Assuming the Mayans were right and the apocalypse is going to happen at the end of 2012, these are the ten cars Jalopnik readers would want to drive for their remaining 351 days on earth.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Ken Eden, National Archives and Records Administration
10.) Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
Suggested By: Burglar has made peace with AWD
Why it's a must-drive: We plan to spend our year of impending doom doing nothing but road trips and trackdays, so we'll be mortgaging everything we own to start a lease on a CTS-V wagon. There's just nothing else with the room to carry our helmet, tools, and an extra set of sticky track-only tires, the speed to make the track worthwhile, and the style and comfort to let us cruise from racetrack to racetrack, soaking up this country for the last time.
Photo Credit: Jalopnik
9.) 1970 Chevelle SS 454
Suggested By: E34 Is An Underrated E30..Except Better
Why it's a must-drive: Before we go, we need to try the classic American muscle car. They're legends, and it's this '70 Chevelle SS 454, with its monstrously large engine and crude frame that makes us want to experience all of that legendary horsepower and earth-twisting torque for ourselves.
Photo Credit: Chevrolet
8.) Caterham R300
Suggested By: StreetsideStig
Why it's a must-drive: When you die, you can't take anything with you, so practicality is not going to be a priority when the world is going to explode in under a year. So there's no reason not to pick a Caterham.
They're on the short list of the most nimble, best handling cars in the world, and with a big horsepower package like an R300 (pictured) or R500, we'd be able to meet our maker with wind in our hair and on full opposite lock.
Photo Credit: Thomas Desforges
7.) Kamaz Dakar racing truck
Suggested By: m4ximusprim3
Why it's a must-drive: With the world ending in less than a year, it's time to get your kicks before the whole thing burns down. Why not get a monstrous desert rally truck, filled to the brim with spares and living supplies, and just head off into the wilderness to drive wherever you like, as fast as you like? The fastest of all these big trucks is the huge Russian Kamaz, and we'd rather rally one of these than take a few spins around the track in an F1 car.
Photo Credit: Red Bull
6.) Your first car
Suggested By: Ankaizes
Why it's a must-drive: It's time to bask in some nostalgia and take your last chance to get back the one that got away. Reader Ankaizes tells his story:
I'll go find my college car, a 1980 Toyota Corona 2 door Hardtop and give it all the love and tuning I can give it.
Story: Back in 1995 when I was in college all the rich kids have brand new Corollas, Civics, or Lancers. (there are no American cars at all in my country mostly Japanese, so a 4 banger 1.6 was the norm). My mechanic dad, gave me the 15+ year old Corona he has fixed so I was lucky enough to have a car to use albeit old and rusty.
Despite loving that car (as any guy would love his first car), I have always wished it was something else. I envied the front wheel drive, numbed down, quiet driving, all power (windows, steering etc), automatic tranny(!) cars that my college buddies had.
I have always thought that's how cars should be. Not the noisy, rear wheel drive, carbureted, no power steering or window, manual gearbox rust trap that I had.
Sadly, I never appreciated it or loved it for what it was. Despite this, it was always there, always with me on many of my milestones - dates, proms, the ballgame. The car never complained, always started up, and simply waited. Waited for me to give it a little love, a little appreciation. I never did, I didn't even give it a name.
So the years have passed and that car was eventually sold and lost. I've moved on to a new country and newer cars. I finally had what I thought I wanted in a car and it just felt empty. That noise? Road feel! The difference in handling? Rear wheel drive! and manual! I can't believe I ever believed automatic was better.
They say everybody will always have at least that one great regret in their life. The one true love that got away...For me it's this car.
So I'll find her, give her a name, give her love and if the world does end, I die and go with her.
Photo Credit: Toyota
5.) A firetruck
Suggested By: Triborough
Why it's a must-drive: If you've ever had a childhood, you've wanted to drive a firetruck. Now's your chance.
Photo Credit: Marc-Anthony Gusman
4.) A big block dirt track racer and a year of competition
Suggested By: UncleBenny
Why it's a must-drive: Not really having to worry about any long-term investments, we'd sell all we own to buy a big block dirt track car and go racing for a year. Years of mud-spitting, V8-roaring, sideways competition will eat up your whole life savings, but that's not an issue anymore.
Photo Credit: cole24
3.) Any Koenigsegg
Suggested By: Thanatos-Obsessed with his SC400
Why it's a must-drive: It's the pinnacle of the unhinged modern supercar. We want to know what it feels like to lay down something like 800 horsepower in leather-lined comfort and put some of the fastest roads to the test. If we end up on a months-long police chase for the world's biggest speeding ticket (currently held by a Koenigsegg, in fact), that's fine with us.
Photo Credit: Philipp Lücke
2.) Ford GT40
Suggested By: Jstas
Why it's a must-drive: In contrast to Koenigsegg, the archetypical modern supercar, the Ford GT40 is the classic supercar we dream of driving. The sweet handling, 200+ miles an hour top speed, and thundering V8 engine mounted just behind your seat keep this Le Mans-winning legend still desirable today.
Photo Credit: FurLined
1.) Lancia Stratos
Suggested By: Straightsix 9904
Why it's a must-drive: The Lancia Stratos was one of the most groundbreaking rally cars of all time. Built just to race, they had an extremely short wheelbase, a brutally strong chassis, and a mid-mounted Ferrari engine to wail through the forests and mountains of Europe.
They look like a Martian assault craft, they have perilously twitchy handling that could easily put you prematurely in the grave, and they sound like the world itself is tearing apart, which in this case is actually kind of appropriate.
Photo Credit: Pietro Zoccola