of bankruptcy. Currently it is focusing on its core brands Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Its biggest markets are North and South America and China; however it’s trying to put a foothold in other emerging markets like India, Germany, Spain, etc.
3. Ford Motor Co.
Ford Motor Co. introduced the revolutionary method of large-scale manufacturing of motor vehicles. It is the third largest manufacturer in the U.S behind Toyota and General Motors. The Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo are the brands under its automobile segment. With a majority of its market share in North America and the U.S, Ford Motors is rapidly expanding its foothold globally with its ‘Ford’ brand.
4. Fiat
This Italian automotive major has a 20% stake in Chrysler since 2009 and its cars are best sellers in Brazil, Argentina and Poland. Its long list of ventures with local companies in India, China, France, Turkey, Russia and Pakistan has ensured that this company has made a mark on the auto industry. Fiat is constantly involved in R&D and its ‘Multiair’ engine won the ‘Best Engine of the Year 2010’ in the International Engine of the Year Awards for its innovative engine technology.
5. BMW
Renowned for manufacturing luxury and performance vehicles, this German company also owns the MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. It’s famous for its BMW 3
Series of models and has brought out many innovations with its flagship 7 Series sedans. The company also had a successful stint in Formula One before winning 20 races before selling out to Peter Sauber. BMW is rapidly expanding its client base by setting up subsidiaries in South Africa, India, United States, China, Canada, Austria and Egypt.
6. Daimler AG
Daimler Corporation is the thirteenth largest car manufacturer. This German automaker has an envious basket of brands consisting of the ultra-luxurious Maybach, the ever popular statement-Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Smart. Luxury and comfort are its two main focuses while manufacturing models. To increase its market share it has also entered into an alliance with Renault-Nissan in 2010.
7. Porsche SE
Another German manufacturer to feature on this list, Porsche is into manufacturing of luxury high performance automobiles. An impressive list of marques such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Scania, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen group has ranked it among the top luxury automakers in the world. Porsche cars are immensely successful in the Formula One circuit winning more than 28,000 races. Porsche Cayenne SUV is also very popular with more than 250,000 models sold till date.
8. Tata Motors
TATA Motors emerged as a leader in automotive manufacturing after its historic takeover of British brands Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008. With a 70% market share in India, and ranked 19th by OCIA as the world’s largest automaker, TATA Motors is renowned for manufacturing affordable and cost-effective vehicles. It has also rolled out production of the cheapest car in the world ‘TATA Nano’ available at an ex-showroom price of $ 2,146 only. Apart from India it also has manufacturing plants in Argentina, South Africa and Thailand.
9. Honda Motor Co.
The sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world, Honda’s products are mid-sized and highly fuel efficient. Their line-up cars like the Honda Civic, Fit, Accord, Odyssey, Insight and CR-V are very popular in the car market. The Honda Civic has the longest running production period. Honda also produces more fuel-efficient cars than any other automakers according to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency.
10. Chrysler Group LLC
A U.S. automobile manufacturer Chrysler has manufactured popular brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and GEMCAR- battery powered vehicles. Chrysler vehicles are also very popular among gamers with the Chrysler parody being used as ‘Chryslus Motors’ in Fallout video game series. Dodge vehicles are also used in the Need for Speed and Tom Clancy video games.
A member of the cat family, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) leads the way as the world's fastest mammal. Capable of speeds between 70-75 miles per hour, the cheetah can run at this speed for up to 1,500 feet (460m), and has been recorded accelerating from 0-60mph in just 3 seconds - faster than most sports cars.
The Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana), or Pronghorn Buck, is a hoofed mammal native to North America. It is built for maximum predator evasion, with speeds recorded varying from 40-57mph. Although slower than the cheetah, the Pronghorn is capable of maintaining its top speed over much longer distances due to its large heart and lungs.
One of two species of wildebeest, the Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a grazing animal found in Southern and East Africa. With so many natural predators including lions, hyenas, cheetahs and crocodiles, the blue wildebeest move in large migratory herds and are capable of speeds up to 50mph when necessary.
At one time the second most common mammal in the world after humans, the Lion (Panthera leo) is these days found mostly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The second largest living cat after the tiger, the lion can achieve speeds of up to 50 miles per hour when hunting its prey which can range from warthogs to elephants.
The Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium sized gazelle, earning its name from its tendecy to leap into the air while running to attract a female or evade a predator, a behaviour known as 'pronking'. Most commonly found in south and southwestern Africa it can reach running speeds of up to 50mph / 80kmh.
The smallest animal on our list of the top ten fastest mammals, the Brown Hare is native to much of Europe and Western Asia. Slightly larger than a rabbit, it is a strictly herbivorous mammal that feeds on many types of vegetation throughout the year. With a number of natural predators, the Brown Hare is a naturally shy animal and is capable of reaching 48mph to avoid capture.
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a relatively small carnivorous mammal capable of running speeds of 48mph / 77kmh, incidentally the same as one of their prey, the Brown Hare. With natural populations of red foxes in the United States, Europe, North Africa and Asia, the red fox has the widest range of any terrestrial carnivore.
The Grant's Gazelle (Gazella granti) herivorous mammal found on open gras plains in East Africa. With the world's fastest land animal, the cheetah, being one of its natural predators, it needs to be quite speedy across the ground and can build up to a fastest speed of over 45mph.
Similar in appearance to the Grant's Gazelle, the Thomson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsoni) is probably the best known of the gazelle genus. Native to Africa's savannahs and grasslands, most notably the Serengeti, the Thomson's Gazelle will migrate in herds of hundreds or thousands. It can evade predators through its ability to maintain speeds of up to 47mph while turning quickly and 'pronking' to confuse chasers.
