Too many “Car of the Year” awards are hokey affairs that smell vaguely advertorial in nature and don’t really speak to our interests. Not Evo’s, though. When Evo picks a Car of the Year, it’s accompanied by nearly thirty minutes of automotive joy in video form, with everything from hot hatches to supercars.
Here is Evo’s test of the best overall car of the year, hence the wildly different vehicles on display. Evo chose their eleven best cars of the year for the test, including surprising picks like the Camaro Z/28 and the Seat Leon Cupra Sub8 as well as the usual halo cars you’d expect to see in one of these comparos.
While there’s a nice discussion of each car’s highs and lows, it’s also just stunningly beautiful to watch. All eleven cars were shot on fantastic roads in scenic north Scotland countryside for us to enjoy.
Best of all, cars weren’t just judged by numbers and stats, but by how they made Evo’s collection of road testers and racing drivers feel. Does this car really bring you joy as a driver? Well, then, it’s a winner.
At times, this feels like the Friday Night Lights of year-end videos, as even the hauntingly beautiful background music is on point. Crank up the volume for engine notes set to sparse, simple background sounds that respect the need to hear the car for a change, and lose yourself in a half-hour of fantastic things.
Who’s the real winner here? Anyone with the time to sit down and watch this in its entirety, of course.
Contact the author at stef.schrader@jalopnik.com.