25: Lexus LC – Japanese take on the Italians and win

Lexus' big, expensive coupe is a bit of a mind-bender. Here is a staggeringly gorgeous car, one that can attract the eye away from any Ferrari you might care to mention (and which in fact is far, far prettier than any current production Ferrari). It's a 2+2 coupe that can crack a 4.7 seconds 0-100km/h run, but which is actually a hybrid, and which has Co2 emissions of 184g/km, which seems somehow reasonable.

Inside, you'll find a cabin of rare beauty and quality (aside from the plastic door pockets which look staggeringly cheap) and as a way to cross continents in a day (or less) it's actually pretty hard to beat. V6 engine with hybrid assistance is super-smooth, and actually quite economical (as if that matters to the person who buys a car such as this) but it's a shame (if an understandable one) that Ireland doesn't get the option of the non-hybrid, actually-V8 LC500 model.

That one sounds like a late-1970s racing car, so pure is the note from its non-turbo 5.0-litre V8 engine. Ah well, the hybrid version we get will do just fine.

Best model: LC500h Sport Plus for €127,700