The Horse (Equus caballus) is a common and highly domesticated animal. They have been used for centuries to carry humans and goods as well as pull objects such as ploughs and carts. Through breeding horses have also been made to specialise in certain tasks, such as racing, and it is here that horses have been recorded reaching speeds of 45mph.
The real car is actually a 1959 California Ferrari Spyder 250 GTO LWB, of which there are only 10 in existance, but I figured I should probably cover the gamut with this one. And that’s probably a little too specific. But seriously, unbelievable car. Sure, it’s only $4,000,000, but if you have never heard of or seen this car, LOOK IT UP. Like, now. Come back to this later. Or not at all. Just discover this car like I did. The design is incredible. It’s just SO BEAUTIFUL! It handles great, sounds great and has it where it counts, too.
Will there ever be a top 10 list without a Lamborghini on it? I actually really don’t like Lamborghinis that much. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I really don’t like them at all. But the Miura is so radically different from the others that I sometimes doubt it’s actually a Lamborghini. It is way ahead of its time, with a design that is more like something from the mid ’90s. It is a sleek, stylish, and, there’s no other way to put this, cool.
I’ve been a fan of the Caymans for longer than any other type of Porsche. So you can imagine when I discovered the Cayman R at the Detroit Auto Show in 2011, this was a real treat. The design of this Porsche is so subtly different from every other one, but something about it is just 50 times more charismatic than the others.
This car is so simple, yet so great. It was designed to be a racing car, but is really great looking as well. It is often overlooked by the Elan and Elise. Even the Exige S seems to have had more publicity than this. It actually took me two years to discover this car.
Where has the Corvette gone? I hate, absolutely hate the new Corvettes, partially because they are nothing like this one. This car is an icon of the ’50s and was one of the last good corvettes.
Speaking of classic looking porsches, this one tops them all. Some don’t find this as “awesome looking” as I do, but I personally think this is one of the best looking cars out there. Everything about it is Porsche, but it’s not overdone. It has that great shape that most of the newer porsches lack, and it is a real legend among porsches.
A revolutionary car. This is a great porsche that is very pleasing to the eye, to say the least. With its top speed of 186 mph and a 3.6 second 0-60 time, this is a powerful, classic looking porsche.
This car is tiny but innovative. It copies the design of the Lotus Elise, which is another great car. It is also extremely environmentally friendly, but it compromises nothing in the power category.
A lot of you probably strongly disagree with this one, and I can see why. But I think this car isn’t a car where you’d feel uncomfortable driving it and it isn’t some flashy, extravagant ferrari like the other modern ones. It’s beautiful, powerful, and like the Alfa Romeo, classy.
I like this car more than any modern Lamborghini or other super car. It has a certain air of elegance and class mixed in with it’s insane speed and handling.
BMW claim that this is the fastest SUV available in the market and with a speed of zero to sixty in 4.3 seconds, the claim seems to be absolutely correct. The cost is a massive $ 88,900, and at 5000 lbs it is one of the heaviest vehicles in this list. But with BMW’s superb engine power behind it, it is a great machine.
Another product from the BMW stable, this ute is also a great machine. Slightly slower and heavier than the X6, it is however backed by the reputation of BMW’s excellent craftsmanship. BMW’s zero maintenance facility makes it virtually cost-free with regards to any maintenance problems which may arise.
Sleek and sporty, this beauty has been in the forefront of the SUV field for many years. Even the cost factor of $ 104,700 does not seem to deter those who feel it is one of the best SUV’s available. It’s twin turbo-charged V8 engine generates 500-hp with twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8, for a zero to 60 speed in 4.4 seconds.
Mercedes Benz has been renowned for luxury and speed and quality. They have maintained their excellent quality in this V8, 6.3 litre 503 horsepower engine, It has a maximum speed of 155 mph, which may not be as high as the other SUV’s but it is still good enough to make this list.
The fastest model made by Jeep, it breaks all the myths that Jeep only has slow lumbering vehicles in it’s roster. It has a 420 horsepower, 6.4 litre V8 engine and can streak from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds. It’s price of $ 45,000 makes it a very good buy in this category.
A fancy price of $ 115,000 makes this one of the more expensive SUV’s available in the market. It has a 510 horsepower V8 engine and it combines Range Rover’s quality with a speed of zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds.
The Audi Q7 V12 TDI was developed by Audis Quattro GmbH high-performance division, and Audi even considered officially dubbing it an RS model. This 6.0-liter V-12 is completely new, but it shares components with Audis family of V-6, V-8, and V-10 engines. It produces 500 horsepower and 758 pound-feet of torque (1000 Nm). The crossover is capable of hitting 62 mph in 5.5 seconds, with a limited top speed of 155 mph.
The only Japanese model which has made it’s entry in the Top Ten list, it has a price tag of around $ 43,000. At that price it is an attractive buy and many believe it to be good alternative to the pricier BMW models.
The largest SUV in the market, it is roomy, comfortable and combines luxury and space with speed. The size of the vehicle belies it’s speed of zero to 60 in 6.5 seconds. It offers you everything that you are looking for in an SUV, and also satisfies the desire for a faster driving vehicle
A great family car, the Chevy Trailblazer combines the speed of a Corvette with the comfort and space of an SUV. A 6.0 liter engine, 395 horsepower engine, and a price tag of below $ 40,000, makes this an excellent choice when looking for a fast SUV.