John Marcar's Best of the Year: 2024
If you're also looking at your screen and wondering how on earth it's the end of December, don't worry; you're not alone. As far as I'm concerned, it was January about 15 minutes ago, and yet, somehow, an entire year has passed by faster than a Bugatti setting yet another speed record at the Papenburg test circuit.
One factor that helps me personally with time assessment is the ability to look back through the calendar and glance through various events and occasions that have been important enough to feature as a booking throughout the year.
For me, the most exciting addition to the diary is the delivery date of press cars, motorbikes, and event invites from manufacturers who wish to show off a new vehicle. I recently worked through the list of cars and motorbikes I personally tested in 2024, and the number was so staggering that it triggered me to immediately recount... and then, shortly afterwards, assess my own sanity.
In total, for editorial, journalistic, video, or some other work-related purpose, I have driven no less than 65 vehicles this year. Sixty-five vehicles! - that includes cars, motorbikes, lorries, vans and even a racing car - all in the space of just 12 months. It has been, by quite some margin, the busiest professional year I've ever had.
Now, admittedly, not every one of those vehicles was driven for a full review; some were one of many as part of a group test in one day, others I would have had for a long weekend, and some were provided for a month or two to test on a longer-term basis.
The results of all my reviews can be seen here on the Driven website or the YouTube channel, and for the first time ever, I've decided to work through my best of each month and compile them as a list below.
So here it is, my best of the year, month by month, in 2024:
January: The BMW M2 Competition
2024 got off to a good start, thanks to the new (G87) BMW M2. What made it especially good was the fact that the press car I collected from BMW UK had three peddles and a 6-speed manual gearbox - pure bliss!
Performance cars with manual gearboxes are dying out at a rate comparable with Javan Rhinos, and that makes me sad (on both counts). What I especially loved about the new M2 is that it reminded me of what is, in my opinion, the golden era of BMW M cars - the early naughties. Thanks to its size and handling, it reminded me of the E46 M3 and E39 M5, both of which are regarded by many (me included) as some of the best driver's cars ever made.
See my full review of the BMW M2 here:
REVIEW | BMW M2 - Pure Manual Brilliance
February: Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0
Okay, I know, I just harked on about the rarity of performance cars with manual gearboxes, and yet here I am only a month later celebrating another performance car with a manual gearbox.
The Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 I drove in February was significant for another very substantial reason beyond just the peddles in the footwell. The latest model variant of the Cayman (code 718) is set to be the last internal combustion-powered Cayman ever - what comes next will be powered by electricity.
My week with a Cayman GTS was filled with sensational noise; the induction howl from the air intake, which sits approximately 8 inches from your kidneys behind a firewall, is frankly mesmerising. The gearshift felt crisp, the driving position was perfect, and despite being on the lower end of the spectrum for Porsche model desirability, driving the Cayman GTS 4.0 felt genuinely special.
See my review of the Cayman GTS here:
Review | Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 - The Fuelled Finale
March: The BYD Seal 3.8S
My car of the month for March has to be the BYD Seal 3.8S. This was the first time I'd experienced a BYD for more than just a short test drive. I spent a week with the new Seal, and it was somewhat of an eye-opener.
It's no secret that BYD is gunning for Tesla, but for many, the new Chinese car brand is still a bit new and confusing. As a result, I decided to learn as much about the company as I did about the car. I was reviewing.
The BYD Seal left me feeling very impressed, thanks to the interior quality and fit and finish. It also drove remarkably well, surpassing personal expectations. Since driving the Seal in March, BYD has launched an SUV variant of the Seal called the U-DMI, and in a few weeks, I'll be experiencing the new crossover variant called the Sea Lion which proves that the market is clearly accepting of the new Chinese kid on the block.
See my review of the BYD Seal 3.8S here: Who is BYD? | Feature Review - BYD SEAL Excellence AWD
April: Jaguar F-Type R75 Coupe Plus
Unless you've just woken from a coma and immediately opened this article, you'll be all too aware that over the past month or so, Jaguar has caused somewhat of a stir on the internet. The next chapter for Jaguar (or jaGuar if we're being pedantic) is bold, bright and exclusively electric.
