You need to differentiate between coupe and sports car. They aren't the same thing. Anything with a back seat but only two doors is a coupe. A sports car has no back seat. Corvette is a sports car. Camaro is a muscle car and a sports coupe.

Sedan LWB: I'll give you the Mercedes here.
Sedan SWB: I'll also give you the M3.
Coupe: Only the Aston Martin Vantage will do, but you might consider it a super car.
Sports Car: I must say I think the Corvette is the most beautiful not matter what year or body style.
Compact: I don't think any of them are all that beautiful, but the MINI comes closest.

Supercar - Tough category, but all time would be the 1985 Ferrari Testarossa followed by the Maserati Merak or the DeTomaso Pantera

My take is affected by my height... Not extreme but I cannot drive many Beemers and certainly not the 3 series without risking neck injuries. I suspect that I would have trouble with many Supercars too but haven't had the chance to sit inside many of them. The worst, for space, was a Mazda RX7...

My idea of what makes for a great car necessarily includes size. In the case of the US contenders, I have to add that driving in the UK involves a lot of going around curves and corners... I like to be able to do that without dropping to first gear.

@flashman - go for a Corvette. As low as they are, you virtually lay down in the seat and stretch out. It's like driving from a lounge chair tilted way back. <grin>

What about taking corners though?

My dream car is a Corvette. :D Either a newer one, or a Sting Ray from the 60's...

@Hunter - I used to have a 93 Vette, black with beige interior. I had the LT-1 modified with a larger throttle body, ram air, dynaflow exhaust, and chipped by Doug Rippie Motorsports to 370 HP and 425 lb/ft of torque. I miss my Corvette.

E 63 AMG
C 63 AMG

@Draugnar - you said "Anything with a back seat but only two doors is a coupe", this is the classic definition of coupe, but it is evolving. Mercedes and VW both have 4-door "coupes" now, it is becoming more of a body style. But as far as my list goes you are right. I should have said sports car.

@denis - I seem to share your love for Mercedes, but the C63AMG isn't my cup of tea, if I was going for a sports car it would totally be Porsche, Mercedes is about luxury and quality (though the 65 AMG in the SL Black puts out horsepower like a mother-f-er, it is like 700BHP or something, great Top Gear review).

@Draug - you are right about the Supercars too, it is a more wide open field, many are beautiful, but you should check out the Ferrari 458 Itallia, it is breathtaking.

My dad has a 1979 candy apple blue Corvette with side mufflers. She is a beauty.

KAPTIAN KOOL
if I had the money I would be driving the fucking CL 65 IN A HEARTBEAT

what a load of crap- "from a holistic point of view'??!?!?!
the German part

There is a C65 now... A student of mine has one, or at least his family does. I would assume the E version is available as well. Expect a C67 soon on that basis.

no the most you get out of the E class is the E63 which is still a super sick and nice car

There could well be differences in areas here. The Chinese and Philippinos have and absolute mania for one-up-manship and the badge is all important. I stron gly suspect that there are E65's around as the C65 has been available for more than a year already. Probably the same engine anyway. There is Brabus C63 version that parks under my building, so I would not be surprised if the C65 is a Brabus conversion as well.

And would I like to drive one? To be honest, the C63 must be dangerous enough: way too much power for what is still a nice smallish saloon car.

Incidentally, there is an AMG C63 under my building too, and I just walked past in to pop out to a shop. It sits there regularly... It is, would you believe, an estate version. I have to question the owner's taste there cos whilst it is clearly a rather special piece of engineering, the image is a bit hard to classify. White with all black wheels, not my pick there either.

@BartSimpson - when you look at every aspect of what makes a car truly great, I believe that German cars tend to achieve many of the standards and as a whole are superior cars. Show me a car that is all around better than the E63AMG sedan.

@flashman - there probably won't be a 67AMG lol, 65 is acutally just tradition, it isn't even 6.5L anymore or anything, same with the 6.3AMG. Also I don't think there is a C65AMG, there definitely isn't in Canada... could you link me to the website?

I was referring to a car owned by a student of mine (his uncle) in Manila - I can ask for a picture but I am travelling right now and will be away from HK for a few weeks. He upgraded from the C63 to a C65 about a year ago. The number means everything to these rather affluent citizens.

@flashman - Yes... but there is no such thing as a C65AMG... that engine only goes into the S CL and SL classes, perhaps he purchased a Cl 65 AMG? My dad ordered a C 250 4Matic, so I looked into the car quite a bit, this is why I am wondering.

So what do you teach?

Have you guys seen the new hyundai sonata? or how about that Kia rio? damn that thing is sweet ;)

and i think we'll all agree that this "car" is the best around
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ken-block-wrx-sti-trax.jpg

i still want my camaro.

Ken Block is pretty ridiculous, have you seen him with Rob Dyrdek?

Corvette is - hands down - the best bang for the buck.

I disagree, I would far rather put myself in an R8.