The 12 Cars of Christmas
We all love Christmas. It’s a time of friends, family, and fellowship. The entire holiday season seems to culminate on December 25. Christmas is a time of tradition as well. Everyone has their own ways of celebrating. One of my family’s traditions is always having a “Christmas brunch” with family rather than a regular lunch.
One of the most popular traditions of Christmas is the carols and songs. Hearing carolers outside on a winter night just makes me feel special. It creates a feeling of warmth and happiness. Anyway… one of the most famous songs is the 12 days of Christmas. It also happens to be one of the most parodied. As long as it’s got a number, anybody can create a knockoff of the 12 days of Christmas song. And it’s a lot of fun to do!
I tried it too! It’s not quite ready to be produced and sold in albums all over the country, but hey… you never know until you try, right? The only difference with my version is that it features cars. Enjoy!
BMW M1
The M1 is probably the best car that nobody knows or cares about. I mean, seriously… when’s the last time you saw or even heard anything about a BMW M1. It was a homologation model produced in the late 1970’s into the early 1980’s, but it’s since slipped into the mist of history. By today’s standards, the car wouldn’t stand a chance against any current mid-engined supercars. It only had 273 horsepower produced from a six cylinder engine. History has taught us that a car like this doesn’t have to be as fast as the cars today to be great. This one’s great, even though nobody remembers it.
2JZ
Yes, I know that the 2JZ isn’t a car. It’s an engine. But it’s possibly one of the greatest and most famous engines ever built. It powered several Toyotas through the years but was made the most famous in the equally great Mk. 4 Supra. Since that time, people everywhere have swapped a 2JZ into just about any vehicle they can. Think of it this way, the 2JZ is like the bacon of the car world. No matter what you add a 2JZ to, it just seems to make things a lot better. A 2JZ engine can go in just about any car, and it will successfully make that car shine just a little brighter.
BMW M3
I promised myself I wouldn’t have any duplicates in here, but I had to let myself down on this one. The BMW M3 doesn’t let anyone down. I happen to think that it’s one of the best cars ever made, even though I’m not particularly fond of the most recent iteration of the car. The question really is, “how can you not put it on a list like this?” I asked myself that very question, then put it on the list.
Audi RS4
Ever since I found out about the Audi RS4, I’ve wanted one. The RS4 can be likened to superman. It’s a four door sedan with muscles all over and super speed. Even though it’s only currently offered in an “Avant” version right now – that means a station wagon for everyone who doesn’t know – it’s even more practical than the former sedan version. Subaru fans would easily be able to fall in love with this bad boy from Germany, because it comes with all-wheel-drive too.
Renault 5 Turbo
Not many people in America know about the Renault 5 Turbo, or really Renault, in general. All you need to know is that Renault is a French automotive manufacturer that built the Renault 5 Turbo back in 1980 to compete in the World Rally Championship. Before the revolutionary Audi Quattro burst onto the scene with its All-Wheel-Drive system, the Renault 5 tore up the track with its mid-mounted engine. Balance was the name of the game here, and Renault had successfully created a car to shut down the reign of the Lancia Stratos. The street version of the car was dumbed down, of course, but it was still pretty great.
Chevrolet Corvette C6
The Corvette is an iconic American sports car. In terms of sheer performance, it’s a bargain. Even though it’s a bit cheaply made – and it definitely shows – nobody can argue with the performance you get for the money. Though not an individual trim level like the Grand Sport, Z06, or ZR1, the C6 represents the generation of the car. The C6 is especially significant because of one thing: the deletion of the popup headlights. Corvette owners are fiercely loyal and true to what the Corvette stands for. When GM announced that the popup headlights were going away, it caused an uproar. It also ushered in a new era for the Corvette. Horsepower started making a comeback, and it set the stage for the Corvette as we know it today.
Mazda RX-7
When I think of an RX-7, a couple things come to mind. First and most notably, the rotary motor. This made the car light and nimble. Back when the car was introduced, the size of the engine actually allowed the size of the car to be smaller, which in turn allowed Mazda to skirt some taxes that had been imposed on larger models. Secondly… pop-up headlights. What would a 1980’s and 90’s sports car be without them? It gave the car a great look. Last, the Mazda RX-7 is truly one of the all-time great cars in history. It lived during the time of cars like the R32-R34 Nissan Skyline, the Mk IV Supra, and the Subaru Sti and Lancer Evolution. To stand out from that crowd, you have to be special. The RX-7 was…
Pontiac G8
The Pontiac GTO is widely considered to be the first true muscle car. Think of the GTO as the patriarch of the family. The G8 would be the youngest in a family who was never able to carry on the family name any farther. Pontiac has been dead since 2010. When the GTO name was brought back in 2004, it was short lived. It wasn’t that the car wasn’t cool. It was! It harkened back to its roots, but the GTO was replaced by the G8 in 2008, and that was all she wrote.
Lancer Evolution IX
The Evolution has gone through 10 seasons before it was killed by Mitsubishi just a short time ago. The significance of the Lancer Evolution IX isn’t particularly profound, but it is important. Like a lot of other cars over the years, the Lancer Evolution has evolved into something “better”, but also something with less character, more weight, and just less “Evolution-ness” according to the Evolution faithful. The Evolution X saw the replacement of the engine that been the heart of the car for years. It was an omen… A death bell. Many say that the IX was the last “true” Lancer Evolution, and I agree.
Dodge Viper SRT10
The Dodge Viper is one car that has truly gotten better with time. It’s always been iconic with its massive displacement engine and larger than life personality. SRT is Dodge/Chryslers performance division and 10 stands for the number of cylinders in the engine. The Viper was actually on my list of the top ten cars that sound the worst, but driving this car is an experience you wouldn’t soon forget.
Aston Martin DB11
The DB11 is one of the newest offerings in the Aston Martin lineup, and it doesn’t disappoint. It was in the running for Motor Trend’s best Driver’s Car award which means that it’s versatile with ample performance. To be fair, no Aston Martin is really built to road race at the touch of a button. Performance is there, but it’s an elegant performance and not a Porsche 911 GT3RS or Lamborghini Aventador type of performance. The only Aston that really claims that is the V12 Zagato. At the end of the day, the DB11 still proudly carries the Aston Martin name in glory, style, and beauty.
Vector M12
This story is a sad one. Super exclusive because of slow sales numbers, the Vector M12 looked like the Lamborghini Countach but with more gorgeous flowing lines. The chances that anybody will ever see one of these is slim to none, but you can find plenty of pictures online. It was powered by a Lamborghini V-12 engine and was only made from 1996-1999. It was a rocket ship designed for the road, and it’s certainly appreciated today, but only by those who really know what it is.
Joy comes from the small things in life. One of my favorite things to do is drive. It brings joy to me, and I wish I had the opportunity to drive each and every one of these cars. One day it will happen, but until then, I, along with each one of you, will have to settle for a funny little Christmas song about the 12 Cars of Christmas.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
–SWF