The preceding chapter, however, is quite different. The Jaguar F-Type R75 is my car of the month for April, and this was a no-brainer thanks mainly to its iconic 5.0L supercharged V8 engine, which is enclosed within one of the most beautifully shaped new cars I've driven in the past few years.
I titled my review The Final Roar because, in the R75, it's the last time the roaring V8 will ever be used in a Jag, and understandably, that left me feeling a little sad.
Read my full review of the Jaguar F-Type R75 here: Jaguar F-Type R75 Coupe Plus - The Final Roar
May: BMW X7 M60
I've made it very clear in the past (quite publicly) that I've always struggled to see the point in SUVs because, for the most part, they are nothing more than pointlessly oversized and overpriced versions of what is already a perfectly good saloon car.
In May, though, I was left feeling very conflicted by one of the most ridiculous SUV versions of what is, for many, an already oversized and overpriced car - the BMW 7 Series.
As standard, the X7 is enormous, and as a result, the smallest engine configuration one can find in the big SUV is a 3.0 6-cylinder. However, the X7 I borrowed from Partridge BMW in Hampshire was the M60 version. The M60 is powered by a frankly ridiculous 4.4L Turbocharged V8 developed and tuned by BMW's M division.
On paper, I should despise everything about the BMW X7 M60, and yet I fell helplessly head over heels in love with it.
Read about my time with the X7 M60 here: BMW X7 M60 - Still better than a Range Rover?
June: Royal Enfield Shotgun 650
Best of the month for June has to be awarded to the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, not because it was the most exciting or powerful vehicle of the month, but because it represented the most significant turning point for the Anglo-Indian motorcycle brand that I'm admittedly quite fond of.
I've ridden a lot of Royal Enfields, and I've even owned a couple myself, but the Shotgun 650 is the first bike I've experienced from the brand that made me realise that the team behind the new era of bikes are really onto something good.
The Shotgun is one of the first Royal Enfield bikes to have its suspension and geometry overhauled, with new upsidedown forks and tweaks to the chassis that made it exceptional to ride. Since the Shotgun 650, a handful of new Royal Enfields have been released following the same new-era handling ethos, but the Shotgun stood out first for me.
Read my review of the Shotgun 650 here: Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 - An exciting look into the future
July: VW Golf GTI (Mk 8.5)
In terms of being busy, July was frankly daft. I reviewed 10 cars alone in July, not including eight iterations of the VW Golf GTI, which I drove to and from the GTI Fan Fest in Wolfsburg, Germany.
The latest iteration of the Golf GTI wins the prize for car of the month because it really did leave a mark. The latest GTI is another final version of an iconic petrol-powered performance car. Yep, what comes next is going to be an EV. The Golf GTI is historically famed as one of the original hot hatches dating as far back as 1976. Given the experience of driving all eight generations in such a short space of time, the 8.5, knowing that it's the last of its kind, felt especially poignant.
After the road trip to Wolfsburg, VW kindly granted me an extra few days with the new mk8.5 GTI, which allowed me to be among the first to review it globally: REVIEW | VW Golf GTI Mk8.5 (2024)
August: Hyundai Santa Fe
As I opened with in my review, the Hyundai Santa Fe has come a long way since the first bulging bubbly version back in the year 2001. It's now a boxy cubist example of modern-design excellence, and beyond looking fantastic (in my opinion), it's also worthy of recognition from the point of being a superb family car.
For the launch of the new Santa Fe, I slept in it on the top of a mountain in Wales whilst partaking in the Korean hobby of Chabak. Yes, really, the car was converted into a bedroom for the night with an optional inflatable mattress that fits perfectly in the car's rear half.
