Out of Reach...

Here is my personal list of some of the coolest new cars not available for US sale...rather than focus on supercars or exotics, of which there are many, I've stuck to cars that can be considered everyday transport. For space reasons, I will limit it to five cars, but feel free to add your faves in the comments.

First up is the Citroen C5 Wagon. As mentioned in a post below, I think this has to the best looking wagon on the planet. Definitely a stylish way to haul the kids and their gear.

Next in line is the Citroen C3 Picasso. The Europeans, and particularly the French, do tall one-box designs well. This is compact car with tons of space inside and lots of cool design features.

Although we get the four-door Si version, we no longer get the Honda Civic three-Door Type S. At this heart of this polarizing design is a high-revving Honda engine.

We've been denied the new VW Scirocco. Although this is really a squashed GTI, it is a damn-cool car. Bring it over VW!

Along with the Citroen, here's one from a brand not even sold in the US - the Seat Leon Cupra. The Leon is a cool design - given the Cupra treatment it also hauls. It sports a VW-based 2 litre turbo and hits 62mph in 6.4 seconds.

DS Reborn

I was reading Top Gear magazine this weekend by the pool (thanks Melissa and Tobe for a kidless weekend). TG is one of those guilty pleasures I rarely indulge in these days due to its US cover price of over $10...I can get Automobile and Car and Driver for the same price. Anyway, it is a great magazine and allows me to keep up on all the cool European cars we don't get to see here in the US. There was a feature on the new Citroen DS Inside concept.

Citroen has chosen to resurrect its "DS" moniker not for a single model, but for a range of models that will sit above its basic line-up. Citroen has really been on a roll lately with its designs and the DS Inside (the smallest of the DS lineup) is no exception. It is intended as a Mini-fighter and has all the right design touches. Apparently it will drive less "go-karty" (my word not theirs) than the Mini and have slightly more space. The design is definitely compelling for a small hatchback with lots of unique touches like the shark fin B-pillar and gaping front end.

The French have really been designing and producing some great cars lately. It's a shame we can't find away to get some of these cars (Citroen C3 Picasso, C5 and C6; Renault Modus and Scenic; Peugeot 1007, 308, 407) to the US. Business plan, anyone?

Vive la France

In honor of Bastille Day, I thought a list of top ten French cars would be in order. Some may question whether French cars are indeed worthy of a top ten list. I say check out the innovative, stylish, quirky and just plain cool autos on the list below, then try to deny that the French have made some real contributions to the motoring world. Remember, this is my list and it largely ignores some great pre-War cars. If you disagree with me, make your own list and post it to the comments.

Citroen DS – Shown above, it is difficult to understand today how radical this car was at its launch in the 50s. So iconically French that the Griswolds drove one in European vacation.

Citroen 2CV - An umbrella on wheels, this is the car that got the French back on the road after WW2. It remained in production for forty years virtually unchanged.

Peugeot 205 GTI – Peugeot’s answer to the VW Golf GTI. Try finding one today that hasn’t been absolutely destroyed by teenage heroics.

Citroen SM – Basically a DS coupe with a Maserati engine. Maybe not the most reliable mechanically, but it sure was stunning.

Renault Alpine A110 – I can still remember seeing these in rallies when I was a kid in France. Based on a Renault 8, this was France’s answer to the Porsche 911.

Citroen Traction Avant – The first mass produced unibody front wheel drive car. It may not look futuristic, but its basic layout underpins most of today’s cars.

Bugatti Type 35 – A beautiful and wildly successful race car introduced in 1924 with over 1,000 victories to its name.

Renault 5 Turbo – Take a run-of-the-mill econobox, stick a monster motor where the back seat should be, connect it to the rear wheels and hold on for dear life.

Citroen C6 – Citroen rediscovered its design heritage in 2006 after 25 years of building bland cars. This car has real presence; too the bad public hasn’t discovered it and they only sell about one a week.

Mystery Car of the Week

Who knows if this will be weekly or not, but let's pretend...

OK folks, time for the mystery car of the week. You'll only get a glimpse of a rare (by US standards) car. Please use the comments sections to post your guess. We'll start out with something fairly easy. Good luck!

UPDATE: And the winner is...the combo team of Suzanne and B Hill (and Google)...nice work guys.

It is indeed the ass-end of a Citroen BX. Sorry Suzanne and B, but until somebody starts paying me for this, the only prize I can offer is a half-empty bottle of Citroen hydraulic fluid.

Wagons

My station wagon fetish is well known. Their versatility and stealth-factor is unrivaled. SUVs and minivans can carry more people/stuff, but aren't as fun to drive and suck gas. Sedans aren't as roomy and are too common.

Wagons I have owned (or borrowed for extended periods from my parents) and loved include a 1988 Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro, 1995 Honda Accord, 1999 Audi A4 1.8T, 2003 VW Jetta 1.8T, 2004 VW Passat 1.8T, 2008 VW Passat 2.0T. It's tough to pick a favorite, but all things considered, I have to pick the A4. The first generation A4 wagon (sorry, Avant) was described by the automotive press as the "most beautiful wagon on the planet," and I tend to agree. Even though the 1.8T was a bit short on power for such a heavy car, it was a blast to drive, and the overall quality was terrific.

For my money, the current holder of the title of "most beautiful wagon on the planet" is the Citroen C5 (shown at the top of this post). Not a familiar one to US drivers, but a great looking car. We saw a bunch of them on our most recent trip to France. Not sure many wagons qualify as "sexy," but this one sure does.