the best looking cars

Jaguars past has been littered with stunning designs. But few are more beautiful than the Jaguar F type coupe. Theres a beautiful Jaguar F type convertible available too, but we think the coupe edges it just. It retains the sleek shape that Jaguar is famous for, but by adding a great driving experience, Jaguar has created one of its most entertaining and desirable cars ever. Two and four wheel drive is offered, and you can have an automatic or manual gearbox too. Whichever model you go for, youre guaranteed exceptional performance and the top of the range V8 R model provides the full supercar experience.

The third generation Audi TT might not look that much different from the second generation model, but if it aint broke, dont fix it. Its elegant shape has appealed to many buyers, making it one of the best selling cars of its type in the UK. Although it has four seats, the two in the back are really only suitable for children. But the rest of the interior sets new benchmarks for design and quality in a sports car. Theres a petrol powered model which provides a 0 62mph time of around 5.5 seconds, but its the diesel that gets the nod from us. Its barely any slower, but can return an easy 50mpg.

The Mercedes C Class has always been a desirable saloon car, but now its more luxurious than ever. It looks, and feels, like a miniature version of the Mercedes S Class luxury saloon. Yet for all of the new styling, its immediately recognisable as a C Class from the outside, at least. The interior is now every bit as attractive too. Most models sold in the UK feature a 2.1 litre diesel engine, but the new interior insulates occupants from outside noise so well, the engine can sound noisy. Theres also a 2.0 litre petrol engine, a fast hybrid and the Mercedes AMG C63, which is faster still.

The BMW i8 coupe is certainly the most radical looking car on this list. It is built from lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre, yet thats not the reason it looks so striking. Its been designed to slip through the air as efficiently as possible to extract every last mile per gallon. Thats particularly important, because under the skin sits a 1.5 litre petrol engine and two electric motors. Even though its capable of getting from 0 62mph in just 4.4 seconds, it can still return 135mpg and its CO2 emissions of 49g/km means that not only is road tax free, but its exempt from the London Congestion Charge too.

The second BMW on this list isnt a 3 Series, as much as it looks like one. Its actually the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe; a four door hatchback thats based on the excellent 4 Series Coupe. From the side, you get pretty much the same swooping shape as youll find on the coupe, but with a useful extra set of doors. Yet with a wide opening hatchback, the boot is actually more practical than the one youll get in a 3 Series. The cars design is full of nice touches, like side windows that dont have a frame and sporty vents in the front wings. Theres a wide range of engines, from the frugal 418d model, to the extremely fast 435i. Manual and automatic gearboxes are available, as is the choice of rear wheel drive or four wheel drive xDrive models.

A people carrier in a list of the best looking cars on sale? The only model it could be is the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, a model with looks every bit as radical as a concept car. The front has striking headlights and chrome grille, and theres a huge amount of glass. That means that from the inside, the huge Grand C4 Picasso feels even bigger. Theres some beautiful interior styling too, including LCD instrument screens which allow the driver to select from a number of different designs. Its extremely practical too, although the third row of seats is a little tight. And most models are extremely cheap to run, particularly the smallest diesel engine, which is capable of 74mpg.

It might be the sister car to the Volkswagen Golf, but its the SEAT Leon which wins on looks. It features SEATs pointy front end design with relatively narrow glass to make it look sporty. Its fairly wide, too, which gives it a bit of an aggressive figure. The interior isnt the most radically styled on this list, but its more exciting than most other small family hatchbacks out there. On the road its at least as good to drive as the Golf, with steering that responds with immediacy, and the ride is sporty but comfortable. The engine range is similar to the Golfs too, which means small petrols, economical diesels and some serious performance in the Cupra hot hatch.

Maserati is synonymous with sports cars, but it has produced many saloon cars over the years. But few have been as affordable as the Maserati Ghibli. The rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E Class certainly wins in the styling stakes, with swooping lines and large grille with Maseratis iconic trident badge. The interior is designed with flair too and feels as luxurious as youd expect from a Maserati. On the move, the Ghibli is surprisingly comfortable, although space in the back seats it more cramped than in a BMW or Mercedes. Its not quite so good to drive as though models either, but for those seeking ultimate style, little comes close.

The Peugeot 308 doesnt have the glamourous image of other cars on this list, which means it has to work even harder to justify its place. Peugeot has moved away from the gaping grilles it used to fit to its cars, and the latest crop look far more elegant with a chrome edged grille and LED daytime running lights. The interior is far better than youd expect too, with handsome styling in a minimalist environment. Peugeot has moved most of the buttons to a central touchscreen, which looks great, but takes some getting used to. Some might not get on with the small steering wheel either.

The Renault Twingo is the smallest car on this list, but what it loses in size, it more than makes up for with style. The Twingos big headlights give a cute look, and the bluff front and rear is textbook city car it looks great, and makes it very easy to park. Theres a long list of customisation options, including different wheel designs, graphics and interior trims, to provide some individuality. Whether you choose the 1.0 litre engine, or the smaller but more powerful 0.9 litre engine, its installed in the boot which is both a talking point and allows the Twingo to have a particularly small turning circle.