Beyond the gimmick of it being converted to a bedroom, the new Santa Fe is even better at being a car, something I make a strong point of in my written review here: Review | Hyundai Santa Fe 2024
September: Porsche 911 Carrera T
In September, the outgoing Porsche 911 Carrera T left a lasting impression on me, and I was rightfully ribbed by a close friend of mine when I informed him that I thought it was excellent.
"News flash. A new Porsche is excellent. - You should write that as your review!" he said, whilst displaying the universally recognised facial expression of 'Yeah, obviously.'
My friend was right. Of course, it would be good, but there was something about the Carrera T with its more basic trim level, manual gearbox and subtle styling that made it feel special in its own way compared to the track-focused versions of 911 that cost £130,000 more.
The Carrera T I reviewed has since been succeeded by a new model I'm yet to try, but beyond being my car of the month for September, it's possibly also my car of the year. Yes, it really is that good (obviously): Porsche 911 (992) Carrera T - Last Orders, Please
October: Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
Royal Enfield lands its second award for 2024 for the Himalayan 450. If ranked in terms of power and performance, the Himalayan 450 is right down at the bottom of the league table of my 65 vehicles of 2024, but in terms of an overall rating, it rightfully sits in the top 12.
Historically, the predecessor to the new 450, the Himalayan 410, didn't quite hit the mark for me personally. The original air-cooled 410 felt underpowered and heavy, and the build quality didn't fill me with confidence. But then, in the spring of 2024, the new Himalayan 450 arrived, and, as Royal Enfield has made a habit of doing recently, the new one is much, much better.
The new Himalayan 450 has a marginally larger engine, but it's now water-cooled, which rewards a bit more power and some noticeable poke at higher speeds. The new bike also has improved suspension, chassis geometry, and even a colour screen for pairing mobile phones, and you can see what else I liked in my review here: Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Review - Simplistic Brilliance
November: Tesla Model 3 Performance
Like many of my industry colleagues who have been reviewing cars for a while, I was initially a bit of a sceptic towards Tesla. What's impossible to ignore, though, is the sheer popularity of the brand for buyers. Drive along any high street in the UK, and you'll almost certainly see one in every 10 cars.
When Tesla announced a new Performance Edition of the Model 3, pitched against the likes of new BMW M cars, curiosity got the better of me, and I simply had to see what it was all about.
Well, blow me down and call me Elon; the Model 3 Performance is a very impressive driver's car - and far from the unnecessarily quick gimmick I expected it to be. It's far from perfect, and it will take a fair while before I walk past the BMW M showroom to get my own Tesla track day car, but the Model 3 Performance has to win the car of the month for November. See why in my review here: Telsa Model 3 Performance - A True Driver's Car?
December: Renault Rafale E-Tech Hybrid
If you had predicted in January that a Renault family car might have featured as anything more than a consideration for a 'best of the year', then I have to admit that I might have struggled to believe you... and yet, here I am celebrating my car of the month in December as precisely that.
The Renault Rafale is a 1.2L petrol hybrid designed for the family car market, but what made it stand out to me was the thought that had gone into it. The Rafale is not designed with power, performance or exhilaration in mind; it's designed to be used and, as such, might be one of the most practical and intuitive cars I've reviewed this year.
It also looks fantastic for a family car and rightfully sits at the top of the list for Renault as the new flagship for the brand that has, let's be honest here, been pretty good at building family cars for quite a while. Renault Rafale E-Tech Hybrid: Someone has thought about this
And so there we are, my best of each month in 2024. Sure, the ranking might have been different if the Ferrari 296 Challenge car I drove in July was destined for December, but it wasn't - so it isn't.
2025 is destined to be busy, but I doubt I'll even attempt to beat or even get near the figure of 65 vehicles I've reviewed in 2024. A key reason for that, unironically, is because I will actually be spending quite a bit of time in a Ferrari 296 Challenge car... But more on that in a few weeks.
Thanks for being here, wishing you seasons greetings and all the best for 2025
John
Words by John Marcar
Pictures by Henry Faulkner-Smith
